Green Tree Holistic Therapy

21/06/2026

“I know I’m capable of driving, so why do I feel so anxious?”
This is something I hear regularly from clients struggling with driving anxiety.
Driving anxiety isn’t usually about a lack of skill. Often, it’s the body’s natural fear response becoming overactive, making everyday journeys feel stressful and overwhelming.

You may notice:

• Avoiding certain roads, roundabouts, or motorways
• Feeling anxious before a journey even begins
• A racing heart, shaky hands, or feeling sick while driving
• Constantly worrying about making mistakes
• Needing someone else to drive whenever possible
• Losing confidence despite years of driving experience

Hypnotherapy helps by working with the subconscious mind, where many anxious responses are stored. Rather than simply trying to “think positively,” hypnotherapy can help reduce the emotional intensity attached to driving situations.

Many clients find they become:

• More relaxed behind the wheel
• Less focused on worst-case scenarios
• More confident driving independently
• Better able to manage anxious thoughts
• Comfortable tackling journeys they once avoided

I specialise in helping people rebuild confidence face to face in an automatic car, providing a calm and supportive environment to help you move forward at your own pace. Come and practice in the car with me in Plymouth or work online with hypnotherapy from the comfort of your own home.

Green Tree Holistic Therapy 🌳🚗
Helping drivers regain confidence, freedom, and independence through hypnotherapy.

20/06/2026

Come and join our friendly workspace 💚

20/06/2026

10 Signs of Driving Anxiety 🚗

Driving anxiety is more common than many people realise. It doesn’t always look like panic attacks or an inability to drive. Sometimes it shows up as constant worry, avoiding certain roads, feeling tense behind the wheel, or doubting your ability even when you’re a capable driver.

You might notice:
✔️ Persistent worry before, during, or after driving
✔️ Physical symptoms such as a racing heart or shaky hands
✔️ Avoiding motorways, roundabouts, or busy routes
✔️ “What if?” thoughts and worst-case scenarios
✔️ Feeling tense, overwhelmed, or on high alert
✔️ Loss of confidence in your driving ability

The good news is that driving anxiety is highly treatable. Understanding what’s happening is often the first step towards regaining confidence and feeling calmer on the road.

As a hypnotherapist and driving instructor with over 23 years of experience, I help people understand the root of their anxiety and develop practical strategies to feel more relaxed and in control behind the wheel.

If you recognise yourself in any of these signs, know that you’re not alone. Confidence can be rebuilt, one small step at a time.

💚 Which of these signs resonates most with you? Let me know in the comments.

19/06/2026

Have you ever sat in the driver’s seat and felt your heart racing before you’ve even turned the key?

This may be your fight, flight, or freeze response taking over.

When the brain perceives danger, it activates a survival response:
• Fight – frustration, anger, or irritability behind the wheel
• Flight – avoiding certain roads, routes, or driving altogether
• Freeze – feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unable to make decisions

The challenge is that your brain doesn’t always distinguish between a genuine threat and a perceived one. A busy roundabout, motorway, or unfamiliar route can trigger the same response as a real danger.

The good news? Driver confidence isn’t about forcing yourself through fear. It’s about helping your nervous system feel safe enough to respond differently.

With the right support, you can learn to calm your body’s alarm system, regain control, and begin driving with greater confidence and ease.

You’ve survived every journey so far. Confidence can be rebuilt, one mile at a time.

15/05/2026

🚘Free session🚘

Book between now and the end of May to receive a 60 minute session absolutely free. No obligation to continue, see if my approach to driver confidence is of interest to you🚘

WhatsApp 07974 836148 with your enquiry, face to face or online nationwide sessions.

💫Sarah Olver, driving instructor for 23 years and experienced hypnotherapist welcomes you, you’re not alone and it could open up your world in ways you never imagined💫

My aim is to help you discover your resources to be able to drive calmly with confidence to enable you to feel less pressure in decision making, lose those nerves and find your freedom.

A driving instructor since 2003 and still teaching learners and refreshers alongside hypnotherapy. I have a passion for helping clients process, understand and adapt to their driving anxiety challenges. Working closely with people helps me understand what makes clients feel nervous behind the wheel and how to help individuals adapt their thinking for positive change using a tool box of hypnotherapy, CBT, Gestalt and Person Centred approaches. Mentoring and coaching is a massive part of my collaborative work , helping people develop past their fears and phobias of driving. Observing how clients relate to driving in what can often be a stressful and pressured environment and taking a flexible approach for each client helps each one of you on an individual basis. I’ve witnessed first hand how learners and licence holders can progress with driving comfortably once a safe and secure environment with full understanding is provided. As a hypnotherapist, my aim is to help clients to feel calm, capable and confident in themselves under pressure to practice driving as a learner or for licence holders to revisit driving after a break or an accident.

Sessions can be run online or face to face. Contact Sarah: 07974 836148

I look forward to welcoming you 💫

13/05/2026

💚

Share this post, or send it to someone you care about.

You never know who might need this reminder today – maybe even you.

Be gentle with yourself, and don’t be afraid to reach out for support when you need it. Not just during , but every day.

Samaritans
NHS
Shout
Campaign Against Living Miserably
Mind

04/05/2026

I’ve been away from work for the weekend and came back today to this wonderful review. I’m so, so grateful to be able to empower women to believe in themselves. It’s an honour and a privilege every day!

10/04/2026

You might not even realise it’s trauma…

• You feel constantly on edge, like your body won’t switch off
• Your mind races, overthinking everything
• You swing between anxiety, low mood, and emotional exhaustion
• You feel “wired but tired” hyper-alert, yet drained
• Your body holds it too, tension, inflammation, lowered immunity.

Trauma isn’t just something that happened in the past. It’s something the nervous system is still trying to process.

I created Green Tree Holistic Therapy to support people in gently finding their way back to themselves. Healing isn’t just about talking, and it isn’t just about the body either, it’s the combination of both.

When we work “top-down” (thoughts, beliefs, understanding) and “bottom-up” (body, sensations, nervous system), something powerful happens…

The nervous system begins to settle, safety is restored, only then can deeper cognitive change truly land.

This is where real, lasting healing begins.

If you’d like to explore this further, I highly recommend:

• The Body Keeps the Score – Bessel van der Kolk
• Tim Fletcher’s “Understanding Trauma” series on YouTube

🌳If you’re feeling stuck in that cycle, therapy can gently support your nervous system to feel safe again, so change becomes possible, long lasting and effective.💚