Fear Less

In this insightful episode, Zack sits down with Cam Sherman, executive director at NeuroDev, to explore the intersection of neurodiversity and anxiety in young people. Cam unpacks how traditional academic and clinical approaches often miss a key component: developmental growth. Drawing from his work at NeuroDev—a mentoring-based program for neurodivergent young adults—Cam explains why young people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) frequently experience anxiety and stress, particularly around identity formation, social connection, and transitions to independence. Parents will gain valuable insights into how developmental mentoring, lived experience, and community support can offer more than symptom management—they can foster security, resilience, and lasting self-confidence.

Together, Cam and Zack also break down the critical distinction between safety and security, a concept that resonates deeply for parents seeking long-term support strategies for their child. Cam explains that while safety seeks to eliminate risk, security builds the capacity to navigate it. Through powerful metaphors and practical examples, this conversation gives caregivers and clinicians a new lens to understand their neurodivergent child's emotional world. Cam's message is clear: resilience and growth don't come from avoiding discomfort, but from learning—over time, with support—how to face challenges with confidence and connection.

Zacks Anxiety Hack: Zack shares a powerful quote from Louisa May Alcott.

Fear Less is sponsored by Mountain Valley Treatment Center.

In this heartfelt episode Zack sits down with former Mountain Valley resident Izzy Carosi, who courageously shares her journey through anxiety, depression, and the perfectionism that once consumed her. From the outside, Izzy appeared to have it all—strong academics, athletic talent, and a vibrant personality—but beneath the surface, she struggled with crippling anxiety and perfectionism. Her path led her to Mountain Valley Treatment Center, where she experienced both a painful early departure and a powerful return. In her honest retelling, Izzy opens up about learning to accept help, understanding attachment and perfectionism, and rediscovering her authentic self—"Little Izzy"—through vulnerability and self-compassion.

Soon to be a psychology student at Wake Forest University, Izzy reflects on how her experience in residential treatment taught her to build balance, develop emotional resilience, and embrace her worth beyond achievements. She offers valuable insights for both young people navigating mental health challenges and parents supporting them, including how to re-enter home and school life after treatment, and how to stay grounded in a world that often rewards overachievement. Whether you're a parent of a teen wrestling with anxiety or a young person struggling to find your way, Izzy's story is a beacon of honesty, hope, and healing.

Zacks Anxiety Hack: Zack shares a heartfelt quote from Amy Julia Becker.

Fear Less is sponsored by Mountain Valley Treatment Center.

In this episode Zack is joined by Brittany Little, LCSW, clinical director at Moosilauke Counseling Solutions and former therapist at Mountain Valley Treatment Center. Brittany shares her deep expertise in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and how it can be a transformative tool for teens struggling with anxiety, OCD, and emotional dysregulation. While often associated with borderline personality disorder, Brittany explains how DBT's practical, skills-based approach is incredibly useful for adolescents with intense emotions—even before they're ready for exposure therapy. Topics covered include mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness, as well as how DBT lays a crucial foundation for long-term healing.

Brittany also explores how DBT offers powerful tools for both parents and clinicians, not just clients. From validating a teen's emotional experiences without reinforcing compulsive behaviors, to learning how to effectively communicate through emotional intensity, this episode provides a framework of hope and clarity for families navigating complex mental health challenges. Whether you're a parent of a teen in crisis or a clinician looking for fresh ways to support anxious adolescents, this conversation highlights why DBT is more than just a therapy—it's a life skill set for the whole family.

Zack's Anxiety Hack- In this episode Zack shares an inspiring quote from Steven King.

Fear Less is sponsored by Mountain Valley Treatment Center.

In this compelling episode Zack is joined once again by clinical psychologist Dr. Roberto Olivardia to explore body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)—a deeply misunderstood and often overlooked condition, especially in adolescent boys and young men. Dr. Olivardia, co-author of The Adonis Complex, shares his decades of clinical and research experience in working with individuals who struggle with distorted body image, anxiety, and co-occurring disorders like OCD and depression. He breaks down how BDD presents, the dangerous cultural messages that fuel it, and why it often goes undiagnosed in young men.

