Allergy Behavioral Health, Psychosocial,
​and Quality of Life Resources​ 

Links to additional allergy psychosocial resources for the community, healthcare providers, and therapists
[Direct URL: www.FoodAllergyBehavioralHealth.com]
REPUTABLE SOURCES OF MEDICAL ALLERGY INFORMATION: 
THE FOOD ALLERGY & ALLERGIC DISEASE COUNSELING NICHE:
LOCATING THERAPY PROVIDERS: ​
GENERAL GUIDANCE WHEN LOOKING FOR A THERAPY PROVIDER:
  • Behavioral healthcare providers include: therapists, counselors, social workers, psychologists, marriage and family therapists and psychiatrists.
  • Look for a licensed behavioral healthcare provider licensed and/or approved to work in your state; unfortunately, behavioral healthcare providers aren't able to work with those outside of their states, even with telehealth.
  • Some licensed psychologists are PSY-PACT approved. PSY-PACT is an interstate compact designed to allow PSY-PACT approved licensed psychologists to practice telepsychology across state boundaries legally and ethically without necessitating that they become licensed in every state to practice. Clinicians need to apply and be approved to be part of PSY-PACT. See which states are part of this PSY-PACT here.  You're encouraged to discuss out-of-state insurance coverage for services with PSY-PACT clinicians.
  • If using insurance, it's a good idea to see who is in-network with your plan by calling your insurance company.
  • Look through the profiles of counseling professionals to learn more about them, via their website or profile links above. That will help you get a feel for their helping style and specialties (i.e. food allergies, anxiety, family). 
  • When you find someone you'd like to make an appointment with, follow the steps outlined on their website or profile. Many counseling professionals offer a brief initial phone call for no charge to help clients determine if they'd like to make an appointment.​ This would be a good time to ask any questions you may have, such as their knowledge of food allergies, their counseling approaches, or any other information you'd like to know. ​ 
  • If you can't find an allergy-informed therapy provider via the FAC Directory, look for a licensed clinical behavioral healthcare provider that understands chronic illness, anxiety, kids, family, etc. 

COMMON THERAPY APPROACHES THAT MAY HELP:
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) - Evidenced-based approach that helps people identify and change destructive and disruptive thought patterns that have a negative influence on behaviors and emotions.
  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) - Evidence-based behavioral approach that helps people live a meaningful life while experiencing and managing unwanted emotions (such as pain and anxiety) through the development of mindfulness skills that lead to increased psychological flexibility.
  • Exposure Therapy - Evidenced-based approach that helps people confront their fears in a safe and therapeutic environment in which  individuals are exposed to the things they fear and avoid while using strategies and tools to tolerate the discomfort. [Note: Therapists should never do exposure therapy to your allergen unless working within a food allergy clinic and in collaboration with/under the guidance of your allergist]
  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing  (EMDR) - Researched approach that allows the brain to
    resume its natural healing process rather than focusing on changing the emotions, thoughts, or behaviors resulting from the distressing issue.

Behavioral Healthcare Provider Informational Resources:

Food Allergy Counselor Behavioral Health Tips & Tools:

Food Allergy Counselor Therapeutic Worksheets List:

Find these on the WORKSHEETS page; ​ Created by licensed therapist, Tamara Hubbard, LCPC
[Useful for community members, or healthcare providers to use with patients]
  • Food Allergy Mindset Matters
  • Food Allergy Thinking Traps 
  • Managing Food Allergy Worries & What Ifs
  • Creating Your Confidence Map for Oral Food Challenges (kids)
  • Preparing Yourself & Your Mind for Oral Food Challenges (teens/adults/parents)
  • I.D.E.A.L. Method - Problem-Solving Strategy When Anxious
  • ​The Urge to Control When We Feel Anxious
  • T.R.A.C.E. - Post-Anaphylaxis Reminders
  • ​The 6 Stages of Food Allergy Parenting

Food Allergy Counselor Psychosocial Handouts & PDFs:


​The Common Post-Diagnosis Mindsets flowchart
created by Tamara Hubbard, LCPC is used to illustrate
the common emotions and narratives people experience after receiving ​an allergy diagnosis, which impacts their initial
mindset about life with allergies. 

