Can anxiety about food safety quietly shape the way an entire family eats, lives, and loves?

In this episode of Dr. Marianne-Land: An Eating Disorder Recovery Podcast, Dr. Marianne Miller, LMFT, talks with Tamara Hubbard, LCPC, founder of The Food Allergy Counselor and The Academy of Food Allergy Counseling. Together, they explore how food allergy anxiety can affect both children and parents, sometimes leading to ARFID-like eating patterns and significant emotional distress.

Tamara shares her journey from being a parent of a child with a peanut allergy to becoming a national leader in the field of food allergy mental health. She discusses how chronic fear and misinformation can cause families to become trapped in cycles of hypervigilance and restriction. She and Dr. Marianne also examine how therapy can help families move toward flexibility, autonomy, and connection at the table.

Listeners will hear how Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and values-based approaches support parents in balancing safety with freedom, and how addressing anxiety can improve both emotional well-being and quality of life.

The difference between food allergies and food intolerances and why accurate understanding matters

How food allergy anxiety can spread through families and mimic ARFID symptoms

The role of parental fear in shaping a child’s own food relationship and daily life

The risks of restriction-based medical advice, including some functional medicine practices

How ACT and mindfulness tools can help parents tolerate fear and stay connected to their values

Ways to calm the fight-or-flight response and reduce hypervigilance around food and safety

Why collaboration between therapists and allergists creates stronger, safer support for families

This episode is for parents and caregivers who want to understand how food allergies, anxiety, and ARFID intersect in family life. It is also for therapists, dietitians, and healthcare providers who want to learn how to support families with evidence-based, trauma-informed, and values-driven care.

Book: May Contain Anxiety: Managing the Overwhelm of Parenting Children With Food Allergies by Tamara Hubbard, LCPC (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2025)

Website: The Food Allergy Counselor for educational articles, therapeutic resources, and directories of food allergy-informed therapists

Organization: The Academy of Food Allergy Counseling for clinician training and professional community

Article: Allergic Living Magazine Airline Allergy Travel Guide for details on how major airlines handle food allergy policies

Advocacy Resource: No Nut Traveler by Leanne Mandelbaum, advocating for safer air travel for people with food allergies

Therapeutic Framework: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for managing anxiety and values alignment

Cultural Reference: We Can Do Hard Things by Glennon Doyle as a reminder of resilience and self-compassion

This episode includes discussions of allergic reactions, anaphylaxis, and eating challenges. Please take care while listening if these topics may feel activating or distressing.

Visit ARFID and Selective Eating Course. This virtual program provides a compassionate, neurodivergent-affirming framework that helps families and clinicians create safety, flexibility, and understanding around food.