For parents of teens grappling with anxiety, appearance preoccupations, or seeking cosmetic procedures as a solution, this episode offers both a clinical roadmap and emotional insight. Dr. Olivardia discusses the risks of cosmetic surgeries, treatment options including ERP and SSRIs, and the importance of challenging rigid appearance-based beliefs. He emphasizes that recovery is possible—with the right support, education, and structured treatment. If you're a parent looking for hope and direction for your teen dealing with body image anxiety, this episode is a must-listen.

Zack's Hack- In this episode Zack shares an inspiring quote from Henry Ford.

Fear Less is sponsored by Mountain Valley Treatment Center.

In this episode of Fear Less, Zack talks with licensed therapist Elian Beattie, the owner of Insights Group, an outpatient therapy practice in Rye, New Hampshire. Elian specializes in treating OCD, anxiety, and eating disorders, and shares her rare expertise in addressing both OCD and disordered eating at the same time—something many treatment providers avoid. Listeners will gain a clear understanding of how these two conditions often overlap, from perfectionism and control to compulsive behaviors around food and body image. Elian breaks down how both disorders can be identified, assessed, and treated with evidence-based approaches like Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

Whether you're a parent concerned about your teen's mental health, someone who struggles with rigid food rules and anxiety, or a clinician who sees these overlapping conditions, this episode offers real hope and practical guidance. Elian also shares a powerful story of helping a young athlete recover through social reconnection, challenging food fears, and building values-based resilience. If you're looking for answers about OCD, eating disorders, or how to find the right kind of help, this conversation will leave you informed, inspired, and ready to take action.

Zack's Anxiety Hack: Zack shares a quote from Salvador Dali that can help you fear less!

Fear Less is sponsored by Mountain Valley Treatment Center.

Elian Beattie's outpatient practice website: https://insightsgroup.net/

In this episode Zack welcomes Dee Franklin, a licensed mental health counselor, to explore the striking overlap between eating disorders (ED) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Drawing from her decades of clinical experience and a widely-discussed article she co-authored, Dr. Franklin shares how many eating disorder behaviors—like ritualized eating patterns, perfectionism, and sensory avoidance—mirror the core functional mechanisms of OCD. Together, she and Zach dive into the controversial but increasingly accepted view that ED and OCD may not be as separate as traditionally thought, and how treatment models that embrace this overlap can lead to more effective, sustainable outcomes. The conversation weaves personal insights, clinical strategies, and a deep respect for interdisciplinary work—especially between occupational therapy and psychology. Dee also introduces listeners to ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder), highlighting the role of interoceptive exposure and graduated sensory challenges in treatment. With warmth and intellectual rigor, this episode challenges listeners—whether clinicians, parents, or those in recovery—to reconsider how we define and treat disordered eating through a functional, process-based lens. It's a compelling call to rethink the categories and embrace treatments that meet patients where they are, both physically and emotionally. Zack's Anxiety Hack: Zack shares a quote from Marcus Aurelius that can help you fear less! Fear Less is sponsored by Mountain Valley Treatment Center.

In this deeply moving episode Zack sits down with Myra Sack, author of 57 Fridays: Losing Our Daughter, Finding Our Way and Executive Director of Emotion, Inc.—a nonprofit that helps people navigate grief through movement, ritual, and community. Myra shares her profound journey of losing her daughter Javi to Tay-Sachs disease, how that loss reshaped her understanding of fear and anxiety, and how the emotional tools she and her husband developed became the foundation for her organization's healing model. Together, they explore how grief intersects with fear and anxiety, especially the difference between anxiety's imagined threats and fear's real ones—and how we can learn to "move with" both and harness the treasures that exist in intense emotional experiences. Throughout the conversation, Myra highlights the power of emotional granularity, intentional ritual, somatic motion, and authentic community as antidotes to the isolation and overwhelm that often accompany grief and trauma. She and Zack discuss how Emotion, Inc. is bringing these tools to others through its national grief-movement cohorts, offering not just support but transformation. Myra's vulnerability and insight are a gift to anyone coping with loss or seeking to support others through it, and her message—that we can live in the land of the living and carry our grief—is one of resilience, love, and deep hope. Zack's Hack: Zack shares a powerful quote about grief. Fear Less is sponsored by Mountain Valley Treatment Center.

