Clicker Phobia

I was really keen to start clicker training my dog so upon asking her to sit one day I used the clicker and held out the treat. She looked at me wide-eyed like I'd just grown an extra head then crawled under the table. I tried to coax her out and show her it was nothing to be scared of but she was so afraid she was tucked into a corner and impossible to persuade.
I ditched the clicker- not wanting to cause her further anxiety, but now she associates me telling her to sit, or even any other command with being scared and runs away from me.
I have tried every day to get her to sit. She has done it a couple of times without me actually saying 'SIT'- just holding the treat out but even then she snatches it and looks fearful. I gave her loads of praise when she did it and I'm a not a forceful or intimidating character so how can I get her sitting again?

I'd say you need to give her time to regain trust in you. If necessary I'd keep luring her into the sit and giving her the treat and turn it into a hand signal. I had to do all Ruperts early training in silence as being told to do something scared him but once the trust was there I could throw in the voice commands. I'm no expert though, that's just my experience with one dog.

Did you teach her the clicker was a good thing and meant a reward was coming before using it or was that the very first time she'd heard it? You can also get clickers that have like a volume control on them so the click can be quiet if you're still interested in using one. Or use another sound, doesn't have to be a clicker.

Hi o6dcc you can use any word to mean sit, if the word sit is associated with fear choose another for now , (like touch floor ? )

Take a high value treat like chicken and move your hand with the treat just above your dogs head so it will have to sit to take it, then as it sits say the word you have chosen and praise

Also whenever you see your dog siting naturally of its own accord, use the chosen word for sit as it does so, then praise ..

Here are some tips on training puppies..

http://www.dogsey.com/dog-articles.php?t=14526

Added did you see this article on clicker training, it is a good idea to get your dog used to the clicker sound before you start training by clicking and treating, you can also muffle the clicker with elastoplast but I would not use the clicker again now your dog is fearful of the sound.
http://www.dogsey.com/showthread.php?t=11324