Fear of driving can take many different forms, and I see clients with this particular “problem” most weeks. Let’s remember that “driving fear” can also pertain to passengers as well as the actual driver. An irrational fear response means that the person will do everything to avoid the situation or activity. An anxious response means that they may well engage in the activity or place themselves in the situation, but with a degree of reluctance!
People with anxiety about driving often will explain their anxiety in terms of feeling blocked in on a road (often a motorway) or feeling that everything is going too fast, which makes them feel really ill at ease. In all instances, the individual will report feeling out of control, often conveyed in the information they complete in their client notes before a session and in how they phrase their experiences during the session. Using NLP, I can quickly identify, from the language patterns they use, exactly how they continue to create the “problem pattern,” and then change the previously unhelpful association with this activity. Let’s remember that a person can’t simply “get a feeling”; they have to picture or think (or say) something to themselves to get the particular feeling.
Clients are often surprised that my approach is not to fathom “why they have the problem” but rather “how they create the problem”. In the cases of driving phobics, the first session is to identify and change the “problem pattern”, and for the client to listen back to the session and test the changes between sessions. The proof is that they now begin to think, feel, and respond differently, and by doing so, experience a new freedom and ease in driving.
“I notice now how quickly I can calm myself down in an instant”
Helena March
“Nick taught me how to believe in my driving capability, and I now feel calmer, happier and more relaxed about driving.”
Pete Copeland