Food Allergy Behaviorial Health & Counseling Resources
Links to additional allergy psychosocial resources for the community, healthcare providers, and therapists
Finding a Counseling Professional
General Tips on Finding a Counseling Professional
- Food Allergy Counselor Directory page - Food allergy-knowledgeable clinical behavioral healthcare providers
- Psychology Today - Counselor search by location, specialty, insurance
- GoodTherapy.org - Counselor search by location, specialty, insurance
- Find A Therapist - Family Therapist Locator by location, specialty, insurance
- Word of Mouth - Many times, names of local or reputable counseling professionals are shared in food allergy groups
- Hospitals - Reach out to the food allergy department at area hospitals, as they may have referral names
- Insurance - You can contact your insurance company for a list of counseling professionals
- How to Find an Allergy-Knowledgeable Counseling Provider (Tamara Hubbard, MA, LCPC)
- The Difference Between Coaching, Consulting, Counseling & Psychotherapy (Dr. Mary Gersham, PhD; 2015)
- Counseling vs Coaching - 4 Topics to Consider (Lynn Wonders, LPC, RPT-S, CPCS)
General Tips on Finding a Counseling Professional
- 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 a food allergy-knowledgeable counseling providers via the FAC Directory, look for a licensed clinical behavioral healthcare provider that understands chronic illness, anxiety, kids, family, etc.
Resources for Mental Healthcare Providers Working With Food Allergic Clients
- Supporting Clients Through the Anxiety & Exhaustion of Food Allergies (Tamara Hubbard, 2018)
- The Role of Exposure Therapy in Treating Food Allergy-Related Anxiety (Ashley Ramos, PhD/Linda Herbert, PhD)
- Approaching Excessive Anxiety & Anaphylaxis Phobia in Food Allergic Children (Megan Lewis, MSN, CRNP)
- Clinical Management of Psychosocial Concerns Related to Food Allergy (Linda Herbert, PhD et al)
- 4 Things Counselors Should Know About Food Allergies (Blog post by Tamara Hubbard, LCPC)
- Food Allergies Linked to Childhood Anxiety (Science Daily, June 2017)
- British Psychological Society's Growing Up With Allergy article (Dr. Audrey DunnGalvin, 2019)
- Canadian Psychological Association's Food Allergy Fact Sheet (Dr. Joanne Gillespie, 2020)
- Psychosocial Impact of Adolescent Food Allergy: A Review of the Literature (EMJ Allergy Immunology, July 2020)
- New Issues of Food Allergy: Phobia of Anaphylaxis in Pediatric Patients (JACI, July 2020)
- Dealing with Trauma: A Trauma-Focused CBT Workbook for Teens - (TFCBT.org)
- Patients' Perspectives and Needs on Novel Food Allergy Treatments in the United States (Current Treatment Options in Allergy; January 2021)
- Food Allergy-Related Risk-Taking & Management Behaviors Among Adolescents & Young Adults (R. Gupta, MD, et al)
- CHOP Researchers Develop Screening Tool to Measure Anxiety in Children with Food Allergies (CHOP News, July 2021)
Food Allergy Psychosocial Worksheets & Handouts
List of Therapeutic Worksheets Available- Find these on the WORKSHEETS page
Useful for community members, or healthcare providers to use with patients; created by licensed therapist, Tamara Hubbard, LCPC
Useful for community members, or healthcare providers to use with patients; created by licensed therapist, Tamara Hubbard, LCPC
- 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
Subject-Specific Resource PDFs
| T.R.A.C.E. - Post-Anaphylaxis Reminders |
| General Tips for Post-Anaphylaxis |
| Teens & Young Adults Living w/Food Allergies |
| Parenting w/Food Allergies (resources from 4/30/19 webinar) |
Exploring Food Allergy Families Podcast - "Take Home Challenge" Handouts
| Ep. 03: Exploring Vulnerability & Food Allergies - 5 Steps to Move From Doubt to Confidence |
General Tools to Help with Anxiety & Fear
Kids/Teens:
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.
