Nervous drivers fall into different categories, from being nervous of the whole driving
experience, anxiety while driving, phobias about driving to panic attacks. With my
calm and sympathetic approach I can help you to overcome any of these problems.  

Things that create nerves in drivers are varied and could be as simple as the thought
of being in charge of a car and a worry about their abilities when facing unfamiliar
road systems or busy roads and junctions. Others feel pressurized by the speed of
the traffic or the closeness of the cars behind.

At junctions you feel that you are holding other drivers up by not moving off fast
enough and they will get annoyed with you, or you might lose power driving up hill,
and again there is that feeling of holding following traffic up.

Panic attacks are common they can come on without any rational explanation and
with a severity that leaves you feeling out of control.  During a panic attack your
heart will beat faster (palpitations), you will sweat feel nauseous, have a sense of
dread that something awful will happen, you will start to feel out of control and want
to run away from the situation.

Driving phobia is an irrational fear of impending danger, and in such a state driving is
virtually impossible as you feel totally out of control of the vehicle and the situation.

A phobia can make you feel that fast speeds, open roads, going downhill or bends in
the road are making the vehicle spiral out of control. You may also feel that you are
not fully in control of your vehicle and that you may swerve off the road at bends, or
off a bridge. In severe cases you will want to pull off the road and stop even though
this may not be the safest thing to do.  

These feelings may have started after a driving accident, whether you were driving or
not. Any accident can make you scared of driving, and it may be that everything you
do reminds you of your fear.

It may be that you are a naturally nervous person and are apprehensive of driving but
have to drive because of your job or where you live,

Remember, you are not alone in having these feelings when you drive, many people
have nerves but I can help you.

My way of dealing with these problems is to make sure you are getting the best
out of your car, by refreshing your driving skills and if need be showing you some
new 'tricks'.

Being in the car with me means there is someone helping you who is not going to
judge you on your feelings or your reactions when you begin to feel panicky.

I am there to guide you through those situations, calm you down and help you to
overcome your problem. If you need to we can stop at any time and take a breather
before carrying on

You may find that driving with me and talking through your problems about driving
means that we can sort out your worries within a couple of sessions, however, you
may find that you want more time to gain 'control' over your driving and, of course,
I am happy to drive with you as often as you need.

If at any time during a lesson you need to stop we can, there will not be any
pressure on you to do something you really don't want to do.  Eventually of course,
you will feel so much better about driving that the 'stops' are less frequent.

Sometimes, it just helps to explain your fears to another person who understands
that there are people who have these worries and will not judge you but only has
your safety in mind.  

Being able to handle the car correctly in all situations is the key to combating
nerves whether it is on a major road, dual carriageway or motorway, busy junction
or roundabout.  With patience and careful planning of lessons I can help you to
overcome your anxieties. Also I will look at relaxing you when you drive so that you
can cope if you do feel nervous.

When you start your driving experience with me we will look carefully at the things
which are worrying you and plan your lessons to get the best out of each experience.

I can help you to drive with more confidence.  Before we drive I will talk to you about
your fears and worries so that I have a clear picture of what happens to you when
you drive.

I always treat nervous, anxious and panicky pupils with great calm so that they
can see I am in total control of the situation and the car.  I can take control the car,
if necessary, using gears, brakes, clutch and steering to help in any situation.  

Relaxation techniques will be taught so that you learn to control your own feelings.

We can start with minor roads and as you progress take in dual carriageways
and eventually motorways.

Each lesson would start with a calming exercise to relax you and make you feel
more comfortable, we would then discuss what we will be doing on that particular
lesson and go on to practise.  

During lessons I will show you how to control the vehicle using your clutch, gears
and brakes so that in any situation you will know how the car is going to react and
how you are, in fact controlling the car and not the other way round.  

I have had a great deal of experience dealing with these problems over the 12 years
I have been teaching and my methods have been helpful to many people.

My methods work so well that I have had many clients sent to me by
Katherine Carpenter, Psychotherapist at the Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford

Hopefully, you will find that driving is fun and that it opens up great possibilities for you.

Andrea Holland female Driving instructor driving school in Thame, Oxford & Aylesbury 5, Albury view, Tiddington, Thame, Oxfordshire  OX9 2LY