- (408) 409-3964
- Located in San Jose, California
Some days just thinking about getting behind the wheel brings up a wave of unhappiness. Your chest feels tight. Your stomach drops. In the Bay Area, traffic moves fast, lanes are tight, and other drivers can be stressed out and unpredictable.
Many people find themselves avoiding where the accident happened, avoiding freeways, sticking to side streets, or relying on others to drive them.
In the car you may find yourself obsessively checking your mirrors, staying in the slow lane, driving much slower than you used to, getting very tense when things remind you of what happened, or your heart racing when you have to merge onto the freeway.
Many Bay Area residents feel this way after an accident, especially with the constant rushing, unpredictable traffic patterns, and the high-speed freeways of the 280 and the 101.
When a crash or near miss happens, your nervous system does what it’s designed to do: notice and encode the details about what was happening when the accident occurred, and keep you on alert so that you can be ready to react as needed.
The stress of an accident continues far beyond the initial moment of impact. You might be worried about physical injuries, upset about damage to your car, stressed by dealing with repair shops and insurance, and ruminating on conflict with other people involved in the accident.
You’re not “overreacting.” You’re not the only one who’s questioned whether you’ll ever feel truly comfortable driving again. It makes sense that your body still remembers. Your mind and body need to learn to relax and feel safe in the car. Therapy with me can help.
Imagine being able to navigate the freeway, take left turns, or make a short trip across town without that familiar surge of fear and hypervigilance. Imagine feeling more grounded when a car suddenly switches lanes or traffic comes to an abrupt stop. Imagine trusting yourself again.
The problem is not that you reacted in the moment of the accident. The problem is that your mind and body have not been able to readjust back to their normal patterns. This is because you have not been able to fully process the event.
When you don’t return to normal and feel safe several months or years after an accident, you need help. Long term driving anxiety and avoidance behaviors harm you and do not protect you when they continue llong after the danger has passed.
With my combination of CBT and EMDR and years of experience helping drivers overcome their driving fears, I offer a therapy approach that can help you rewire your brain and get you back to normal.
I can provide the expert support and expertise that you need to start making changes in the way you handle driving. I don’t tell you “Just get behind the wheel again!”
I will help you understand and process your past experiences, and give you tools and techniques for how to approach your stress and better manage your driving.
If you’ve been struggling to drive comfortably after an accident, therapy with me can make a difference. I have years of experience helping clients process their driving traumas, decrease their driving anxiety, and increase their sense of calm and confidence on the road. If you’re ready to talk about how to get over your driving anxiety, I’d love to connect.
