Back In The Saddle Again By Brenda Bates

By Jon Langston

As the old saying goes, you’ve got to “get back on the horse” after a fall. Put the word iron in there, and you’ve got good advice for anyone who’s ever had a motorcycle crash.

The hardest part of surviving an accident, any kind of accident, is facing the ultimate fear of getting back on the horse. Brenda Bates, an accomplished psychologist who’s also a rider (and a regularly featured guest columnist in the pages of RoadBike), has written a book designed for those riders who have been in an accident, yet want to ride again, and all the people who love them. It doesn’t matter if you’re the one who had the accident, or your favorite biker can’t bear the thought of throwing a leg over again — Back in the Saddle Again is a must-read.

The dread can be mortifying. The fear, crippling. While Back in the Saddle Again is based upon sound psychological research, it is written in such a way that it is easily understandable. The book is a wealth of exciting, educational, interesting, well-researched, and useful material. It’s the first study of the psychology of motorcyclists, nothing like it has been done before.

Bates, known as The Bike Psych, has a master of arts degree in counseling psychology. She holds a certificate in treating post-traumatic stress disorder, and is an athletic counselor and hypnotherapist specializing in motorsports. She also teaches seminars in sports performance enhancement from a psychological perspective.

“Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms are not the authentic you; but they are very good at tricking you into believing they are, due to their intensity.” Bates writes, and it’s obvious she knows what she’s talking about. This book not only helps you learn how to recognize the symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder, but also helps you learn how to manage them. You will discover common psychological issues motorcyclists are often confronted with after an accident. Through detailed case studies, you will become familiar with others who have been in the same psychological state. RB

Hard Data

Bates Counseling & Hypnosis
Back In The Saddle Again
PO Box 1563, Santa Rosa, CA 95403
www.BikePsych.com