Fear Less

Why is it so hard to think clearly when anxiety takes over—and why can telling someone to "calm down" make things worse? In this episode Zack welcomes Dr. Bruce Perry, child and adolescent psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and coauthor of "What Happened to You?" with Oprah Winfrey. Dr. Perry explains how developmental experiences shape our stress responses and why understanding a person's history can help us make sense of their emotional struggles. Drawing on his Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics, he explores how stress can interfere with learning, communication, and interpreting other people's intentions, offering parents and people living with anxiety a more compassionate way to understand these challenges.

The conversation brings these ideas into everyday life through Dr. Perry's practical framework: regulate, relate, reason. Before offering advice or trying to solve a problem, we can attend to our own emotional state, help the other person become more regulated, and establish a sense of connection. For parents supporting an anxious child or teenager, this means paying attention to timing, tone, presence, and basic needs rather than expecting explanations to work during an overwhelming moment. Dr. Perry and Zack also explore how relationships, belonging, and supportive environments can encourage growth—and how shaming or punitive responses can undermine it. Listeners will leave with a clearer understanding of why connection matters and how to approach difficult moments with greater patience and intention.

Zack's Hack: In this week's anxiety hack Zack shares a quote from Dr. Bruce Perry which will help you have less fear!

Fear Less is sponsored by Mountain Valley Treatment Center.

Can marijuana help you feel calmer or fall asleep while gradually becoming something you depend on? In this episode, Zack welcomes back clinical psychologist Dr. Roberto Olivardia to explore the relationship between ADHD, anxiety, and cannabis use. Roberto explains why people with ADHD may be more vulnerable to substance dependence and why marijuana can feel helpful in the short term, even as frequent use begins to affect attention, motivation, and daily life.

Zack also shares his experience of using cannabis and the fears he faced when he stopped using it. Together, they discuss today's high-potency cannabis, what parents and family members may notice when use becomes a concern, and how treatment can address the needs a person has been trying to meet with marijuana. It's a compassionate conversation for people questioning their own use and for families wondering how to understand what is happening.

Zack's Hack: In this week's anxiety hack Zack shares a quote from Ronda Rousey, the former UFC champion to help you be fear less!

Fear Less is sponsored by Mountain Valley Treatment Center.

What will the next chapter of Mountain Valley Treatment Center look like—and how can alumni, parents, families, and community members help make it possible? As Mountain Valley celebrates its 15th anniversary, Executive Director Zack Schafer announces plans to build a new adolescent dormitory at its Plainfield, New Hampshire, campus. The project will strengthen the residential experience for teens with anxiety, OCD, and related challenges while freeing existing space for a future young adult program. The larger vision includes outpatient and day services for local families, educational workshops, professional training, and expanded opportunities for emerging clinicians.

To launch the fundraising campaign, Zack will run approximately 60 miles from Mountain Valley's original campus in Pike to its current home in Plainfield on November 15, 2026. His route includes more than 40 miles of the Appalachian Trail and more than 11,000 feet of climbing. By deliberately choosing the harder path, Zack hopes to honor the courage of Mountain Valley alumni and families who have faced fear, accepted difficult challenges, and found confidence through community. He invites alumni, parents, former families, friends, and members of the broader Mountain Valley community to donate, help crew the run, or join him for part of this journey toward Mountain Valley's future.

To support this fundraising effort please check out Mountain Valley's website

What is it like to return to Mountain Valley Treatment Center as an intern after once being a client? James Norris first arrived at Mountain Valley in 2021 after social anxiety had begun to derail his life. Emerging from the isolation of the pandemic, he struggled with social situations, college tours, advocating for his needs, and imagining a successful transition to college. Although James did not want to spend his final summer before college in residential treatment, Mountain Valley gave him a welcoming community where therapy extended beyond the clinician's office. Through exposure work and everyday challenges, he practiced facing discomfort, managing conflict, speaking up for himself, and moving forward even when anxiety told him to avoid.

