Category: Updates Or News

Evidence-Based Allergy Behavioral Health Resources

2/7/2023

It's so easy to find a resource website, such as this one, yet not really take the time to explore all it has to offer. After all, life is busy and many are trying to limit how much time is spent online anyhow.

Hopefully this post helps simplify that exploration process for you by highlighting a few key resources available here at The Food Allergy Counselor (The FAC) beyond the FAC Directory! And, make sure to read this whole post so you get to the exciting announcement!

First, What Makes The FAC Unique?

The FAC is an allergy behavioral health and psychosocial resource hub offering evidence-based content developed and curated by licensed clinical professional counselor and founder, Tamara Hubbard. As an allied health member of both the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology and American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, Tamara is a well-recognized and respected behavioral healthcare clinician in this field.

Why is this important to mention? Because when looking online for reputable allergy resources, it's easy to get overwhelmed by the number of websites available covering allergies. However, you can be assured that the content and resources offered here at The FAC are based on clinical behavioral healthcare and allergy/immunology best practices, and are aimed at helping you find your "just right" balance between the overwhelm and the quality of life you want, even with allergic diseases!

Allergy Behavioral Health
& Psychosocial Resource Section

If you've not yet checked out The FAC's Psychosocial Resource section, you're missing out on an incredibly thorough list of allergy-specific psychosocial content.

Broken down by topics, you'll find links to research, articles, and other related content to help enrich your quality of life, adjust your approach to life with allergies, or simplify things. This section is constantly expanding, so be sure to check back from time-to-time!

Here's a snippet of topics this section offers content on:

Information for behavioral healthcare providers working in allergy
Allergy testing anxiety resources
School, social and bullying resources
Parenting, child, and teen-specific resources
Anxiety & mindfulness tools also useful for allergy anxiety
Quality of life research links
Oral immunotherapy and psychosocial impacts research links
Research on addressing food allergy anxiety in the allergist's office

Allergic Disease Counseling Niche Information

Wondering what the Allergic Disease Counseling niche actually is? Maybe you're a therapist who is curious about working in this niche. Or maybe you're an allergy practice looking to learn more about the benefits of incorporating allergy behavioral healthcare practices in your patient care routines.

Well, The FAC has all of this information covered in the Allergic Disease Counseling niche section, which is broken down by focus:

Information for Allergic Individuals and Families - benefits of the Allergic Disease Counseling niche for those managing food allergy/allergic conditions
Information for Therapy Providers - working in the Food Allergy & Allergic Disease Counseling niche
Information for Allergists/Healthcare Providers - how the Allergic Disease Counseling niche can help patients in your practices

Food Allergy Therapeutic Worksheets
& Clinical Practice Forms

Feel like you or a family member could benefit from exploring your allergy-related anxiety and stress, and learn practical strategies to manage it more effectively?

Based on evidence-based behavioral health concepts, these therapeutic worksheets can be useful for exploring the emotional aspects of living with allergies. They can even be used within therapy to enhance sessions with your own therapist, too!

Speaking of therapists - there are clinical provider versions of these worksheets, as well as allergy-specific clinical intake forms to help you gather deeper insights that lead to developing effective therapeutic treatment goals with your allergic clients.

Exciting Announcement.....

New Food Allergy Counselor Website Soon!

The Food Allergy Counselor is getting a makeover!

Coming soon, the updated website will offer new features such as a searchable Food Allergy Counselor Directory, a more functional flow for all the amazing content, and a member's only section for Food Allergy Counselor members!

But wait, there's even more great news!

You can also expect TONS of fresh and one-of- a kind content coming from The FAC this year, especially for behavioral healthcare professionals!

There's lots happening behind the scenes here at The FAC!

Want to be sure you don't miss anything?
Subscribe to receive The FAC's emails -
no spam, just useful content!

And don't forget about ALL of The FAC resources here to support you!

Allergy counseling information for patients, therapists, allergists
Find an allergy-informed therapy provider - most offering telehealth
Listen to podcast episodes offering practical and relatable guidance
Watch (and listen to) webinars and podcast interviews
Explore allergy-focused behavioral health resources
Learn mindset strategies from allergy-specific therapeutic worksheets
Connect with other allergy-informed therapy providers!

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Meet The FAC Advisors!

8/24/2022

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When an organization finds itself in growth mode, it's important to have a team who understands the vision, supports the mission, and is equally dedicated to the purpose. So, as The FAC started focusing on 2023 growth goals, it became time to expand the team.

Therefore, I'm SO excited for you to meet The FAC Advisors! These individuals were selected because they are forward-thinking change-makers who are passionate about positively impacting the allergy community. Each bring a variety of talents and are already making a mark in this community, so it's an honor to have them on The FAC team to offer guidance as we continue to expand!

