After years of embarrassment, Nikki Durrant of Hornchurch, revealed how hypnotherapy helped her pass her driving test after five times.

Mother-of-two, Nikki, developed such a severe phobia of driving, that the mere thought of getting behind the wheel terrorised her.

Breathless, in floods of tears and consumed by panic, Nikki knew she had to challenge her fears but it was her relocation to Rowardennan, a remote village in Scotland that finally prompted her to seek the help of hypnotherapist Caroline Tyler.

Living in such an isolated area, where a round trip to the local supermarket would take 35 miles, her inability to drive left her helpless in the face of an emergency.

Despite being sceptical of the therapy, Nikki’s husband Stuart encouraged her to visit Caroline in a last attempt to pass the test.

Caroline said: “Nikki’s situation really stood out in my mind because she lived in the middle of nowhere and had a child, so it was so important for her to be able to drive.

“After only two sessions she phoned to tell me she had passed. I was over the moon!”

No one could have been happier than Nikki who after two and a half years and a �2000 later received her license.

“To this day, there has been nothing else that has caused me such distress,” said Nikki.

“I used to lie awake at night in the weeks leading up to the test, it was ridiculous.”

Hypnotherapist Caroline taught Nikki how to enter a state of deep relaxation, eliminating outside distractions.

Nikki said: “On my final attempt I was completely relaxed and passed with only a few minors – I’d come along way from breaking down mid-test and refusing to go on! On one occasion I even ignored the instructor’s directions and drove back to the centre!”

Nikki is such a fan of the technique that she recently “hypno-birthed” her second child.

Nikki says she was so relaxed during labour that her husband had to urge her to go hospital. “I just wasn’t in any pain!” she said.

“Passing has made a huge difference to my life,” she added.