To be honest i was afraid of snakes as well, it wasnt until i started to handle them in the pet store that my confidence grew. It would appear i have an ability to calm fiesty snakes down?. A trick i learned was to blow into the snakes face, it tells them you are not food, and then just reach in like a boss and take them out, hold them to your chest and they calm right down.
It is about trust and respect. They are gentle like kittens, i have 3 that love to cuddle they will just chill. I wear a hoodie all the time, and it gives them a place to go when they have had enough. They will sit in the hood for hours while i work from home on the laptop or be outside. They sense fear and if you are nervous. To be honest they calm me down, its very therapeutic .