Without further ado, let me introduce you to these amazing individuals! To read more about these advisors, and The FAC's mission, visions, values, and story, visit the About The FAC page.

Medical Advisor

Alice Hoyt, MD is a food allergist who is focused on whole-patient care, and her allergy practice does just that. At The Hoyt Institute for Food Allergy, patients receive individualized care that includes access to an allergy-informed therapist at each step. In addition to her practice, Dr. Hoyt is the co-host of the Food Allergy and Your Kiddo podcast, and the executive director of Code Ana, an organization with a mission of optimizing safety for all students at school.

Healthcare Advisor

Olga Kagan, PhD, RN is a registered nurse, researcher, and educator with experiences across different healthcare settings inside and outside of the United States. Dr. Kagan has a passion for developing impactful resources and changes within the allergy community. She has been invited to contribute to textbooks, articles, and presentations in areas of healthcare informatics and innovation, health policy, and anaphylaxis education, receiving several awards for her contributions to research and leadership.

Behavioral Healthcare Advisors

Paige Freeman, PhD is a psychologist and experienced allergy parent. As a PsyPact-approved psychologist, Dr. Freeman is licensed to provide allergy-focused therapeutic services in 30 states via telehealth - and that number continues to grow! She is passionate about educating food allergic individuals (and their families and friends) about the very real psychosocial stressors of managing food allergies, and as such, is a frequent contributor to FARE. Additionally, Dr. Freeman is one of only a few alpha-gal informed mental health providers in the United States.

Lori Moussapour, MA, LCSW is a therapist, coach, consultant and educator. She has both a Masters Degree in Education and a Master of Social Work, as well as years of advanced training in areas such as Emotional Literacy (Yale University Center for Emotional Intelligence), Emotionally Focused Therapy, and Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies. Through her private practice, To Empower U, she focuses on helping people with the social and emotional burdens of living with food allergies. Lori also serves as an advisor to Equal Eats, whose mission is to support eating out safely, despite dietary restrictions, and she leads a peer consultation group for allergy-informed therapits through the Food Allergy Behavioral Health Network.

Business Advisor

Javier Evelyn is the Founder & CEO of digital health drug delivery company Alerje, where they create and deliver innovation that transforms the lives of over 220M families worldwide living with food allergies to help make every moment count. In addition to being a founding team member of MedTech Color, he currently sits on the boards of the Accelerate Blue Fund at the University of Michigan, MATTER Health, AdvaMed Accel, and the 'Case for Investment' Advisory Committee at Rock Health. Previously, he was named as an awardee of the inaugural Black Founders Fund by Google for Startups, made the 2019 Crain’s Detroit Business 40 Under 40 list, served as the 2017 Google x CODE2040 Detroit EIR, and served as a Millennial Advisory Board Member at First Independence Bank.

Community Advisor

Francesca Rose has a Bachelor’s degree in Math and Music, and is a freelance cellist and cello instructor. She has served as President of the Utah Food Allergy Network (UFAN) since May 2021, after having served as board secretary from 2018-2021. Her food allergy advocacy journey began 18 years ago when her youngest daughter was born with a food allergy to all milk proteins. Francesca is an active volunteer in her community and church, and cares deeply about helping the world be a better place for everyone. In addition to advocating for safe inclusivity for those with food allergies, she has advocated for women, families, and children at the United Nations and other venues. She is motivated by the belief that serving others through education and advocacy creates positive change in the world.

Now that you've learned more about them, you probably understand the excitement about this amazing team of advisors who are helping to guide the growth and expansion of The FAC. So, please help me welcome them all, and I hope you check out their links to learn more about their work within the allergy community!

Remember, support is there if you need it! Don't forget to check out the Food Allergy Counselor Directory, the Exploring Food Allergy Families podcast, the Food Allergy Behavioral Health Resource section, and the allergy-specific therapeutic worksheets. And if you're an allergy-informed therapy provider, then visit the Provider page!

Don't be shy - reach out and say hi! I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this post and other FAC content. And don't forget to sign up to receive helpful allergy psychosocial tips and updates via email! Subscribers also get the free "Allergy Anxiety and Overwhelm Mini Guide."

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New Tool To Better Understand How Allergies Impact Our Patients' Lives

3/6/2022

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When an allergic patient or parent of a child managing an allergy reaches out for therapy, it's important for me to learn how the allergy impacts their lives. Sure, they are reaching out because they feel overwhelmed or anxious about their allergy, but that's just the overall picture. And in order to truly help my patients, I need to get a more detailed picture.