In this powerful episode of Fear Less, Zack sits down with Andy Benckart, a master's-level social work student and young adult in recovery, to dive deep into the complex intersections of anxiety, OCD, and addiction. Andy shares his lived experience navigating chronic migraines, anxiety, substance use, and an eventual OCD diagnosis, shedding light on how these challenges are often intertwined. His story takes listeners from early struggles in high school and college to the transformative impact of wilderness therapy and transitional living programs. Andy also discusses the vital role that surfing and nature have played in his recovery journey, offering a unique perspective on surrender, control, and healing through connection to the outdoors.

Throughout the conversation, Andy highlights how 12-step programs, therapeutic support, and outdoor experiences helped him build resilience, self-awareness, and hope for a better future. Zack and Andy explore critical ideas like the subtle ways OCD can present, why addiction often masks deeper mental health struggles, and how the lessons of nature — like surrendering to a powerful wave — mirror the process of recovery. Whether you're navigating your own mental health challenges or supporting a loved one, this episode offers invaluable wisdom, hope, and a reminder that growth often starts by letting go.

Zack's Hack- In this week's quote to address fear Zack shares a quote from Victor Frankel.

Fear Less is sponsored by Mountain Valley Treatment Center.

In this powerful solo Zack dives deep into the functional purpose of anxiety and how it can actually serve us rather than sabotage us. Drawing on his clinical experience and personal reflections, Zack reframes anxiety as a messenger, something that, when listened to and understood, can be a powerful motivator and guide. Using real-life examples from his own life and his work at Mountain Valley Treatment Center, Zack explores the physiological, cognitive, and behavioral responses triggered by anxiety and how we can tune into those responses to prepare, adapt, and thrive rather than shut down or avoid. He breaks down the common "fight, flight, freeze, and fawn" reactions and emphasizes that fear isn't something to eliminate—but rather, something to make less intrusive and more constructive.

Zack also shares personal stories, including how anxiety helped him prepare for fatherhood and process fear during a high-risk pregnancy. He emphasizes that our emotions aren't enemies—they're signals that deserve attention, curiosity, and response. Referencing tools from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and the book The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris, Zack encourages listeners to transform their relationship with fear, rather than trying to eliminate it. This episode is a must-listen for anyone who's felt consumed by anxiety and is ready to learn how to partner with it instead.

Zack Hack: In this week's hack Zack shares an inspiring quote from Russ Harris, author of The Happiness Trap.

Fear Less is sponsored by Mountain Valley Treatment Center.

In this compelling episode Zack sits down with renowned clinical psychologist Dr. Roberto Olivardia to explore the realities of living with ADHD and how it intersects with anxiety, OCD, and executive functioning. A lecturer at Harvard Medical School and clinical associate at McLean Hospital, Dr. Olivardia brings both professional expertise and personal insight as someone who has lived with ADHD his entire life. The conversation dives deep into what ADHD actually is, how it's often misunderstood, and why people with ADHD often experience high levels of stress and anxiety due to environmental expectations and internal challenges.

Listeners will gain practical takeaways around managing ADHD symptoms, whether through medication, behavioral strategies, mindfulness practices, or lifestyle changes. Dr. Olivardia shares relatable personal stories—from riding the subway to focus on reading to writing his dissertation to punk rock—and breaks down the importance of accepting neurodiversity in a judgment-free, strength-based way. If you've ever felt like your brain works differently, this validating and informative episode is not to be missed.

Fear Less is sponsored by Mountain Valley Treatment Center.