James's progress was not a straight line. After initially doing well in college, anxiety, depression, and executive-functioning difficulties contributed to a significant setback that required him to step away and seek additional support. Now studying psychology at the University of Rochester, James returned to Mountain Valley as a residential counselor intern, helping young people facing many of the same fears he once experienced. His story offers families an honest look at Mountain Valley's approach: anxiety may not disappear, but exposure, community, practical support, and the courage to keep trying can help young people develop confidence, independence, and resilience.

Zack's Hack: In this week's anxiety hack Zack shares a quote from Dr. Brene Brown who is a researcher, storyteller and author.

Fear Less is sponsored by Mountain Valley Treatment Center.

When does helping a struggling child become over-accommodating them? Educational and therapeutic consultant Josh Doyle joins host Zack to explore why loving, well-intentioned parents may repeatedly rescue an anxious teenager or young adult—and how that pattern can unintentionally undermine confidence, independence, and resilience. Drawing on more than 30 years of experience with adolescents, young adults, and families, Josh explains the difference between offering compassion and removing every obstacle or uncomfortable experience.

Josh and Zack discuss parental accommodation, anxiety and OCD, failure to launch, and the importance of allowing young people to experience manageable struggle. They explore why parents must learn to tolerate their own discomfort, how rescuing can communicate a lack of confidence in a child's abilities, and why stepping back may be one of the strongest ways to say, "I believe in you." This episode offers parents a thoughtful framework for supporting a child or young adult without taking over—helping them develop the skills to navigate discomfort, solve problems, and build their own path into adulthood.

Zack's Hack: In this week's anxiety hack Zack shares a quote from Franklin D. Roosevelt that will help you to Fear Less!

Fear Less is sponsored by Mountain Valley Treatment Center

A second episode, recorded live at Mountain Valley's 2026 alumni reunion, brings together more former residents to reflect on treatment, friendship and personal growth. It starts as Zack encourages more alumni to share their stories. It begins as Amelia describes arriving at Mountain Valley withdrawn and afraid of being known, then discovering comfort through friendship, exposure work and the program's animals. Ivy reflects on carrying Mountain Valley's spirit into college, where friends now trust her with their struggles and she can offer the support she once needed. Ami, returning nearly ten years after treatment, emphasizes the lasting value of connections with peers and staff. Lucy discusses receiving new OCD and autism diagnoses, feeling truly understood for the first time and developing greater peace and a better relationship with her parents. Jacob shares how treatment taught him to stop hiding pain behind humor, admit when he is not okay and ask for support—a lesson that has also helped him begin coming out as transgender.

Michelle offers a parent's perspective, explaining how Mountain Valley involved her family in Audrey's treatment and taught them better ways to support her. Livy reflects on managing anxiety, depression and performance anxiety while pursuing music in college, stressing that life may not always become easier, but people can become stronger. Olivia reads from her college essay about overcoming social anxiety, finding her personality beneath it and learning to "sit with" discomfort. Willow returns to speak more vulnerably about ending years of denial and rediscovering her life through a community where she felt safe being imperfect. Shane talks about becoming more confident as a young adult, accepting support, listening to others and bringing pieces of Mountain Valley into new communities.

Zack's Hack: In this week's anxiety hack Zack shares an inspiring quote from the Reverend Billy Graham.

Fear Less is sponsored by Mountain Valley Treatment Center

Recorded live at Mountain Valley Treatment Center's 2026 alumni reunion, this episode brings together former residents to reflect on treatment, friendship and personal growth. Willow recalls how an unexpected roadside mishap revealed the strength of the community, while Zoe and Sahana discuss learning to be vulnerable, build deeper friendships and connect with people who are different from them. Juli describes returning to Mountain Valley during the lowest period of her life and discovering that needing more help did not make her a failure. Sabrina shares how the community accepted both her mental and physical health challenges, helping her become more confident, socially engaged and flexible in her thinking.