I do this by asking patients to complete the appropriate Food Allergy Psychosocial Information Form as part of their intake paperwork. The responses on this form gives me a solid glimpse into their quality of life, which domains are most impacted, and psychosocial themes that may need adjusting. It's a tool that has helped me more effectively meet my patients' needs and ensure they're feeling understood for years now.

After sharing these forms during consultation sessions with allergy practices and fellow therapists, it became clear that these tools may be beneficial to others. Therefore, I've decided to offer them to allergy and therapy practitioners, too.

Read on to learn more about how they're beneficial to both patients and providers!

The Food Allergy Psychosocial Information Forms are premade AND customizable! That means that you don't have to spend time creating them, and can personalize them with your practice's logo and information.

Versions available:

Therapy Practice Version - child, adolescent, adult, parent/caregiver
Allergy Practice Version - child, adolescent, adult, parent/caregiver
Currently available in paper format; fillable format coming soon

What are the differences between the therapy and allergy practice versions?
All four forms are available for both, but questions vary slightly between both versions so that they are more tailored to the scope of the practices.

What Information Does These Forms Gather:
These patient narrative forms allow for detailed responses on themes such as:

Allergy mindset and outlook
Anxiety levels and quality of life (QoL) impacts
Behavioral changes (i.e. restricted eating patterns, limiting experiences)
Impactful memories from previous reactions
Epinephrine knowledge and/or fear of use
Allergy care guidelines being implemented
Sources used to learn allergy information
Allergy impacts in various domains
How patients manage their allergy well
What information will help patients decrease anxiety/increase QoL

Benefits of Using These Forms in Therapy Practices:

Premade and customizable for your practice
One form gathers anxiety-related QoL, anxiety and functioning information
Patient narrative format helps with treatment goal planning
Patient may feel more comfortable sharing this information initially in writing
Potential networking tool with allergy practices - helps allergists identify patients who may benefit from therapeutic support to positively impact QoL

Benefits of Using These Forms in Allergy Practices:

Premade and customizable for your practice
One form gathers anxiety-related QoL, anxiety and functioning information
Opportunity for patients to feel heard/more easily express allergy struggles
Helps identify patients' allergy knowledge gaps or inaccurate information
Helps assess potential need for allied health services (i.e. therapist, dietitian)
Identifies themes to reassess/revisit with patients in future appointments

Suggestions/Tips For Use:

For All - Give to patients as part of intake paperwork process
For Allergy Practices - If allergist is unable to review due to time constraints, consider having another team member review and share main points

Narrative Versus Validated Patient Forms?
It's like comparing apples and oranges - both are fruit, but different kinds. Both narrative and validated forms gather valuable patient information, but in different manners.

Validated assessments, such as the Survey of Food Allergy Anxiety (SOFAA), typically assess functioning and impacts that helps drive diagnosis and treatment decisions.

Patient narrative forms, such as these Food Allergy Psychosocial Information Forms, primarily gather information to aid in understanding the whole patient. While they may also be used to help determine treatment decisions, their primary purpose is gathering information that helps to facilitate conversations and problem-solve with patients.

[The images above show the Parent/Caregiver - Therapy Practice version]

Visit the "Worksheets" page to check out and learn more about these Food Allergy Psychosocial Information Forms, and don't hesitate to reach out with questions!

Special introductory pricing is available through March 31, 2022, and there will always be a discount for purchasing the package, which includes all 4 forms.

Direct URL to the Worksheets page: www.FoodAllergyAnxiety.com

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<<Previous

Evidence-Based Allergy Behavioral Health Resources

First, What Makes The FAC Unique?

Allergy Behavioral Health
& Psychosocial Resource Section

Allergic Disease Counseling Niche Information

Food Allergy Therapeutic Worksheets
& Clinical Practice Forms

Exciting Announcement.....

Meet The FAC Advisors!

Medical Advisor

Healthcare Advisor

Behavioral Healthcare Advisors

Business Advisor

Community Advisor

New Tool To Better Understand How Allergies Impact Our Patients' Lives

Archives

Categories

FAC Resources

For THERAPY Providers

About

Evidence-Based Allergy Behavioral Health Resources

First, What Makes The FAC Unique?

​Allergy Behavioral Health​& Psychosocial Resource Section

​Allergic Disease Counseling Niche Information

​Food Allergy Therapeutic Worksheets & Clinical Practice Forms

Exciting Announcement.....

Meet The FAC Advisors!

Medical Advisor

Healthcare Advisor

Behavioral Healthcare Advisors

Business Advisor

Community Advisor

New Tool To Better Understand How Allergies Impact Our Patients' Lives

Archives

Categories

FAC Resources

For THERAPY Providers

About

Allergy Behavioral Health
& Psychosocial Resource Section

Allergic Disease Counseling Niche Information

Food Allergy Therapeutic Worksheets
& Clinical Practice Forms