Healing Driving Anxiety and Car Accident Trauma with Brainspotting Therapy
Erin Burton LCSW, Certified Brainspotting Therapist – Serving California & Oregon
Discover how Brainspotting therapy helps people in California and Oregon heal from driving anxiety and car accident trauma. Learn how one session helped a client eliminate panic while driving.
If you've been in a car accident—or even just witnessed one—driving may no longer feel safe or natural. Similarly, if you were hit by a car as a pedestrian, simply walking near the accident site or crossing busy intersections may trigger anxiety and fear. You might experience panic while behind the wheel, avoid certain roads, or dread being a passenger. These reactions are normal but often persistent. Fortunately, healing is possible.
As a licensed clinical social worker and certified Brainspotting therapist, I specialize in helping clients in California and Oregon process trauma and anxiety related to car accidents using a powerful somatic-based modality: Brainspotting.
What is Brainspotting?
Brainspotting is a brain-body therapy developed by Dr. David Grand that taps into the subcortical brain—the part responsible for processing trauma, emotions, and instinctual reactions. By finding “brainspots” connected to unresolved trauma and using focused mindfulness, Brainspotting allows the body to naturally release stored tension and fear.
This gentle, yet deep-reaching method goes beyond talk therapy to address trauma where it's held—physically and neurologically.
How Brainspotting Helps with Driving Anxiety and Car Accident Trauma
Car accidents often leave an imprint on both body and brain. While physical injuries may heal, emotional scars can linger, showing up as:
Panic attacks while driving or riding in a car
Avoidance of certain roads or intersections
Hypervigilance and increased heart rate behind the wheel
Flashbacks, nightmares, or intrusive memories
General anxiety or dread related to transportation
Client Success Story: Panic-Free After One Session
I’ve worked with many clients experiencing fear around driving and even riding as passengers. One client came to me with extreme anxiety and panic whenever she had to drive through the location where a serious accident had occurred. In just one Brainspotting session, we focused on the specific panic and anxiety connected to that location.
She reported that after the session, her panic disappeared. She now drives through that same location with confidence and calm, completely free from the anxiety that once controlled her.
This is the power of Brainspotting—it helps your nervous system complete what it couldn't in the moment of trauma, so you can move forward without fear.
Support in California and Oregon
Whether you're in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Portland, Eugene, Bend, or anywhere in between, I offer virtual Brainspotting sessions to residents across California and Oregon. As a trauma-informed therapist, I provide a safe, compassionate space for you to process and heal at your own pace.
You Don’t Have to Stay Stuck
Driving is a part of daily life—and you deserve to feel safe doing it. If you’re looking for:
Driving anxiety therapy in California
Car accident trauma treatment in Oregon
Brainspotting near me (via telehealth or in person in Los Gatos, California)
…I’m here to help.
Let’s Work Together
You don't need to avoid the road or suffer in silence. If you’re ready to feel safer and calmer behind the wheel, contact me today for a free consultation. Let’s see how Brainspotting can support your healing.
About the Author
Erin is a certified Brainspotting therapist providing virtual therapy for residents of California and Oregon. She also provides in person Brainspotting Intensives in the Santa Cruz and Los Gatos, California area. She is trained in trauma-focused healing to best support clients who are looking to heal faster.