The Food Allergy Brain Episode 5: Jenna Tso, LCSW

Send us Fan MailThis week on The Food Allergy Brain, Mia sits down with Jenna Tso, a licensed clinical social worker based in California who specializes in food allergies, chronic illness, and anxiety. Jenna brings both professional expertise and lived experience to her practice, having grown up with anaphylactic food allergies herself.They discuss Jenna's personal journey from experiencing a severe allergic reaction in college to becoming a food allergy-informed therapist. Jenna shares her experience navigating adolescence and young adulthood with food allergies, including the challenges of self-advocacy, the isolation of college dining halls, and the mental health toll of constantly minimizing her needs to fit in. She also opens up about outgrowing some of her allergies in recent years and what that shift has meant for her relationship with food and freedom.The conversation explores Jenna's therapeutic approach, including CBT, fear ladders, and exposure-based techniques like allergen proximity challenges. Jenna also introduces brainspotting, a powerful somatic therapy for processing food allergy-related trauma and PTSD. She shares how she runs virtual support groups for food allergy teens, young adults, and parents, and why peer connection is so essential for healing. The episode closes with Jenna's vision for a truly integrated, trauma-informed support system that addresses mind, body, and spirit in food allergy care.Where to Find Jenna Tso:Instagram: @thefoodallergytherapist TikTik: @foodallergytherapist Website: www.jennatso.comFind Mia Silverman (Allergies with Mia):Instagram & TikTok: @allergieswithmiaWebsite: allergieswithmia.com