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The Latest Food Allergy Anxiety Resources

10/13/2019

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As a licensed clinical professional counselor that works with those managing food allergies, I'm often asked for anxiety management tips. ​Before offering any guidance, I always explain that anxiety isn't always negative, and in fact, is a healthy and adaptive tool that helps us navigate life safely. Sometimes sharing this simple fact offers some reassurance. 
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However, when people feel that their anxiety or worry are reaching unhealthy levels - that it's impacting daily life or resulting in excessive restrictions of foods, social interactions, or achieving developmental milestones - it's useful to have resources to offer in addition to the work we do in our therapy sessions. 

Below are a few newer food allergy anxiety-focused resources that may offer tangible tools to help understand and navigate allergy worries. ​
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1. Allergic Living's "Food Allergy Anxiety Guide"
This special edition digital magazine covers a wide variety of food allergy anxiety topics. Leading food allergy clinical psychology and counseling professionals working within the food allergy community share tips via articles and even podcast conversations. Additionally, you'll read relatable stories from individuals and families managing food allergies. 
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2. "When Food Allergies Cause Anxiety"  (Article)
Authored by Food Allergy Counselor website creator Tamara Hubbard, MA, LCPC, and published in the Fall/Winter edition of Coping with Allergies and Asthma magazine (online/print), this article offers five tips to help parents and caregivers approach food allergic kids exhibiting elevated levels of anxiety. 
3. Siblings of Children with Chronic Conditions: 4 Potential Signs of Distress to Be Aware Of  (Blog Post)
Written by one of the providers at Brave Minds Psychological Services, located on the Food Allergy Counselor Directory in NJ, this post explores how siblings of children with chronic conditions may be emotionally impacted.
4. Allergic Living Video Series: Managing Food Allergy Anxiety  (video)
Editor Gwen Smith chats with Dr. Linda Herbert, Director of the psychosocial clinical and research program in the Division of Allergy and Immunology at Children’s National Health System in Washington, D.C about food allergy anxiety in children. 
5. uh-PARENT-ly Podcast on WGN (Podcast)
Check out this interview with Gia Rosenblum, PhD, an allergy-informed psychologist in private practice in NJ (listed in the Food Allergy Counselor Directory).
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6. Post-Anaphylaxis Anxiety Reminders & Tips (PDFs)
Below are two PDFs with tips to help those feeling overwhelmed after a food allergy reaction better understand how to create a plan to move forward. Both versions include the acronym T.R.A.C.E., created by Tamara Hubbard, MA, LCPC, but the second version also offers tips to further help manage stress and anxiety caused by a reaction. 
T.R.A.C.E. Handout (post-anaphylaxis reminders)
File Size: 177 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
General Tips for After Anaphylaxis Handout
File Size: 127 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
Additionally, don't forget to check out the Food Allergy Counselor website's Resource Section, offering links to workbooks/books, articles/research and useful tools, as well as the Food Allergy Counselor blog, with posts authored by allergy-informed
clinical counseling providers. 

If you're looking for an allergy-informed licensed clinical psychology/counseling provider, be sure to check out the
Food Allergy Counselor Directory to locate one near you. 

*(Check back often, as these resources continue to expand!)*

Stay connected with food allergy counselor
​& Tamara Hubbard, MA, LCPC on social media!

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Updates on the Food Allergy Counselor Website & Founder Tamara Hubbard, LCPC

9/7/2019

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Does anyone else feel that time flies by so quickly sometimes that you suddenly realize it's been months since you've last worked on a project you're so passionate about? That's the case with the Food Allergy Counselor website blog. ​Therefore, it's about time for an update!
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(Photo Credit: Pixabay / Geralt)

What's New With the FAC WEbsite? 

New resources will continue to be added to the Food Allergy Mental Health resource section, so check back often! Additionally, Tamara is still hard at work looking for and networking with other allergy-informed licensed clinical counseling professionals to add to the Food Allergy Counselor Directory. (If you know of, or are an allergy-informed clinical counseling provider, please reach out to Tamara via the contact page).

What's new With Tamara Hubbard, MA, LCPC?

Lots actually! ​
New Private Practice: After working in group private practices for the past nine years of her career, Tamara decided it was time to branch out on her own. Therefore, she opened her own private practice in this Chicagoland suburbs in August! In addition to supporting those managing food allergies and other allergic conditions, Tamara also focuses on women's issues, young adults, life transitions, and topics relating to motherhood.

