Therapy for Pilots & Air Traffic Controllers
Aviation places unique psychological and identity demands on the people who keep it moving. My aviation-focused therapy is built for that reality: confidential care that takes both your functioning and your career into account, from an FAA/HIMS trained aviation psychologist and former pilot who knows aviation culture from the inside.
Who You'll Work With
Hi, I'm Corinne.
I'm a licensed clinical psychologist (PsyD) with extensive experience supporting trauma survivors and marginalized communities. You'll work directly with me at every step. I run every session and sign every evaluation myself. More about me →
- PsyD, Licensed Psychologist
- Online in 45+ states
- In person in Denver & Santa Ana
Therapy used to feel like a risk to your certificate
Flying is more than a job or a hobby. It's an identity, and for many pilots a lifelong dream. With that dream comes pressure: to perform consistently, to stay medically certified, to manage fatigue and irregular schedules, and to be "the calm one" when everyone else looks to you.
For years, that pressure came with a catch. Seeking therapy felt like a risk. The fear was simple and rational: if I talk openly about stress or anxiety, could it follow me into the exam room and threaten my certificate?
That culture is changing. In May 2026, the FAA updated its Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners with new resources under Item 47 that openly encourage counseling and therapy for pilots and air traffic controllers. The agency's own language now states that maintaining mental health is crucial for safety and operational performance, and that counseling or therapy is encouraged when medically appropriate. The FAA also published guidance specifically for therapists who treat aviators.
That's a meaningful shift. It does not mean reporting requirements have vanished. They haven't, and I'll be straight with you about that below. But it does mean the FAA now encourages the kind of care I provide.
I am a licensed psychologist in 45+ states and an FAA/HIMS trained aviation psychologist. I have extensive experience working with pilots and air traffic controllers across a wide range of aviation backgrounds. I also spent years as a pilot myself, so when you talk about checkride pressure, crew dynamics, fatigue rules, or the mental load of flying the line, you don't need to translate the culture or the stakes. I already understand them.
What the FAA's May 2026 update changed
It's worth being precise here, because precision is what protects you. The FAA's May 2026 update added counseling and therapy resources: an information page for pilots and controllers, an FAQ, and guidance for treating clinicians. It encourages care. It did not change the underlying certification framework. Disqualifying psychiatric conditions and the rules around psychotropic medication remain what they were.
In practical terms, here is where things stand:
- The FAA now encourages therapy and counseling, and has worked to reduce the stigma around seeking it.
- Whether something must be disclosed still depends on what it is and how it's treated. Routine relationship or marital counseling generally does not require disclosure. Talk therapy that amounts to treatment for a mental health condition often does.
- A formal diagnosis still carries aeromedical implications, as does psychotropic medication.
- For most pilots who seek help, this is manageable. The vast majority of certificate applicants who disclose a health issue are not denied.
I am not your AME and I don't make certification decisions. But I am FAA/HIMS trained. HIMS is the FAA's program for evaluating and monitoring pilots with substance use and mental health histories, and the training covers how the FAA thinks about fitness to fly, what gets reported, and how a case moves through Aerospace Medicine. I know this terrain, I stay current on it, and part of my job is helping you understand what your situation likely involves, so you know what you're dealing with before you decide anything.
If you need formal FAA documentation rather than ongoing therapy, such as an ADHD Fast Track evaluation or a Gender Dysphoria Mental Health Status Report, see Assessments. Those evaluation services are separate from the therapy described here.
The pressures pilots and controllers work under
Pilots and controllers operate under pressures most professions never experience:
Safety Responsibility
Responsibility for safety and lives on every flight.
Constant Evaluation
Ongoing performance evaluation and recurrent training.
Fatigue & Disruption
Irregular schedules, fatigue, and circadian disruption.
Pressure to Appear Calm
Pressure to appear composed and competent at all times.
Certification Fear
A long history of fear that acknowledging stress could threaten certification.
Identity & Career Stakes
Financial and identity concerns tied closely to staying in the cockpit or at the scope.
Relationship Strain
Strain due to travel, time away, or emotional shutdown.
Generic therapy often misses these realities. Aviation-aware therapy accounts for your duties, regulations, cockpit and tower culture, and long-term career goals while helping you function at a high level, at work and at home. You don't have to choose between getting help and protecting your career. Done thoughtfully, therapy supports both.