Please feel free to download and share this image with proper credit/copyright intact. Reach out to Tamara with any questions or for permission to translate the image. ​
Free Common Post-Diagnosis Mindsets Flowchart PDF Here:
Common Post-Diagnosis Mindset Flow Chart Image
File Size: 142 kb
File Type: png
Download File

Allergy Psychosocial Resources & Information (By Topic):

​​
​ ​Allergy Testing Anxiety Resources:  ​
Alpha-Gal Syndrome: 
Anaphylaxis-Specific: 
Anxiety & Fear: 
Asthma:
Eczema: 
Mental Health: 
Parenting: ​ ​​
  ​School, Social, Bullying:
​ Teens/College:
Trauma: 

General Anxiety & Mindfulness Tools:


​Kids/Teens:
  • My Anxiety Plan (MAP) for Children and Teens - (Anxiety Canada) - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)-based anxiety management program designed as a self-help program for parents or caregivers to support children and teens with mild to moderate anxiety problems.
  • Dealing with Trauma: A Trauma-Focused CBT Workbook for Teens - (TFCBT.org) - This workbook should be used in conjunction to therapy with a licensed clinical behavioral healthcare provider. It has been developed for use with teenagers who have experienced one or more traumatic events. The activities in the workbook correspond to the treatment components of the Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) model, which was developed by Judith Cohen, Anthony Mannarino, and Esther Deblinger (Cohen, Mannarino, & Deblinger, 2017)
  • What to Do When You....Worry Too Much - (Dawn Huebner, PhD) - Interactive self-help book designed to guide 6–12 year olds and their parents through the cognitive-behavioral techniques most often used in the treatment of generalized anxiety. 
  • Outsmarting Worry - (Dawn Huebner, PhD) - Teaches 9-13 year olds and the adults who care about them a specific set of skills that makes it easier to face - and overcome - worries and fears.
  • Anxiety Relief for Teens - (Regine Galanti, PhD) - Provides teens simple and effective exercises that help them change their thoughts, behaviors, and physical reactions, teaching them tools to help navigate life's challenges.
    ​
Adults/Parents/Caregivers:
Self-Compassion:
Mindfulness:
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): 

RESEARCH - Allergy Psychosocial, Quality of Life, & Mental Health Research:

[Useful for food allergic individuals/families & counseling professionals]
General Food Allergy Research: General Allergy-Related Burden, Quality of Life, Psychosocial Impacts & Assessments: 
Child and Teen Allergy-Related Anxiety and QoL/Psychosocial Impacts:
Parental and Caregiver Anxiety, QoL and Psychosocial Impacts:
Adults and Allergies: Food Allergy Treatments and Oral Immunotherapy (OIT):
Addressing Food Allergy Anxiety in the Allergist's Office:  ​
Allergy-Related Mindset & Mindfulness:  ​
Allergy Impacts on Personality Traits:
Clinical Psychosocial Management of Food Allergy and Allergic Diseases: 
Allergic Conditions & COVID-19: 
Racial & Socioeconomic Disparities in Allergy:
Asthma, Eczema and Other Allergic Diseases: 

WEBINARS - Allergy Mental Health-Related Webinars:

SUPPORT - Empowerment-Based Support Networks/Programs

OTHER RESOURCES - Empowering Blogs, Books, Podcasts:


​Websites or Blogs:  Books: Podcasts: 

SIMPLIFYING LIFE: Tools to Help Simplify Allergy Life

The Food Allergy Counselor, Inc. does not receive a commission on any of these recommended tools.
​Any relationship that The FAC founder has with any of these companies will be noted for full transparency.
  • ​The Zestfull - Zestfull offers content to help you thrive in life; [Tamara Hubbard is an expert contributor]
  • Smile App - SMILE is the first mental health app to support patients and carers dealing with chronic health conditions, including allergies; [Tamara Hubbard is an expert contributor]
  • Siitch - Party planning tool for the modern world (simplifies food planning for parties, trips, outings)​
  • ​Allergy Force - Food allergy app giving users access to smart tools for managing food allergies, every day and in emergencies.
  • Free From Market - Provides inclusive access to personalized, nutritious groceries and educational resources for those with chronic health conditions
  • ParentMD - ParentMD was founded to improve the quality of information available to parents online, while promoting healthy relationships with pediatricians
  • Hearts Connected - Hearts Connected offers virtual child life specialist services and content focused on helping children and teens navigate stressful scenarios, especially medical experiences
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