Send us Fan Mail

Every family approaches food allergy treatment differently, and that's exactly as it should be.

In this episode, psychologist and food allergy mom I sit down with Ina Chung, creator of @TheAsianAllergyMom to discuss one of the most overlooked aspects of treatment decisions: giving yourself permission to choose the path that aligns with your family's goals, values, and season of life.

Together we discuss:

• Why more treatment options can sometimes create more pressure
• Raising confident, thoughtful children with food allergies
• Helping kids become part of the decision-making process
• The importance of knowing your family's goals before choosing a treatment
• Why "not right now" can be a thoughtful decision
• Building confidence instead of comparison

You can follow Ina on Instagram @theasianallergymom
The Asian Allergy Mom

My new book, From Fear to Freedom: A Workbook for Navigating Allergy Immunotherapy is available here: https://a.co/d/051hmpku

Special thanks to Kyle Dine for permission to use his song The Doghouse for the podcast theme!
www.kyledine.com

Find Dr. Whitehouse:
-thefoodallergypsychologist.com
-Instagram: @thefoodallergypsychologist
-Facebook: Dr. Amanda Whitehouse, Food Allergy Anxiety Psychologist
-welcome@dramandawhitehouse.com

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, UK allergist Prof. Adam Fox joins us to explore the emotional and psychosocial layers of oral immunotherapy.

Dr. Fox shares how he approaches difficult conversations with honesty and compassion, including addressing guilt about management decisions and understanding risk and side effects during treatment. Dr. Fox gives us important insights and emotional validation regarding the connection between stress and allergic reactions, including how the brain, gut, and immune system interact during treatment.

This conversation expands the discussion beyond protocols and data and into the lived emotional experience of navigating food allergy treatment.

Episode Links:
-Follow Prof. Adam Fox @dradamfox and @london_allergy
-https://www.allergylondon.com/team/professor-adam-fox/
-LEAP Study: https://www.leapstudy.co.uk/index.html
-Mindset in Food Allergy paper: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41070771/

From Fear to Freedom: A Workbook for Navigating Allergy Immunotherapy
https://a.co/d/003saZ8p

Special thanks to Kyle Dine for permission to use his song The Doghouse for the podcast theme!
www.kyledine.com

Find Dr. Whitehouse:
-thefoodallergypsychologist.com
-Instagram: @thefoodallergypsychologist
-Facebook: Dr. Amanda Whitehouse, Food Allergy Anxiety Psychologist
-welcome@dramandawhitehouse.com

Send us Fan Mail

Beneath our wishes, we often discover important clues about our values, needs, fears, hopes, griefs, and the parts of ourselves that may not receive enough attention in everyday life.

When was the last time you used your imagination, not to solve a problem or make a plan, but to better understand yourself?

This guided Magic Wand Exercise invites you to set aside what is practical, realistic, or possible for a moment and explore a simple question:
If you had a magic wand, what would you change?

This guided reflection is designed to help you:
• increase self-awareness
• identify underlying needs and values
• explore emotions with curiosity and compassion
• gain insight into challenges or decisions you may be facing
• reconnect with creativity and imagination

Many of us spend so much time focusing on what we think we should want or what we believe is possible that we rarely pause to explore what matters most. This exercise creates space to listen more closely to your own experience.

Whether you are navigating a life transition, making an important decision, processing a challenge, or simply seeking a deeper understanding of yourself, I hope this exercise offers insight, clarity, and self-compassion.

No special experience is needed, just curiosity, imagination, and a willingness to explore.

While this exercise appears in my workbook From Fear to Freedom about the social/emotional aspects of food allergy treatment decisions, it is not specific to food allergies and can be used by anyone navigating challenges, changes, or difficult feelings.

You can find the workbook this exercise is from here:
From Fear to Freedom: A Workbook for Navigating Allergy Immunotherapy
https://a.co/d/003saZ8p

Special thanks to Kyle Dine for permission to use his song The Doghouse for the podcast theme!
www.kyledine.com

Find Dr. Whitehouse:
-thefoodallergypsychologist.com
-Instagram: @thefoodallergypsychologist
-Facebook: Dr. Amanda Whitehouse, Food Allergy Anxiety Psychologist
-welcome@dramandawhitehouse.com