94. Anxiety and the College Transition: A Young Adult’s Story of Recovery, Confidence, and Growth
Release Date: 02/04/2026
104. From Fear to Freedom: What Parents, Professionals, and People with OCD Need to Know
Fear Less
What if your child’s anxiety isn’t just a phase—but something more? In this episode, Zack sits down with OCD clinician Victoria Lane of the to explore how obsessive-compulsive disorder can quietly take hold in teens and young adults. Drawing from both her professional role and lived experience with OCD, Victoria helps parents recognize early warning signs that are often missed and understand when anxiety may have crossed into something more serious. Together, they break down Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)—the gold-standard treatment for OCD—and explain why it works, even...
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103. School Anxiety in Neurodivergent Kids: What Parents Need to Know About Autism, ADHD, and Academic Stress
Fear Less
Why does school feel overwhelming—or even impossible—for some children, especially those with autism, ADHD, or learning differences? In this episode, Zack sits down with Brandon Moffitt, executive director of , to explore the rising challenge of school anxiety and how it uniquely impacts neurodivergent students. Together, they unpack how anxiety often coexists with autism and ADHD, and why it can be easily misunderstood or overlooked by parents and educators alike. From school avoidance to perfectionism and emotional shutdowns, this conversation helps parents better recognize what may...
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102: Why Women Struggle with Anxiety: Perfectionism, Trauma, and the Pressure to Be Everything
Fear Less
Why do so many women feel anxious, overwhelmed, and like they’re never doing enough? In this episode, Zack sits down with Madi Harper, co-founder of a women only mental health treatment center, to explore the unique ways anxiety shows up in women’s lives. From perfectionism and people-pleasing to emotional labor and societal expectations, Maddie shares how many women are conditioned to prioritize others while suppressing their own needs—often leading to chronic stress, nervous system dysregulation, and a loss of identity. Drawing from both her personal journey and clinical experience,...
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101: The Missing Piece in Mental Health? Habits, Discipline, and Daily Routines
Fear Less
What if improving your anxiety wasn’t just about therapy—but about how you live your everyday life? In this episode Zack sits down with Josh Gardner, COO and CFO of to explore how foundational habits like sleep, nutrition, movement, and connection can dramatically impact mental health. Drawing from both his leadership in behavioral healthcare and his personal life as an endurance athlete, Josh shares how optimizing daily routines can become one of the most powerful tools in recovery. Together, they unpack why many people struggle to make progress when they overlook basic physiological...
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100 Episodes of Fear Less: Clips from Our Most Popular Episodes on Anxiety, OCD, and Recovery
Fear Less
In this special 100th episode of the Fear Less podcast, host Zack Schafer celebrates the milestone by revisiting some of the most downloaded and talked-about conversations from the show’s history. Instead of a traditional interview, this episode features a compilation of clips from ten of the most popular episodes, chosen based on overall downloads, early listener engagement, and long-term impact. Each segment highlights powerful moments from past guests who shared personal stories of anxiety, OCD, exposure therapy, recovery, and the process of learning how to live a meaningful...
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99. Living with Anxiety, Autism, and a Stutter: How Cam Rainey Learned to Face His Fears
Fear Less
What does it take for a young person living with anxiety, autism, and a severe speech stutter to step forward and share their story publicly? In this powerful episode, Zack speaks with Mountain Valley alumnus Cam Rainey, who courageously joins the show to talk about his journey through anxiety, depression, and substance use before entering treatment. Cam reflects on the struggles that once defined his life—including social fears, isolation, and feeling stuck—and how coming to Mountain Valley helped him begin confronting those challenges through exposure therapy and supportive community....
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98. Afraid for Our Future? Coping with Climate Anxiety an Eco Grief in a Changing World
Fear Less
What happens when climate change starts affecting your mental health? In this week’s episode Zack sits down with clinical psychologist and climate psychology pioneer Dr. Thomas Doherty to explore the growing experience of eco anxiety, climate grief, and the emotional toll of living in an era of environmental uncertainty, drawing from insights in his book "Surviving Climate Anxiety: A Guide to Coping, Healing, and Thriving." Dr. Doherty explains how anxiety about global warming, extreme weather events, and environmental loss is often a natural response to real-world threats—not a...
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97. You Are More Than Your Trauma: Finding Freedom from PTSD with Dr. Ken Huey
Fear Less
In this powerful episode of Fear Less, Zack sits down with Dr. Ken Huey to explore how childhood trauma wires fear into the brain — and how healing rewires it. Dr. Huey shares his personal story of abuse, complex trauma, and post-traumatic stress, and how he transformed those experiences into a life dedicated to helping others heal. With more than 35 years in residential treatment, Dr. Huey explains the connection between trauma, anxiety, and PTSD, unpacking how the limbic system encodes fear and how trauma triggers shape behavior. He outlines how relational and repetitive corrective...
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96. When Anxiety Derails Your Life: How One Young Woman Found Herself Again
Fear Less
What does it really take for a young person to rebuild their life after anxiety derails high school and college plans? In this powerful episode Zack sits down with Mountain Valley Treatment Center resident Becca Gorelick, just 48 hours before her graduation from the program. Becca shares how a traumatic home invasion intensified her anxiety, school avoidance, and panic attacks—ultimately leading her to seek residential treatment at Mountain Valley. With honesty and insight, she reflects on her first stay, her return to college at the University of Utah, and how unresolved anxiety, identity...
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95. What Anxious Teens REALLY Need: Insights from Eight Years in Anxiety Treatment
Fear Less
What actually helps a young person overwhelmed by anxiety or OCD—and how do parents know when it’s time for something more than weekly therapy? In this episode Zack sits down with Ashley Metz, a longtime clinician at Mountain Valley Treatment Center, to reflect on her years working closely with adolescents and families. Ashley shares what she has learned from walking alongside young people who felt misunderstood, stuck, or unable to access daily life—and how healing often begins when pressure is reduced and kids are given space to be themselves. This conversation offers parents a...
info_outlineWhat happens when anxiety, self-doubt, and a major life transition collide?—and how do you find your way back? In this episode Zack sits down with Shane Holcomb, a former Mountain Valley resident and current University of Colorado Boulder student, to explore the real challenges of anxiety during the transition to college. Shane reflects on how social anxiety, loss of confidence, and impulsive behaviors—including sports gambling—began to take hold when he assumed his struggles would disappear just by going to college.
Through candid storytelling, Shane shares how treatment helped him rebuild self-trust, confront fear through exposure work, and rediscover joy, confidence, and purpose. From learning to ride a bike at 19 to reclaiming his passion for sports without addiction attached, this conversation highlights recovery as a process—not a quick fix. It offers hope to young people who feel stuck and reassurance to parents navigating high-stakes decisions about support, treatment, and the path forward.
Zack’s Hack- In this week’s anxiety hack Zack shares a quote from Susie Kassam,who is an American writer, poet and philosopher.
Fear Less is sponsored by Mountain Valley Treatment Center.