You can learn more about Tamara Hubbard, MA, LCPC and her counseling and consulting services via her website, www.TamaraHubbardLCPC.com.

Upcoming Speaking Engagements: Tamara will be attending and speaking at multiple upcoming food allergy-related conferences. Will she see you there, too?
  • Midwest FACES Conference on September 28th - Tamara will be co-presenting two sessions with Dr. Jeanne Herzog: From Surviving to Thriving: How to Manage Food Allergy Stress (teen track), and After Anaphylaxis - Emotional Support & Stress Reduction (adult track). This conference offers sessions for kids, teens and adults, exploring a variety of food allergy-related topics presented by top allergists and allied professionals, so you'll want to check it out!
  • FAACT's Teen Retreat 2019, October 4-6th - Tamara will be presenting a workshop for parents/caregivers entitled Managing Your Emotions & Self-Care. There's a whole range of workshops available for teens and parents/caregivers during this retreat, so be sure to check out the full agenda and speaker lineup, and consider attending! 

​Publications: Tamara was recently invited by multiple allergy-specific publications to author or share articles:
  • Allergic Living Magazine - Tamara authored "Mindset Matters" and co-authored "Just Keep Swimming" with Susan Kelly, RN in Allergic Living's first digital magazine edition, the Food Allergy Anxiety Guide. This ground-breaking guide offers almost 100 pages of advice, tips and stories relating to managing anxiety and thriving with food allergies. At only $8, it's an absolute steal, and a perfect resource for those managing food allergies as well as those who love them!
  • Coping With Allergies and Asthma - One of Tamara's popular food allergy anxiety-related articles will be featured on Coping With Allergies and Asthma's website, as well as in the Fall/Winter 2019 magazine. (These magazines are typically found in the waiting rooms at allergy/immunology offices). 
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New Professional Memberships & Affiliations: 
  • Tamara was honored to be approved as an Allied Health Professional member of both the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, as well as the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology this summer!
  • Tamara was also recently invited to be a member of the Allied Health Professional Committee for the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. This appointment is a 2-year term. 
She's looking forward to positively impacting the allergy and immunology field through these memberships and committee appointments!

Share your feedback!

The Food Allergy Counselor website is a resource website for members of the food allergy community and their loved ones, healthcare professionals, and anyone looking to learn more about the psychosocial impacts of life with food allergies. 

Please feel free to share feedback about what you find useful on this website, as well as what you'd like to see or read more about. Help Tamara help YOU!
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How to Find an Allergy-Knowledgeable Counseling Provider

7/2/2019

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You realize your anxiety levels are rising to a level that impacts your daily life, and nothing you're doing seems to be helping. 

An anaphylactic reaction occurs, and now you can't stop worrying about the possibility of another reaction.

Your child starts exhibiting excessive checking or safety behaviors, such as repetitive label-reading, not wanting to touch surfaces, or not eating foods outside of the house due to their worries.
These are just a few of the many reasons why those managing food allergies might decide to seek support from a licensed clinical counseling professional. No matter why you've decided you're ready for counseling, you'll need to look for a provider to work with, preferably one that understand food allergies or allergic conditions. 

However, that's not always an easy task. Therefore, here are helpful tips to aid you in finding a licensed clinical counseling provider to help you when you need it most.​
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Photo Credit: Pixabay.com

How to Locate a provider

Besides the Food Allergy Counselor Directory, there's not an easy way to find an allergy-knowledgeable counseling provider. With this in mind, below are other avenues that might help in locating providers who can support the psychosocial needs of those managing allergies: 
  • Ask your allergist - Some allergy offices have a list of allied healthcare providers they refer to, including counselors, social workers or psychologists.
  • Registered dietitians - Dietitians are another group of allied healthcare providers that are available to help those managing allergies. These professionals might know of or routinely collaborate with allergy-knowledgeable counseling providers, or at the very least, have a list of providers they feel can be helpful. ​
  • Inquire in local support groups - Chances are, someone in your local support group (online or offline) has worked with a counseling professional that they've found to be helpful. Even if they haven't, they may know how to locate one near you. 
  • Call hospital allergy departments/clinics - If a local hospital has an allergy and immunology department or food allergy clinic, call to see if they have providers they routinely refer patients to. Sometimes these providers will be hospital employees in the psychology department, and may have longer wait lists for appointments. 
  • Counseling/therapy directories - There are a number of therapy provider directories out there, including Psychology Today, Good Therapy, Therapist Locator, Psychologist Locator, and the ADAA Therapist Directory. Directories such as these typically allow people to search providers based on various criteria: location, clinical focus, therapy type, client age, and insurance. 
  • Insurance companies - Insurance companies will typically share a list of local mental healthcare providers that are in-network if you call and ask for one. 