Issues pilots & controllers commonly bring to therapy
While every aviator is different, common themes include:
Checkride & Evaluation Pressure
Performance pressure around checkrides, sim rides, evaluations, or upgrades.
Can't Shut Off the Mind
Difficulty shutting off the mind on days off or during rest periods.
Chronic Stress & Detachment
Chronic stress, irritability, or emotional detachment.
Anxiety, Depression & Distress
Situational distress after a major life event.
Relationship Strain
Strain related to time away, communication, or identity imbalance.
Burnout
Questioning long-term sustainability in aviation.
Confidence After Setbacks
Training stress, instructor dynamics, or confidence after setbacks.
Close Calls & High-Intensity Events
Lingering stress or trauma from close calls or high-intensity flying environments.
Career & Identity Transitions
Identity shifts related to career transitions, medical uncertainty, or retirement planning.
Needing support in these areas doesn't mean something is "wrong" with you. You're a human operating in a high-stakes system, and you want to do that responsibly.
What therapy can help with, from checkrides to close calls
Our work together focuses on helping you function better, in the cockpit or the tower and away from it. Drawing on psychology and performance science, therapy can help you:
- Manage anxiety and pressure before and after flights or evaluations.
- Reduce rumination and mental overdrive so rest feels restorative.
- Improve emotional regulation under stress.
- Process grief, trauma, or the aftermath of difficult events.
- Strengthen communication with partners, family, or crew.
- Regain confidence after failures, close calls, or career disruptions.
- Work through career decisions, transitions, or identity questions with clarity.
- Build resilience without ignoring or suppressing your internal experience.
The aim is more steadiness and self-trust in a demanding profession, without changing who you are.
A 90-minute evaluation, then 50-minute sessions
I provide a structured approach that fits the realities of aviation life. We'll move at a pace that respects your nervous system and your operational reality, especially around checkrides, trips, shifts, or training blocks.
Initial Evaluation
We begin with a 90-minute evaluation focused on your background, current challenges, goals, and concerns. This is also the time to ask questions about documentation, disclosure, and what the FAA's current stance means for you specifically.
Ongoing Therapy Sessions
Most clients then move into 50-minute sessions focused on identifying stress and performance patterns, treating what needs treating using methods matched to your goals, and building practical tools you can use on the line, on the road, or in the tower.
Targeted Work & Adjustments
As therapy progresses, we may focus more specifically on performance confidence and evaluation readiness, processing stress, grief, or trauma from past events, relationship dynamics and communication, or identity and life transitions inside or outside aviation.
Ongoing Review & Support
We regularly reassess how you're functioning at work, how stress and rest are balancing, how relationships and personal life feel, and whether the frequency or focus of sessions should shift.
“You don't have to choose between getting help and protecting your career. Done thoughtfully, therapy supports both.”
— Dr. Corinne Votaw-Freer, PsyD
Session cost, insurance, and FAA evaluations
Individual sessions are $215, available to clients in 45+ states through my PSYPACT license.
For a full breakdown of rates and accepted insurance carriers by state, see Rates & Insurance. If you need formal FAA documentation instead of ongoing therapy, see FAA Psychological Evaluation, FAA ADHD Fast Track, or FAA Gender Evaluation.
Questions pilots ask before booking
Will seeing you put my medical certificate at risk?
I can't make that determination. That's between you and your AME. What I can do is give you a clear, current understanding of what typically must be disclosed and what generally doesn't, so you're deciding with the facts in front of you.
Are you an AME or can you make certification decisions?
No. I'm a licensed psychologist and an FAA/HIMS trained aviation psychologist, not an Aviation Medical Examiner, and I don't make certification decisions. I stay current on FAA guidance and can help you understand your situation, but formal certification determinations rest with the FAA and your AME.
Do you only work with commercial pilots?
No. I work with pilots and air traffic controllers from a wide range of backgrounds: commercial, general aviation, military, instructors, and controllers.
What if I need a formal FAA evaluation instead of ongoing therapy?
That's a different service. For an ADHD Fast Track evaluation, a Gender Dysphoria Mental Health Status Report, or a psychological evaluation for certification, see Assessments. Those are separate evaluation services.