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Food Allergy Anxiety, Mindset, and Parenting Resources
Meet Tamara,
The Food Allergy Counselor
Meet Tamara Hubbard, MA, LCPC
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor
A thought leader and innovator, the food allergy mental health resources Tamara has developed continue to fill unmet needs in the allergy community, and are frequently mentioned in medical and community presentations. As such, she was included on Spokin's list of the Top 100 Women in Allergy in 2020.
A licensed clinical professional counselor and family therapist with more than 20 years of experience, Tamara currently works in private practice. As an allied health member of AAAAI and ACAAI, Tamara is active on a number of committees and regularly speaks at national conferences, educational events, and webinars for the allergy community and health care professionals. Additionally, she serves as an advisor to organizations including FARE, CFAAR, and Seedling, and is often hired as an industry consultant.
Passionate about educating others, Tamara has been a featured expert in a variety of media outlets, including Healthline, Medscape, NPR, and Healio, sharing evidence-based information on food allergy mental health, anxiety, mindset, parenting, and family dynamics for both the allergy community and health practitioners.
A note from Tamara
Becoming The Food Allergy Counselor
In 2018, I asked, "Who is focusing on the mental health and psychosocial needs of those managing allergies?" That curiosity quickly led me to recognize that even though the food allergy community craved more psychosocial and quality of life-focused content to help them navigate the ups and downs of life with food allergies, there was a gap in those resources. That's when I developed The Food Allergy Counselor (The FAC) in order to fill that unmet need!
Initially, The FAC began as an educational hub, offering evidence-based insights, tips, and worksheets for navigating social and emotional aspects of life with allergies. However, soon after its launch, many began reaching out to inquire about therapy services with me. Due to behavioral health licensure guidelines, therapy providers are only able to provide therapy services to those in the state(s) in which they're licensed. Therefore, this led me to develop The Food Allergy Counselor Directory, the original state-by-state listing of food allergy-informed licensed clinical behavioral health clinicians in the US and Canada.
It was at that point that The FAC became an incorporated organization (The Food Allergy Counselor, Inc.) focused on offering allergy mental health resources for the allergy community, health care practitioners, and mental health professionals. To that end, I established The Food Allergy Counselor's Members Network to help strengthen the growing food allergy counseling niche and help mental health professionals within it connect.
In 2020, I also launched the Exploring Food Allergy Families podcast - a podcast with real talk, relatable conversations, and practical tips focused on navigating the impacts that food allergies and allergic conditions have on families, relationships, mental health, and emotional well-being. While currently on hiatus, this podcast can still be found on any podcast app, including Apple Podcasts.
Today, the therapist directory and professional network I founded are now located on another website, but I am thrilled to be their Chief Advisor, helping to guide their educational content and growth strategies. To locate a food allergy-informed therapist in your state or to become a Directory-listed therapist, visit the new home of the Food Allergy Counseling Directory: www.FoodAllergyCounseling.org
I hope this site and the resources I've developed help you live the life you want - even with allergies.
As always, take care of yourself...and each other!
Tamara
Author & Writer.
Read what Tamara has written and see who features her articles.
Authored
Featured
Allergic Living Magazine: multiple articles in their Food Allergy Anxiety Guide
Physician Assistants Clinics Journal: Psychosocial Impacts of Allergic Disease (co-authored)
Healio: multiple articles and perspective pieces
ParentMD: 5 Tips for Parenting Kids with Food Allergy Anxiety
ACAAI website: Social and Emotional Impacts of Allergic Disease
Allergy & Asthma Network: Mental Health and Living with Food Allergies
Coping with Allergies & Asthma Magazine: When Food Allergies Cause Anxiety
Book foreward: Just One Bite
Speaker & Educator.
See who has invited Tamara to speak, educate, and lead webinars.
Tamara has spoken at national events and conferences
for these academic and advocacy organizations.
Learn from food allergy webinars where
Tamara has been a featured expert.
Industry Expert.
See who is chatting with, interviewing, and quoting Tamara.
Quoted
Forbes: We Need to Talk About Another Mental Health Crisis: Therapist Burnout
SELF: 10 Common Return-to-Work Concerns - and How to Mentally Prepare for Them
NPR: Extend A Little Grace — Navigating Food Allergies And Sensitivities At Thanksgiving
Business Insider: Upcoming Peanut Allergy Treatments Available in 2019
Undark: Why Parents Are Turning to a Controversial Treatment for Food Allergies
HealthCentral: Raising a Child Who Doesn't Fear Food
Real Simple Magazine: What's New in Food Allergy Etiquette (in print)
Interviewed
Healthline: Managing Stress While Living with Asthma: Where Do I Even Start?
Counseling Today: Supporting Clients Through the Anxiety and Exhaustion of Food Allergies
Nature: Food Allergies: The Psychological Toll
Romper: Food Allergies Sometimes Come With Social Isolation — Here's Some Good News On That
Science News for Students: Food Allergies Can Trigger Stress & Anxiety
Science News for Students: New Success in Treating Allergies to Peanuts & Other Foods
Psychologists Off the Clock:
Living with Food Allergies
Successful Parenting:
Can't Touch This
Becoming Immune Confident:
Balancing FA & Mental Health
Allergic Living:
How Food Allergy Families Can Manage Covid-19 Stresses
Mighty Parenting:
Managing Food Allergies in Teens
Food Allergy & Your Kiddo:
De-Stress with Tamara Hubbard
Shandeeland:
Chat with the Founder of The FAC
Muscle Activation:
The Psychological Impact of Food Allergies with Tamara Hubbard
Check out podcast episodes where Tamara is a featured guest.
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Tamara answering "Is it normal to feel anxious with a new allergy or asthma diagnosis?"
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Tamara responding to "What can I do if I'm feeling anxious about my allergy or asthma diagnosis?"
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Tamara discussing strategies to help patients with asthma manage anxiety and stress.
Video Interviews with Tamara.
Who's Talking About The FAC.
Read what people are saying about Tamara's work and resources.
"Tamara is an innovative force in therapy and counseling for patients and families with food allergies. She is a well renowned speaker and consultant in the field of allergy and immunology. She provides a fresh and real perspective in an area of significant need."
-Dr. Priya Bansal
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