Clare Josa's Two Types of Fear is a coaching model that helps us to understand why people so often don't take actions they committed to, and why pushing on through the fear makes things worse.
The Two Types of Fear model explores the role of the nervous system in our self-talk, and it explains why classic mindset coaching so often isn't enough to help people to overcome the hidden blocks they never realised they had put in their way.
Being able to tell which of the two types of fear is operating in a given situation helps you to reclaim your power to choose, releasing the fear, and taking inspired action from a place of genuine courage and confidence - no more 'fake it till you make it'.
Read on to explore this model in detail.
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The Two Types of Fear
The days of having to worry about a sabre-toothed tiger creeping into our cave might be long behind us, but worry and anxiety are still a part of daily life for many.
This leaves people living in chronic stress, keeping their nervous system's fight-flight-freeze response stuck running the show and making our decisions, as well as rewiring our neurology and nervous system to become even more sensitive to potential threats.
And when it comes to Imposter Syndrome, the secret fear that we'll be 'found out' as not good enough is sufficient to stop us from taking the actions that we subconsciously perceive as risking that outcome, and rejection by our tribe.
But not all of these fear-based thoughts are real. And that's where the two types of fear come in.
In her books and teaching, Clare Josa talks about:
legitimate fear
This is the body's natural self-protection response, when physical danger is present, such as that sabre-toothed tiger, or parachuting out of a plane.
mind-story fear
This is the fear-stories our minds tell us: the what-iffing, worrying, and catastrophising about what might happen, even though it likely won't.
The problem with this is that we usually run our thoughts on auto-pilot, and they fire off biochemical reactions in the body's autonomic nervous system - the bit that runs in the background, outside of our conscious control.
The body fires off the stress and fear hormones that create our fight-flight-freeze response, and it doesn't stop to ask whether that fear is legitimate or just a story we were telling ourselves. It can't tell the difference.
And the more often we do this, the more we change the neurobiology of the brain and the nervous system to trigger a fear response to even minor threats.
Your body feels every thought you think. So it's vital to learn how to choose which thoughts to feed.
Clare Josa
This short video explains why pushing on through resistance and fear can inadvertently cause harm to coaching clients or colleagues.
And it's not 'woo' - it's about neuroplasticity: the brain's ability to change and rewire itself, along with the nervous system.
Neuroscience shows us that the mind-story fears can change the amygdala (the brain's emotion and fear centre), and create hard-wired neural pathways that make us more sensitive to perceived threats.
And the fight-flight-freeze response changes the blood flow in the brain to make it harder to concentrate and come up with great ideas, because the body is prioritising survival, not intellectual prowess.
So it's no wonder someone who was enthusiastic about, say, pitching an idea to a client, subconsciously self-sabotages when they stand in front of the room.
And that's where the most common coping strategy falls apart: pushing on through the fear.
the problem with pushing on through the fear
When your nervous system is already on high-alert, if you push harder, you crank up the stress hormones and risk increasing the fear, whilst harming performance. Pushing on through the fear - when the fear feels real - can cause harm, to the point of trauma-responses.
That Doesn't Mean You Should Wait Until You Don't Feel Scared
How about instead of pushing on through the fear, we release it, calming the nervous system, regaining perspective, and taking action one tiny step at a time? There are techniques you can use in-the-moment to regulate your nervous system and reset the fear response. And there are longer-term techniques you can use to harness the power of neuroplasticity and the vagus nerve to reduce the body's sensitivity to triggers, lessening the impact of the fear response before it even happens.
Neuroplasticity means we can rewire our brains to rewrite our thoughts, releasing the mind-story fears, so we can feel happier, safer, and more courageous and confident.
"But 'Do It Scared' Helps Me Get It Done!"
You know that 'oomph' that sometimes gets a person doing things they didn't feel they could? Most people think that's fear. But it's not.
Hans Selye explored this distinction, describing two types of stress.
- Distress - the harmful stress that triggers the fight-flight-freeze cascade.
- Eustress - (from the Greek 'eu' meaning 'good'), which is 'just enough adrenalin' to help us give our best, but not enough to do harm.
Instead of feeling the fear and pushing on through:
Clear the fear and do it anyway.
clare josa
Want a self-mentoring question to help with this?
Here's a video that talks you through the two types of fear and it includes a self-mentoring question that I love to share with clients:
Is this really true, or is it just mind-story fear talking?
Want more? Here's a podcast episode from Clare Josa on the Two Types of Fear & How They Link With Burnout
Want To Dive In With Solutions?
Here are some of the ways Clare Josa could help you to tackle the two types of fear, starting right now.
ditching imposter syndrome book
There's a whole section on clearing fear in ways that are fast, fun, and forever in step 2 of Clare's 2019 book. No more pretending or pushing on through.
Available in hardback, paperback, Kindle, and audiobook formats.
The imposter syndrome hacks™ app
There's a course in the app called the '60-Second Courage Creator' that's great for tackling the two types of fear.
It also has hacks for taming your inner critic, turning it into a genuine cheerleader, and waving goodbye to Imposter Syndrome, once and for all.
coaching imposter syndrome book
Written for managers, leaders, HR professionals, coaches and consultants, Clare Josa's 2025 book - Coaching Imposter Syndrome - guides you through how to help people to safely connect with their 'micro-courage', in-the-moment.
Want to share strategies with colleagues & clients?
Clare Josa teaches deep-acting strategies for the two types of fear in her coach certification programmes, and she covers foundation techniques, like the 'flinch factor', in her keynotes and corporate workshops. Scroll down to find out about working with Clare.
Don't Know Clare Josa Yet?
Clare is considered a global authority in the fields of Imposter Syndrome, burnout and sustainable performance for individuals and teams. She has been an international keynote speaker for over 20 years.
Her research is cited in PhDs and taught on MBAs, worldwide, and she is the creator of the life-changing Safe to THRIVE™ and Natural Resilience Method® frameworks, which she teaches at Facilitator and Master Coach levels, as well as in the world's first Imposter Syndrome App - Imposter Syndrome Hacks™.
The author of ten books, a reformed engineer, and the former Head of Market Research for one of the world's most disruptive brands, she blends science-backed practical inspiration with demystified ancient wisdom, to help you create breakthroughs in ways that are fast, fun and forever.