The TrainingBeta Podcast: A Climbing Training Podcast TBP 306 :: A Kinder Way to Work through Fear of Falling with Therapist Emma McAdam
Feb 5, 2026
Emma McAdam, a licensed therapist and creator of Therapy in a Nutshell, blends clinical tools with climbing experience. She discusses using exposure practice, mindfulness, and self-compassion to work with fear of falling. Short practical strategies, building a gradual exposure hierarchy, and how to release after a fall are highlighted in clear, relatable conversation.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Emma's Early Climbing Fear And Return
- Emma recounts growing up climbing with her dad and later swearing off climbing after a frightening Mount Moran experience at 16.
- She returned to climbing in grad school, using it as a coping mechanism and climbing frequently with friends.
Fear Is Your Smoke Alarm
- Fear is a smoke alarm that asks, "Am I in danger?".
- Emma McAdam compares false alarms to smoke detectors triggered by bacon to show anxiety is protective but often over-sensitive.
Choose Facing Fear From Values Not Pressure
- Choosing to face fear from values reframes anxiety from coercion to meaningful action.
- Emma contrasts 'tolerance' with 'choice' and cites Nietzsche: having a why increases capacity to endure fear.