Climbing Recovery Therapy

If you, or a loved one have experienced or seen a climbing accident or heard of one of a loved one, then it would not be uncommon for you or them to experience lingering effects. Such as trouble sleeping, fear or anxiety when thinking of or when climbing, a sense of unreality, numbness, recurring nightmares or flashbacks, or elevated fear or feeling gripped when on the wall. If you or they are experiencing any of these symptoms and are struggling to get back to climbing as you were before then I could be of help. Some of these may be ways your body may be trying to protect you even in cases were your brain believes this is unneeded. As a climber and trauma therapist with over 5 years of experience of working with trauma in a variety of individuals, I can help you process the events from the safety of your home (with remote therapy), and we can use therapeutic techniques that can help your body feel safe again.

In some types of climbing, healthy risk taking may be necessary for performance and safety at times.

Some climbers may find that they feel inordinately scared to take on risks they used to find safe (such as being lowered on a grigri by another climber or placing quick draws or trad gear at their waist when leading) after a climbing accident or big whip. Sometimes this is fine, other times these may cause climbers to take up a lot of time or inadvertedly take on more risk such as when high clipping. If your nervous system is feeling unnecessarily dysregulated (or gripped) when climbing, then this is something I may be able to help you with.

Frequent exposure to risk can desensitize people’s nervous systems and different life experiences can predispose some individuals to taking increased risks at a higher rate. If you find that you or a loved one, are taking climbing risks beyond what you would hope for (such as free-soloing or increasingly running things out), then speaking to a professional about this can be the bravest you do do. It is possible to climb safer, recalibrate your risk taking, and still enjoy climbing. Contact me if you’d like to consider doing so.

Climbing is an amazing sport that not only fosters cardiovascular health and strength, but a social network that is most easily connected with - when climbing. Climbing can be therapeutic, but it also can be very time intensive and consuming. If you’ve found it difficult to take time off from climbing, imagine a life without it, or find yourself drifting away from important hobbies and people outside of climbing and unsettled by that, then you wouldn’t be the first person. In therapy, we can help you reflect, and find a balance that works for you. Or for those of you who wish to or who have long lasting injuries, find a way to build a happy and fulfilling life when climbing’s not in it.

Have things been hurting but the idea of taking time off of climbing to rest seem unfathomable? Or do you keep getting injured because you do too much too soon when you do come back? Taking the time off that your body needs to recover is a daunting task for many.   It can be upsetting to suddenly not see many of your friends, and community, and to not be able to do what you used to do (even if temporary). But it is possible to surmount it, and have a better time recovering now and in the future.