James reflects on anxiety, ADHD and the perspective he gained by returning as an intern. Audrey talks about OCD, depression, chronic health problems and learning that a fulfilling life is possible without first eliminating every difficult feeling or symptom. She also shares how Mountain Valley inspired her interest in supporting other young people. Jonah closes the alumni testimonials with an honest account of how demanding treatment can be, emphasizing the importance of taking constructive action even when life feels unfair or painful. Zack ties their stories together with a reflection on community as a powerful force for facing fear and creating change.

Zack's Hack: In this week's anxiety hack Zack shares a quote from Margaret "Meg" Wheatley, author, speaker and management consultant.

Fear Less is sponsored by Mountain Valley Treatment Center

Every major transition—retirement, a career change, an empty nest, a loss, or an unexpected new direction—can bring uncertainty and anxiety. In this episode, Zach talks with Dr. Will White about navigating his own transition after more than 35 years in behavioral healthcare. Together, they explore identity, purpose, self-worth, and how a "lifequake" can become an opportunity for reflection and growth.

Will also shares how these experiences shape his work through the White Mountain Adventure Institute (WMAI.org), his leadership coaching and consulting practice, where he helps leaders and organizations navigate change with clarity, intention, and resilience. Drawing from his personal and professional experience, he offers practical ways to move forward—including spending time in nature, journaling, strengthening relationships, reconnecting with personal values, and accepting that you don't need to title your next chapter before you begin writing it.

Zack's Hack: In this week's anxiety hack Zack shares a quote from Bob Goff, an American author, speaker, and former attorney. He is best known for writing about courage, purpose, faith, and putting love into action.

Fear Less is sponsored by Mountain Valley Treatment Center

Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is much more than picky eating—and for many autistic children, teens, and adults, it can become a serious challenge that affects nutrition, family life, and emotional well-being. In this episode, Zack sits down with autism specialist and licensed clinical social worker Chris Blankenship, founder of Autism Learning Lab, to explain why ARFID is so common in autistic individuals and how families can recognize the difference between typical selective eating and a diagnosable eating disorder. Together they explore the connection between autism, sensory sensitivities, cognitive rigidity, food anxiety, and restrictive eating, while breaking down the latest understanding of ARFID in an accessible, practical way.

Chris shares evidence-informed treatment approaches that parents, caregivers, and clinicians can begin using today—including food linking, gradual exposure, family-based strategies, and ways to reduce anxiety around mealtimes without creating power struggles. Whether you're parenting a child with autism, supporting someone with ARFID, or looking for effective treatment strategies for restrictive eating, this conversation offers hope, practical tools, and a deeper understanding of how small, consistent steps can help expand food choices and improve quality of life.

Zack's Hack: In this week's anxiety hack Zack shares a quote from Lao Tzu, an ancient Chinese thinker who is credited with founding Taoism and the author of Tao Te Ching.

Fear Less is sponsored by Mountain Valley Treatment Center

Feeling overwhelmed by work, parenting, relationships, and the endless pressure to keep up? In this deeply personal solo episode Zack shares his own experience navigating burnout, exhaustion, and the constant feeling that he should be doing more. Drawing from his life as the Executive Director of Mountain Valley Treatment Center, a husband, father of two young children, and endurance athlete, Zach explores how unrealistic expectations and "should" statements often create more suffering than the challenges themselves. Instead of chasing a version of life that doesn't exist, he offers a powerful invitation to practice acceptance and self-compassion.

Grounded in principles from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), mindfulness, and real-world experience, this episode offers practical guidance for anyone feeling stretched too thin by life's commitments. Whether you're a parent, professional, caregiver, or simply someone struggling with anxiety, burnout, or the pressure to be everything to everyone, you'll discover how embracing the present moment can reduce emotional suffering while still allowing you to move toward the life you value. This conversation is a reminder that peace isn't found by eliminating hardship—it's found by learning to live fully, even in the midst of it.

Zack's Hack: In this week's anxiety hack Zack shares a quote from Jon Kabat-Zinn, who is an author, researcher and meditation instructor.

Fear Less is sponsored by Mountain Valley Treatment Center