Panic Attack Therapy
San Diego, CA

If you have tried everything you can think of to stop your anxiety and panic attacks, you may be at the end of your rope. Perhaps you’ve already implemented a self-care regime—including regular exercise, a healthy diet, good sleep habits, and relaxation exercises—but have seen no improvement. Or maybe traditional talk therapy hasn’t helped.

What we offer is a different way of thinking about anxiety that isn’t necessarily intuitive. While your anxiety wants you to avoid distress at all costs, this avoidant behavior can inadvertently reinforce anxiety, causing it to become more severe. With panic attack treatment, you will have a safe and supportive space to confront your anxiety so you can chip away at the fears that have long held you back. Rather than continue to live this way, the work you do in therapy can lead to long-term transformation that reduces the intensity and frequency of panic attacks.

It can be frustrating when the anxiety attack treatment you thought would help isn’t effective. I have worked with many clients over the years who had the same experience. However, addressing high levels of anxiety requires a specialized approach. As a therapist with experience treating panic disorders and anxiety attacks, I have helped many clients decrease their symptoms and overcome their struggles. With the right treatment, I feel confident you can heal, too.

I feel so overwhelmed all the time that it seems impossible for me to get out of the endless loop of anxiety I’m stuck in.

When you’re in the throes of anxiety, it’s hard to imagine what it’s like to live any other way. But panic attack treatment offers hope. Utilizing evidence-based therapy—such as CBT, ACT, or ERP for panic disorder—you can learn to overcome your anxiety attacks that may seem insurmountable at the moment.

Will treatment be helpful if my panic attacks come out of nowhere and I don’t understand what triggers them?

The good news about therapy is that we don't always need to know why your panic attacks occur to help you reduce their frequency. We can effectively work together to decrease your panic attacks in treatment, whether or not we understand what causes them. Regardless of their origin, we can help you get them under control. 

Initially, we won’t rush through getting to know each other and allowing you ample time to describe your challenges to me. I’ll be interested in finding out more about the nature of your panic attacks and whether or not certain situations trigger them. Even if their origin can’t be traced back to anything specific, we can still effectively work to reduce them.

After a thorough assessment, we will provide you with psychoeducation, learning tools, and coping skills that, piece by piece, enable you to regain control over your anxiety. Throughout treatment, you will gradually shift into the mindset that you don’t “suffer from” anxiety, allowing you to live your life without the constant fear of the next panic attack. Treatment is not a one-size-fits-all approach but, rather, an individualized plan to help you get your life back on track.

The focus of treatment for panic disorder will be to utilize effective evidence-based modalities for managing symptoms. Primarily, we will incorporate Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for panic attacks. Because our thoughts influence how we feel as well as our behavior, CBT examines thinking patterns that fuel anxiety and works toward changing them. By taking a supported and measured approach to step-by-step exposure therapy, you can gradually reduce avoidant tendencies and normalize the situations that cause anxiety. Getting comfortable with the uncomfortable can help you get unstuck from living in constant fear.

In addition, mindfulness approaches, self compassion skills and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), can be helpful for mitigating panic attacks. By accepting anxiety for what it is, you can change your relationship with it. Rather than being afraid of experiencing anxiety, you can let go of the struggle, allowing yourself to feel more in control. Using each of these tools, you can learn how to effectively manage your panic disorder and no longer be negatively impacted by it. 

But Maybe You’re Not Sure If Panic Attack Treatment Is Right For You…

Panic attacks often involve sudden waves of intense fear or discomfort, along with physical symptoms like a racing heart, shortness of breath, dizziness, chest tightness, or feeling out of control. If these episodes feel overwhelming and keep you from living your daily life, therapy can help.

If you find yourself stuck in cycles of overwhelming fear, sudden waves of panic, or anxiety-driven avoidance that interfere with your daily life, panic attack therapy may be the right step. Many people struggling with panic attacks feel drained, fearful of the next episode, or trapped in a pattern they can’t seem to control. If past attempts to manage anxiety haven’t worked, you may even feel hopeless that change is possible.

Panic attack treatment, especially through evidence-based approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Exposure Therapy, is highly effective in helping individuals break free from the cycle of fear and avoidance. If you’ve tried to calm yourself during panic but still feel powerless, or you want to regain control and live a calmer, more fulfilling life, then panic attack therapy could be a great fit for you.

You don’t have to face this alone. With the right tools and support, healing is possible. Reach out today to learn more about how panic attack therapy can help.