- My Anxiety Plan (MAP) for Adults - (Anxiety Canada) - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)-based anxiety management program created for adults with mild to moderate anxiety problems
- The Happiness Trap - (Russ Harris) - A guide to ACT: the mindfulness-based program for reducing stress, overcoming fear, and creating a rich and meaningful life
- The Mindfulness & Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety - (Forsyth, PhD & Eifert, PhD) - A guide to breaking free from anxiety, phobias, and worry using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Food Allergy Mental Health Articles - Mental Health, Anxiety, Parenting, Teens, School, Bullying
(These resources are useful for food allergic individuals/families & counseling professionals)
Mental Health:
(These resources are useful for food allergic individuals/families & counseling professionals)
Mental Health:
- Living Confidently with Food Allergies (Anaphylaxis Canada)
- Food Allergy Meets the Teenage Brain (Allergic Living, November 2015)
- Mental Health Concerns Among Youth With Food Allergies (AAAAI, March 2016)
- PsychoSocial & Emotional Components of Coping w/Eczema (Nat. Eczema Assoc. - Jennifer Moyer Darr, LCSW, 2017)
- Supporting Clients Through the Anxiety & Exhaustion of Food Allergies (ACA, Tamara Hubbard, LCPC, Nov. 2018)
- Coping with Food Allergy Tragedies (Food Allergy Counselor, Tamara Hubbard, LCPC, February 2019)
- Can Your Mindset Affect How Well a Treatment Works? (NPR, March 2019)
- Disordered Eating Hiding Behind Food Allergies (Allergy Girl Eats blog)
- Allergic Living's "Food Allergy Anxiety Guide"
- Anxiety and Food Allergies (NationwideChildrens.org, May 2014)
- Allergy's High Anxiety: How to Tame Kids' Fears of Food Reactions (Allergic Living, July 2016)
- 7 Tips to Help You Let Go of Food Allergy Anxiety & Fears (Allergic Living, October 2016)
- Food Allergy: Death Is Not Our Only Fear (Gianine D. Rosenblum, PhD, August 2018)
- From Fear to Control: How I Calmed My Food Allergy Anxiety (Allergic Living, January 2019)
- A Surprising Side Effect of Children's Allergies: Anxiety (Children's National via WP)
- When Food Allergies Cause Anxiety (Coping w/Allergies & Asthma, Fall 2019, Tamara Hubbard, MA, LCPC)
- CBT Helps Kids Concerned About Food Allergies (PsychCentral, July 2020)
- How Teens React to Trauma & How to Help - (ChildLife.org)
- Anaphylaxis Campaign's Psychological Impacts of Anaphylaxis Packet - Information and Coping Strategies
- Episode 9 of Exploring Food Allergy Families podcast: Moving Forward After an Allergic Reaction
- Beyond the Eye Roll & Tune Out: How to Talk to Teens About Food Allergies (Allergic Living, September 2015)
- Teenagers w/Food Allergies Face Higher Rates of Depression, Anxiety, Study Finds (Allergic Living, January 2016)
- Why Do Teens With Food Allergies Take Fewer Risks? (LabManager.com; Lurie Children's, January 2017)
- Single With Food Allergies: Advice on Dating & Relationships (Allergic Living, October 2017)
- Kissing and Allergic Teens (Allergic Living archives)
- Teens Speak Up About Averting Food Allergy Tragedies - Discussion (Allergic Living, October 2015)
- Building Confidence in Your Child With Eczema (Jennifer Moyer Darr, LCSW - It's An Itchy Little World blog, 2016)
- Food Allergy Kids - Interview with Linda Herbert, PhD (Part 1) & Nurturing the Emotions of Our School-Aged Years (Part 2) - (Parenting Food Allergies Podcast, January 2017)
- Ages and Stages of Food Allergy Management (Allergic Living, August 2017)
- With Serious Food Allergies, When Should A Parent Consider Child Counseling? (Marte Matthews, LMFT; FARE on 1/30/18)
- Navigating the Emotional Seas of Food Allergies: One Parent's Journey Toward's Resilience (Tamara Hubbard, LCPC; Scary Mommy, July 2018)
- 5 Tips for Parents of Kids Exhibiting Food Allergy-Related Anxiety (FA Counselor, Tamara Hubbard, April 2019)
- Siblings of Children with Chronic Conditions (Blog post by Brave Minds Psychological Services, 2019)
- The Emotional Weight of Being a Food Allergy Parent (Romper, August 2021)
- Voluntary Guidelines for Managing Food Allergies in Schools, Early Care & Education Programs (CDC)
- Food Allergy Bullying: How to Spot if Your Child is a Target & Actions to Take (Allergic Living Magazine, May 2018)
- Parents, Schools Step Up Effort to Combat Food Allergy Bullying (NPR, June 2018)
- Self-Advocacy: Building Self-Esteem While Solving Problems (Principal Mom blog)
- Managing Food Allergies in Schools: The Role of School Mental Health Professionals (CDC.gov)
- Social Consequences of Food Allergies (blog post from Catharine Alvarez, 2013)
- When They Just Don't Seem to Get It - Dealing w/ Ignorance About Food Allergies (Food Allergy Canada blog, Nov. 2016)
- Navigating Food Allergy Support Groups
- Your Food Allergy Mindset (Determining Yours)
- Food Allergy Thinking Traps (Challenging Faulty Thoughts)
- Resources to Help with Food Allergy-Related Anxiety (All Ages)
- Problem-Solving/Decision-Making When Fear is Present
- Fighting Food Allergy Fear With Facts
- Food Allergy Mental Health Worksheet/PDF
Food Allergy Mental Health-Related Webinars
- Raising a Well-Adjusted Child with Food Allergies (KFA Webinar, January 2013)
