Fear Less

About Fear Less

Welcome to the Fear Less podcast, a show dedicated to discussing anxiety, fear, and general mental well-being. In this podcast, host Zack Schafer sits down with clinical professionals, educators, parents, and individuals with anxiety to have meaningful conversations about fear and how to manage it. Through expert knowledge, personal stories, and practical everyday tips, Zack helps listeners gain the insight, confidence, and skills necessary to master their fears. Zack Schafer, MS, OTR/L, is a mental health occupational therapist and the executive director of Mountain Valley Treatment Center (MVTC), a non-profit residential treatment program for youth with debilitating anxiety. This podcast is sponsored by MVTC and aligns with the program's mission to help anxious young people to fear less and live fully. However, fear and anxiety don't just impact young people—they affect everyone. Our collective fears and anxieties shape the health of our communities and society as a whole. The Fear Less podcast was created to reach a broad audience and inspire all who listen to come together, face their fears, and live courageously. For more information visit: • www.mountainvalleytreatment.org • Instagram: @mountainvalleytreatmentcenter • LinkedIn: Mountain Valley • LinkedIn: Zack Schafer

Publisher

Zack Schafer

Category

health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

1 Aug 2023

Latest episode

7 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

122 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   7 Oct 2026

   123. Understanding the Anxious Brain: Dr. Bruce Perry on Stress, Regulation & Why Connection Matters

   Why is it so hard to think clearly when anxiety takes over—and why can telling someone to "calm down" make things worse? In this episode Zack welcomes Dr. Bruce Perry, child and adolescent psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and coauthor of "What Happened to You?" with Oprah Winfrey. Dr. Perry explains how developmental experiences shape our stress responses and why understanding a person's history can help us make sense of their emotional struggles. Drawing on his Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics, he explores how stress can interfere with learning, communication, and interpreting other people's intentions, offering parents and people living with anxiety a more compassionate way to understand these challenges. The conversation brings these ideas into everyday life through Dr. Perry's practical framework: regulate, relate, reason. Before offering advice or trying to solve a problem, we can attend to our own emotional state, help the other person become more regulated, and establish a sense of connection. For parents supporting an anxious child or teenager, this means paying attention to timing, tone, presence, and basic needs rather than expecting explanations to work during an overwhelming moment. Dr. Perry and Zack also explore how relationships, belonging, and supportive environments can encourage growth—and how shaming or punitive responses can undermine it. Listeners will leave with a clearer understanding of why connection matters and how to approach difficult moments with greater patience and intention. Zack's Hack: In this week's anxiety hack Zack shares a quote from Dr. Bruce Perry which will help you have less fear! Fear Less is sponsored by Mountain Valley Treatment Center.

2. 

   23 Sept 2026

   122. Is Marijuana Helping Your Anxiety? Dr. Roberto Olivardia on ADHD, Anxiety, and Cannabis Use

   Can marijuana help you feel calmer or fall asleep while gradually becoming something you depend on? In this episode, Zack welcomes back clinical psychologist Dr. Roberto Olivardia to explore the relationship between ADHD, anxiety, and cannabis use. Roberto explains why people with ADHD may be more vulnerable to substance dependence and why marijuana can feel helpful in the short term, even as frequent use begins to affect attention, motivation, and daily life. Zack also shares his experience of using cannabis and the fears he faced when he stopped using it. Together, they discuss today's high-potency cannabis, what parents and family members may notice when use becomes a concern, and how treatment can address the needs a person has been trying to meet with marijuana. It's a compassionate conversation for people questioning their own use and for families wondering how to understand what is happening. Zack's Hack: In this week's anxiety hack Zack shares a quote from . Fear Less is sponsored by Mountain Valley Treatment Center.

3. 

   16 Sept 2026

   121. The Future of Mountain Valley: A Plan to Help More Anxious People Fear Less

   What will the next chapter of Mountain Valley Treatment Center look like—and how can alumni, parents, families, and community members help make it possible? As Mountain Valley celebrates its 15th anniversary, Executive Director Zack Schafer announces plans to build a new adolescent dormitory at its Plainfield, New Hampshire, campus. The project will strengthen the residential experience for teens with anxiety, OCD, and related challenges while freeing existing space for a future young adult program. The larger vision includes outpatient and day services for local families, educational workshops, professional training, and expanded opportunities for emerging clinicians. To launch the fundraising campaign, Zack will run approximately 60 miles from Mountain Valley's original campus in Pike to its current home in Plainfield on November 15, 2026. His route includes more than 40 miles of the Appalachian Trail and more than 11,000 feet of climbing. By deliberately choosing the harder path, Zack hopes to honor the courage of Mountain Valley alumni and families who have faced fear, accepted difficult challenges, and found confidence through community. He invites alumni, parents, former families, friends, and members of the broader Mountain Valley community to donate, help crew the run, or join him for part of this journey toward Mountain Valley's future. To support this fundraising effort please check out Mountain Valley's website (https://mountainvalleytreatment.org/about/giving-to-mvtc/)

Who has been a guest on Fear Less

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Cam Sherman
• Izzy Carosi
• Brittany Little LCSW
• Dr Roberto Olivardia
• Gin Majka

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.5 / 5

17 ratings

Spotify

4.8 / 5

22 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 47 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

67

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

71

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