Panic attack therapy for a body that keeps sounding the alarm.

A panic attack is a sudden surge of fear with strong physical symptoms: a pounding heart, shortness of breath, shaking, tingling, or a feeling of unreality. It usually peaks within minutes. In the moment it can feel like a heart attack or like losing control, which is why people so often end up searching their symptoms at 2 a.m. or sitting in an emergency room.

If your symptoms have never been checked by a doctor, that is a sensible first step, since some medical conditions can cause similar sensations. Once medical causes are ruled out, therapy focuses on teaching your body that this particular alarm is false.

Panic tends to feed itself. A sensation is read as danger, fear makes the sensation stronger, and the body escalates. Afterward the mind starts scanning for the next attack and steering around anything that might bring one on, such as driving, crowds, exercise, or being far from home. That avoidance is what quietly makes a life smaller.

Maria draws on cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, mindfulness, and compassion-focused work, paired with body-based skills, so panic is not only talked about but worked with where it actually happens. Early sessions build steadiness: a few reliable ways to come back down that you can use on a hard day, not only in her office.

From there, cognitive behavioral work looks closely at the moment a sensation becomes an emergency in your mind, and tests that conclusion instead of obeying it. Step by step, at a pace you agree to, the work moves back toward the places and activities panic has taken over. Acceptance and mindfulness skills help you let a wave of sensation rise and fall without fighting it, since the fight is often what keeps it going.

When panic has a clear starting point, such as an accident, a medical scare, or a frightening event, the attacks may be tied to a memory the body is still holding. In that case EMDR can be part of the plan. Maria is EMDR certified, and she will explain what she suggests and why before anything begins.

Sessions take place at Maria's office in Weston, roughly 10 to 30 minutes from most of southwest Broward, or by secure video anywhere in Florida. Video can help when driving is one of the things panic has made harder.

Maria works with teens as well as adults. Sessions are available in English or Spanish, whichever feels more natural, at $250 per session, self-pay, with superbills available for possible out-of-network reimbursement.

If panic is part of a wider pattern of worry, see anxiety therapy for more on how Maria works with anxiety.

Can therapy help with panic attacks?

It can. Cognitive behavioral therapy and related approaches are well established for panic, though no therapist can promise a result. The work pairs skills for the moment of panic with changing the cycle of fear and avoidance that keeps attacks coming back.

What can I do during a panic attack?

Slow your breathing, especially the exhale, notice your feet on the floor, and remind yourself that the wave will peak and pass. In therapy you build a version of this that fits your body, and practice it before you need it.

Will I need medication?

Therapy does not require medication. Maria is an LMFT, not a prescriber. If medication seems worth considering, she can help you think it through and coordinate with a physician you trust.

Is EMDR used for panic attacks?

Sometimes. When panic or a phobia has a clear starting point, EMDR can help process the memory underneath it. Stabilization skills always come first.