When a teenager struggles with OCD, what happens to the brother or sister trying to hold everything together? In this episode Zack speaks with Austin Kang, a high school senior whose experience growing up alongside an older brother with severe OCD inspired him to create a guide and support community for siblings. Austin shares how he became the "easy child," keeping his own struggles quiet to avoid adding stress at home. Together, they explore the "glass child" experience—when a sibling's needs go unseen—and why parents need to look beyond the child who appears to be doing fine.

For parents and siblings of teens with OCD, this conversation explores how to stay connected while making room for everyone's needs. Austin and Zack discuss family accommodation, how well-intentioned responses can reinforce OCD patterns, and why being a supportive sibling does not mean becoming a therapist or giving up friendships, activities, and personal goals. Austin also introduces his free sibling guide and Behind the Scenes support group, offering families a hopeful message: siblings deserve support, space to share their experiences, and a relationship with their brother or sister that reaches beyond OCD.

Zack's Hack: In this week's anxiety hack Zack shares a quote from Maya Angelo, American Poet, memorist and activist to help you fear less!

Fear Less is sponsored by Mountain Valley Treatment Center.

What makes the transition to adulthood feel overwhelming for many neurodivergent young adults—and how can families help? On this episode, Zack interviews Justin Messinger, LCMHCS, Clinical Director at Intrepid Young Adults in the Asheville, North Carolina, area. Together, they explore how anxiety, executive functioning challenges, and years of feeling misunderstood can affect confidence, relationships, college, and employment. Justin discusses why applying for a job or accessing college support can involve more hurdles than others realize, and how past setbacks can make trying again feel intimidating.

For young adults seeking greater independence and parents wondering how to support them, Justin emphasizes building trust, understanding individual goals, and doing things with young adults rather than for them. He explains how practicing everyday skills in the community, offering the right level of support, and listening to feedback can help young adults build confidence at their own pace. The conversation also considers the value of online friendships, the importance of belonging, and why recognizing small steps forward can nurture hope and make the next challenge feel more manageable.

Zack's Hack: In this week's anxiety hack Zack shares a quote from The Hunger Games movie to help you fear less!

Fear Less is sponsored by Mountain Valley Treatment Center.

How did a family's commitment to education and experiential learning lay the groundwork for Mountain Valley Treatment Center? In this episode Zack speaks with Jay Wolter, president of Moosilauke Visions, the nonprofit organization behind Mountain Valley. Jay traces the organization's roots to his parents, John and Joan Wolter, and the founding of Beckett Academy in Connecticut in 1964. He shares how his father's struggles with dyslexia helped shape an approach that combined academics with outdoor adventure, meaningful work, and community life. From canoe expeditions to farming and residential programming, Jay describes the experiences and challenges that shaped his family's commitment to helping young people find environments where they could thrive.

Jay also recounts leaving his career as a healthcare attorney in 1993 to lead the struggling Pike School in New Hampshire, renaming it Beckett School and rebuilding its programming. That work grew into a broader network of services and eventually created the foundation for Mountain Valley. Jay explains how conversations with Dr. Dan Villiers led to a residential program focused specifically on anxiety, with Dan, Carl Lovejoy, and Jen Fullerton helping bring the vision to life. Combining specialized treatment with the Wolter family's longstanding emphasis on experiential learning and a supportive community, Mountain Valley began on a farm in Pike before moving to Plainfield in 2018. As the program approaches its 15th anniversary, Jay and Zack reflect on that legacy and discuss plans for a new dormitory and expanded services.

Zack's Hack: In this week's anxiety hack Zack shares a quote from experiential educator, John Dewey to help you fear less!

Fear Less is sponsored by Mountain Valley Treatment Center.