When doing this kind of work, I refer to this preparation as
Fear Management Training.  The word management is a
subtle but critical term.  I do not call it Fear ELIMINATION
Training. 

This is because fear is not something to be eliminated.  You
don't get to banish it away to a far-off place, nor should you. 
Fear will always be part of your perceptual landscape, as
much a constant as sweat, sore feet or sleepiness. 

I have heard some well-meaning 'experts' tell people "You
must embrace your fears, become one with them..."  First
off, that's a very vague idea. Secondly, that's a bit like
"embracing" a hurt knee.  You wouldn't hug your knee to
make it better. 

You would talk to someone you trust to find the best way
to re-condition your knee and restore its functionality.  You
wouldn't draw pictures of it, imagine that it has colors or
pretend that you're talking to it.

The idea of embracing something elevates it, giving it a
disproportionate amount of significance.  Fear should
not be elevated, it should simply be acknowledged. 

While I'm not a psychologist, I can tell you that people
are primarily afraid of two things... physical and emotional
pain.  Just about everything you can think of falls pretty
neatly into one of those two categories. 

And oddly enough, more people get hung up on avoiding
emotional pain than the physical kind.  And this is despite
the fact that things which cause physical pain are often
things which can kill you.  But people regularly make risky
decisions while avoiding mundane activities which at their
worst might make them look foolish. 

Why do so many people say they are afraid of public
speaking?  Because of the potential for embarrassment =
emotional pain.

Dealing with fear is a real issue.  But it's not a mystical process. 
It can be handled systematically.  And just like therapies,
medications and workout regimens, one size doesn't fit all. 
Different fears require different methods, and there are plenty
of reasonable methods out there.  For many years my specialty
was those fears which stem from inter-personal violence, and
it is serious stuff.  It is not to be approached the same way as
a fear of spiders.  But both examples can be dealt with. 

If a lack of education was holding you back, you'd do
something about. You'd study, take classes and earn whatever
credential you needed to move forward.  Fear should not be
treated any differently.  Don't hug it... identify it.

Quantify what it really is and then make your plan to deal
with it.  We know that muscles can be strengthened and
brain function can be improved.  So do the same thing
with your courage.  Think of it as "Limitation Elimination".