- KFA’s Coping W/Food Allergy Anxiety: Back to School and More w/Gia Rosenblum (Video/Resources, August 2015)
- Managing the Emotional Impact of Living with Food Allergies - (Jeanne Herzog, PhD, FARE, September 2015)
- FARE's Educational Webinars (FA basics, navigating schools, emotional aspects, restaurants/travel, disability rights)
- Allergic Living's Video Series: Managing Food Allergy Anxiety (Linda Herbert, PhD, 2019)
- Parenting w/Food Allergies: Understanding Anxiety & Building a Resilient Mindset - (Tamara Hubbard, LCPC, NMFA, April 2019)
Food Allergy Psychosocial & Mental Health-Related Research
- The Center for Food Allergy & Asthma Research (CFAAR) research projects/publications
- SOAAR's Research Data on Food Allergy Attitudes/Knowledge/Beliefs of Caregivers, Physicians & the Public (Dr. Ruchi Gupta, et al)
- Mental Health & Quality of Life Concerns Related to the Burden of Food Allergy (S. H. Sicherer, MD et al)
- Clinical Management of Food Allergy (NIH, September 2015)
- It's Mom Who Sees Troubles For Teens With Food Allergies (Science Daily, January 2016)
- Food Allergies Linked to Childhood Anxiety (Science Daily, June 2017)
- Researchers Find Link Between Food Allergies & Childhood Anxiety (Columbia 's Mailman School of Public Health, June 2017)
- The Role of Personality in Daily Food Allergy Experiences (Frontiers in Psychology, February 2018)
- Challenges of Food Allergies Connected to Personality Traits for First Time (Science Daily, March 2018)
- Prevalence and Severity of Food Allergies Among US Adults (JAMA Network, January 2019)
- Changing Patient Mindsets About Non-Life-Threatening Symptoms During OIT: A Randomized Clinical Trial (JACI-In Practice, January 2019)
- Beyond Avoidance: The Psychosocial Impact of Food Allergy (C. Feng, et al, Clinical Review of Allergy/Immunology, Aug. 2019)
- Unmet Needs of Children with Peanut Allergy: Aligning the Risks and the Evidence (Annals of AAI, May 2020)
- Managing Food Allergy in Schools During the COVID-19 Pandemic (JACI In-Practice, July 2020)
- Psychosocial Impact of Adolescent Food Allergy: A Review of the Literature (EMJ Allergy Immunology, July 2020)
- New Issues of Food Allergy: Phobia of Anaphylaxis in Pediatric Patients (JACI, July 2020)
- Parent Perspectives on Food Allergy Management & Safety During the COVID-19 Pandemic (Journal of Food Allergy; November 2020)
- Patients' Perspectives and Needs on Novel Food Allergy Treatments in the United States (Current Treatment Options in Allergy; January 2021)
- A Practical, Stepwise Approach to Peanut Oral Immunotherapy in Clinical Practice: Benefits and Risks (Journal of Asthma & Allergy; March 2021)
Food Allergy Empowerment-Based Support Networks or Programs
In-Person:
In-Person:
- Moms of Children Having Allergies (MOCHA) - IL-based support group w/resources for all despite location
- Food Allergy Support & Education Program (FASE) - Education/support for parents and kids; at Lurie Children's Hospital
- FARE's Teen Resources - Monthly teen talks, teen corner for advice, etc
- Food Allergies & Sensitivity Circle (Food ASC) - Website & Facebook support group
- Friends Helping Friends Food Allergy Support Group - Facebook support group
- Food Allergy Treatment Talk - Reputable Facebook community group focused solely on FA treatment/research
Food Allergy Resilience-Based Websites, Blogs, Books, or Podcasts
Websites or Blogs:
Websites or Blogs:
- Food Allergy Counselor blog - Content focused on navigating the social/emotional impacts of allergic conditions
- The Land of Can - Blog/vlog dedicated to living an empowered life with FA & parenting kids with food allergies
- Food Allergy Life - Mom/registered nurse empowering her children who manage food allergies & EoE
- Allergy Shmallergy - Simplifying life for families with food allergies
- The Food Allergy Survival Guide - Tips for high school/college students, and high school guidance counselors
- WhyRiskIt.ca Website - Food allergy resources for teens and young adults
- The Ultimate Guidebook for Teens with Food Allergies - Guidebook shared by Food Allergy Canada
- My Year of Epic Rock (by Andrea Pyros) - Fiction book about a 7th grade girl navigating middle school w/FA
- Allergies and Adolescents: Transitioning Towards Independent Living - (Dr. David Stukus, MD)
- Zippy: A Story About Oral Immunotherapy (OIT) for Food Allergies - (Dr. Sakina Bajowala & Suzy Brauer)
- Beyond the Allergy Diagnosis: A Guide to Navigating & Understanding the Emotional and Psychological Phases of Allergies - (Simone Albert, Licensed Counselor)
- The Cookie - A Story of Friendship and Food Allergy - (Kath Grimshaw)
- Epi, You're My Best Friend - (Swapnil Patel)
- Exploring Food Allergy Families - (Hosted by Tamara Hubbard, LCPC; Food Allergy Counselor website)
- Talking Food Allergies - (Hosted by Jen Jobrack; Allergic Living)
- Dr. Jason Lee's Podcast - The Food Allergy Counselor episode - (Tamara Hubbard, MA, LCPC, 2019)
- uh-PARENT-ly Podcast - (Gia Rosenblum, PhD, WGN Podcast, 2019)
- Emotional Support for Managing Food Allergies in Teenagers - (Mighty Parenting Podcast, 2020)
Tools to Help Simplify
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