Counseling Provider Criteria

Here's additional provider criteria to consider when evaluating counseling professionals that don't state they focus on food allergies or allergic conditions:
  • Chronic Health Conditions - While they might not focus on allergic conditions specifically, providers that specialize in helping those managing chronic illnesses might have a better understanding of life with a medical condition and the social, emotional, and familial impacts. 
  • Anxiety Focus - As anxiety is often a common component when managing allergies, seeking a provider that understands and treats anxiety is important.
  • Client Ages - If you're wanting support for a young child, then it's beneficial to look for a provider that works with kids. The same goes for looking for a provider that works with teens or adults. (Note: Some providers work primarily with the parents/caregivers when addressing anxiety in young kids.)  
  • Treatment Modalities - When dealing with the emotional impacts of allergic conditions, much of the work will focus on identifying/shifting thought patterns, skill-building, and improving resilience. The most commonly utilized therapy modality to address these goals is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which is an evidence-based method. Other common modalities that can be effective when addressing anxiety or trauma are: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Eye Movement Desensitization  & Reprocessing (EMDR), Narrative Therapy, and BioFeedback. Additionally, providers trained in Family Therapy are helpful in addressing how the allergy affects members of the family. ​

I've located a provider - now what? 

Let's say you've located a provider online or through another avenue. Now what? Most counseling providers will offer a brief free consultation phone call so you can ask them questions and they can share more details about their services.

When you call the provider, here are a sample of questions you might ask to assess whether they're a good fit for your counseling goals: 
  • What's their understanding of food allergies, allergic conditions, or chronic health conditions? Have they previously worked with those with allergies?
  • If they treat anxiety, how so? What counseling modalities do they use? 
  • Do they include the parents/caregiver in sessions when working with kids? 
  • How do they structure their sessions, and what should you expect? 
  • If you'd like to know, feel free to ask questions about their schooling, training or professional experiences
  • Ask about fees, billing, and insurance. This is a great opportunity to ask these questions up front, as some providers will be in-network with insurances, while others aren't. 

If after that initial call, you don't feel that the provider is a good fit, it's absolutely okay to call others. Counseling is as much about the therapeutic alliance and relationship as it is about theory and therapy modalities that are used.

Miscellaneous tips

Hopefully the aforementioned tips are useful in helping you successfully locate a counseling professional that will provide the support you need. I'll conclude by sharing a few additional thoughts to keep in mind: 
  • Teletherapy - Some provide counseling in-office as well as via HIPAA-compliant web-based platforms (known as teletherapy). This can be helpful if the provider isn't local to you. However, it's important to keep in mind that not all insurances cover teletherapy, so you'll need to confirm this with your insurance company ahead of time (if using insurance). Additionally, telehealth guidelines are still evolving, and may differ based on state as well as counseling designation (i.e. social work, counseling, family therapy, psychology). This means that some states require that those engaging in teletherapy services do so with a provider licensed in that state. Be sure to check with your provider about teletherapy guidelines to ensure they're adhereing to ethical guidelines. 
  • First Sessions - If you've never attended counseling before, it's hard to know what to expect. Typically, the first couple of sessions are primarily information gathering sessions. This is when the provider will ask questions relating to why you sought counseling and what things you'd like to address. Together, you'll establish treatment goals which will help guide the therapy. 
  • If You're Just Not Clicking - If after a few sessions you feel like you're not building a rapport or clicking with the therapist, it's okay to let them know this. If after exploring this, you still don't feel like the counseling is helping, it's absolutely alright to let the therapist know that you'd like to discontinue sessions, and then seek out another provider. If you don't feel comfortable with the therapist or confident in their skills, that can effect the outcome of counseling and the achievement of your goals. 
Written by: Tamara Hubbard, LCPC
Tamara is a licensed clinical professional counselor & family therapist in the Chicagoland area. She provides general counseling and food allergy-specific counseling to individuals and families. Tamara is a member of the American Counseling Association, and an Allied Health Professional member of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. Learn more about Tamara Hubbard, LCPC, her training, and her counseling/consulting services at www.TamaraHubbardLCPC.com 
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  • Home
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    • Food Allergy Behavioral Health Association (FABHA)
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  • Tamara Hubbard, LCPC