Travel Anxiety therapist in San Jose, CA

Travel Anxiety

Travel Anxiety can make the prospect of trips and vacations feel exhausting and overwhelming.

Whether it’s doing the planning, getting behind the wheel, boarding a plane, or navigating busy public spaces without knowing the language, you may find yourself over-preparing or enduring intense distress in the lead up to travel. Vacations are supposed to be fun but you can’t seem to get through the situations others seem to manage with ease and excitement.

Common Experiences of Travel Anxiety

Travel anxiety can include:

Fear of driving on highways, bridges, or unfamiliar roads
Panic or dread before flying, including fear of turbulence, takeoff, crashes, and being trapped in the airplane
Avoidance of airports, public transportation, or crowded venues
Anxiety in busy public spaces such as malls, events, or city centers
Physical symptoms such as dizziness, shortness of breath, nausea, or dissociation
Anticipatory anxiety that limits planning, spontaneity, seeing family, or career opportunities

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Therapy for Travel Anxiety

These reactions are not signs of weakness. They are learned nervous system responses that can be changed. Therapy with me can help you move freely again. I provide focused Cognitive Behavioral and EMDR Therapy designed to resolve travel-related anxiety efficiently while respecting your time, energy.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT helps you identify and shift the thought patterns and behaviors that maintain anxiety. We will focus on:

Reducing catastrophic thinking and fear-based predictions
Increasing your ability to manage your stress and tolerate discomfort
Developing practical strategies for managing real-world travel situations
Gradual, strategic exposure designed to build mastery

EMDR Therapy

EMDR is especially effective when travel anxiety is rooted in past distressing experiences, panic episodes, or moments where your sense of safety was disrupted. EMDR works by:

Reprocessing memories that keep your nervous system on high alert
Reducing automatic fear responses
Helping your body update to a true knowledge of safety

A Time-Respectful, Results-Oriented Approach

I work with professionals and individuals who want therapy that is:

Efficient – focused on meaningful change, not endless sessions
Targeted – tailored to your specific travel-related fears
Respectful – aligned with your schedule, goals, and emotional bandwidth
Effective – grounded in well-established, research-supported methods