Treatment Areas · Panic Therapy
Therapy for Panic Attacks & Panic Disorder in Burlington & Across Ontario
Stop living in anticipation of the next panic attack.
Panic can make ordinary sensations and situations start to feel dangerous. Therapy can help you understand what keeps the panic cycle going, become less afraid of the sensations themselves, and get back to doing things anxiety has made harder.
Session Fee
Free Consultation
$180
15 minutes
No charge
50-minute session
Format
Availability
In person in Burlington
Daytime & evening
Virtual Across Ontario
Appointments available
About · Panic
The fear of panic can become a problem of its own.
After a panic attack, it makes sense to want to make sure it never happens again.
Panic attacks involve an intense surge of fear or discomfort, often accompanied by physical sensations like a racing heart, shortness of breath, dizziness, trembling, nausea, or feeling disconnected from yourself or your surroundings.
When these sensations feel dangerous, you may start monitoring your body, avoiding situations where panic might happen, or doing things to prevent yourself from feeling anxious.
These responses can feel protective in the moment. But over time, becoming afraid of the sensations of anxiety themselves can make your world smaller and keep the panic cycle going.
When fear of panic starts taking up more space.
Panic doesn't only affect you during a panic attack. The possibility of having another one can start influencing where you go, what you do, and how closely you monitor how your body feels.
Fear of another panic attack
Spending time anticipating when another attack might happen or worrying about how you would cope if it did.
Fear of bodily sensations
Interpreting sensations like a racing heart, dizziness, breathlessness, or feeling unreal as signs that something is seriously wrong.
Monitoring physical sensations
Frequently checking your heart rate, breathing, dizziness, nausea, or other sensations for signs that panic may be starting.
Relying on safety behaviours
Staying close to exits, carrying certain items, needing another person nearby, or using other strategies to feel safer.
Avoiding certain situations
Avoiding places or activities where you worry panic could happen or where leaving might feel difficult.
Changing your routine around panic
Planning where you go, how long you stay, or what you do based on the possibility of becoming anxious.
How Therapy for Panic Can Help
Evidence-based treatment for panic focuses on reducing the fear surrounding panic itself, including the physical sensations, situations, and uncertainty that have become associated with it.
Understanding Panic Differently
Learn what's happening in your body during panic and how fear of physical sensations can contribute to the cycle.
Gradually practice experiencing physical sensations that have become associated with danger, rather than continually trying to prevent them.
Approaching feared sensations
Begin returning to situations or activities you've limited because of concerns about experiencing panic.
Reducing avoidance
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Through therapy, we may help you…
reduce fear of physical sensations
decrease avoidance and safety behaviours
better regulate panic responses
rebuild trust in your body
feel more confident navigating anxiety-provoking situations
Breathing and grounding strategies can sometimes be helpful, but effective panic treatment isn't only about learning techniques to stop a panic attack once it starts.
At Ascend, we use evidence-based approaches including CBT and exposure-based therapy to understand the cycle maintaining panic and gradually change how you respond to feared sensations and situations.
Treatment may include interoceptive exposure, a form of exposure therapy that intentionally brings on safe physical sensations associated with panic. This gives you opportunities to experience those sensations without immediately escaping or trying to make them stop.
Treatment is collaborative and individualized based on the sensations, situations, avoidance, and fears that are most relevant to you.
Panic Therapy at Ascend
Treatment goes beyond learning how to calm down.
Therapy that fits your life.
Meet with your therapist face-to-face at our Burlington office, located at The Therapy Commons. In-person sessions are available for teens and adults.
In Person · Therapy In Burlington
Virtual · Therapy Across Ontario
Meet with your therapist securely online from wherever you are in Ontario, making it easier to fit therapy into your schedule without needing to travel.
Meet Our Panic Therapists
At Ascend Anxiety Clinic, our therapists understand how frightening panic can feel, especially when fear of another attack starts affecting your everyday life. We use evidence-based approaches including CBT and exposure-based therapy to address fear of bodily sensations, avoidance, and the patterns that can keep panic going.
Jordan Best
Emma Weber
Frequently Asked Questions About Therapy for Panic
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A panic attack is an episode of intense fear or discomfort accompanied by physical and cognitive symptoms. Panic disorder involves recurrent unexpected panic attacks along with ongoing concern about additional attacks or changes in behaviour related to them. You don't need to know whether you meet criteria for panic disorder before reaching out for therapy.
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Panic activates the body's threat response, which can produce very real physical sensations such as a racing heart, changes in breathing, sweating, trembling, dizziness, nausea, or tingling. When these sensations are interpreted as dangerous, fear can increase and intensify the sensations further.
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Panic attacks can sometimes seem to occur unexpectedly, without an obvious external trigger. Over time, the sensations themselves or the possibility of another attack can become something you begin anticipating or fearing.
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Interoceptive exposure involves intentionally and gradually practicing safe physical sensations that you associate with panic. The purpose is to help change what you've learned about those sensations and reduce the need to avoid or control them.
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Exposure work can intentionally bring up anxiety or physical sensations, but the goal isn't simply to make you panic. Exposures are selected collaboratively and used to help you practice experiencing feared sensations or situations without relying on your usual avoidance or safety behaviours.
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Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder, but panic has some distinct features. Treatment often focuses specifically on fear of panic attacks and bodily sensations, as well as the avoidance and safety behaviours that develop around them.
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Yes. Avoiding places where panic feels difficult to manage or escape can become an important part of the panic cycle. Therapy can include gradually returning to these situations while reducing the behaviours you rely on to feel safe.
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Yes. CBT and exposure-based treatment for panic can be provided virtually. Ascend offers virtual therapy across Ontario as well as in-person therapy in Burlington.
How To Get Started
Finding the right support can start with a conversation.
Complete the form below and we'll be in touch to help you connect with a therapist who fits what you're looking for. You can also book a free 15-minute consultation if you'd like to speak with us first.
Email Us
info@ascendanxietyclinic.ca
Visit Us
3425 Harvester Road Unit 213, Burlington, ON, L7N 3M7, Canada