Panic attack therapy in Vaughan
Panic can lose its grip.
A panic attack can feel like a heart attack or like you’re losing control, and the fear of the next one can start to take over your life. Therapy helps you understand what’s actually happening and feel safe in your body again. In Vaughan and online across Ontario.
Is it your child or teen who’s having panic attacks? Our child and youth therapy team works with ages 3 to 17, with approaches matched to their age, and a free consult is a calm place to start.
Takes 2 minutes. No credit card. No referral needed.
- 24+ Registered PsychotherapistsLook any of us up on the CRPO register
- Direct billing availableSun Life, Beneva, Green Shield
- Evenings and weekendsIn person or online
Panic is a false alarm that passes.
A panic attack is a false alarm in your body’s threat system. The same survival response that would help you escape real danger fires when there’s nothing to escape, flooding you with adrenaline, a pounding heart, a tight chest and a wave of fear. It’s intensely frightening. Chest pain and breathlessness can also have medical causes, so if this is new, sudden, or you’re unsure, please see a doctor or go to emergency first.
For many people, the bigger problem isn’t the attack itself but the fear of the next one. Watching your body, avoiding places where panic struck before, bracing for the next surge: that’s what slowly shrinks your world, and it’s exactly what therapy helps you turn around.
Panic attack therapy is practical, evidence-based talk therapy that helps you understand the panic cycle, work with body sensations instead of fearing them, and gently face what you’ve been avoiding. It’s structured, judgment-free, and the skills are yours to keep.
- Understand the cycle so panic loses its mystery
- Tools to feel safe in your body during a surge
- Judgment-free, in person or online across Ontario
What has panic been like for you lately?
Tap anything that sounds familiar. None of these means something is wrong with you. Panic is common, and very workable.
Please get checked by a doctor first.
Panic can feel exactly like a heart problem, and chest pain or trouble breathing can also have medical causes. If your symptoms are new, severe or different, or you’re unsure, see a doctor or go to the nearest emergency department. Once you’ve been checked, we’re here to help with the panic.
Health811, a registered nurse, free and 24/7811In an emergency, call 911.
Talk with us once you’ve been checkedStart with what you’re noticing.
Tap what sounds familiar lately, and we’ll suggest a sensible next step.
You’ve noticed 1 thing.
That’s common, and very workable. A free 20-minute consult is a calm way to talk it through, with no pressure to decide anything.
You’ve noticed 3 things.
That’s a lot to carry. You don’t have to wait until it’s unbearable to get help, and reaching out early can make things feel more manageable.
That’s common with panic, and very workable. We work with avoidance gently, at a pace that feels safe to you.
Book a free 20-minute consultThis isn’t a diagnosis.
Panic follows a curve, and you can learn to ride it.
Panic tends to follow a predictable cycle, and understanding it takes away some of its power. Step through how it builds, and what therapy does with it.
- 1In the moment
“My heart is racing and I don’t know why.”
- 2What’s happeningYour alarm system switches on.Sometimes there’s a trigger, sometimes a body sensation, and sometimes no obvious reason at all. The alarm fires before your thinking mind has caught up.
- 3The shift
“A racing heart is something I can notice, not an order to panic.”
- 1In the moment
“Something is wrong. I’m losing control.”
- 2What’s happeningThe fear talks louder than the facts.The thought feels like a fact, so your body braces even harder. That’s the fear speaking, and it pours fuel on the sensations that started it.
- 3The shift
“This is a frightening thought, not a verdict.”
- 1In the moment
“My chest is tight, I’m dizzy, and I need to get out.”
- 2What’s happeningAdrenaline peaks, then burns off.Panic symptoms usually peak within minutes and then begin to settle. Fighting the wave or fleeing it tends to teach your brain the moment was dangerous. If symptoms are new, severe or different, see a doctor first.
- 3The shift
“This feels awful, and it’s a wave. Waves rise, and they come back down.”
- 1In the moment
“What does therapy actually do with all this?”
- 2What’s happeningWe help you step off the ride.You map your own panic cycle, learn to meet body sensations with steadiness instead of fear, and gently reclaim what you’ve been avoiding. CBT, the most studied therapy for panic, sits at the heart of this work.
- 3The shift
“I don’t have to fight the wave. I can let it rise and pass.”
An illustration of a common pattern, not a real client’s words. Understanding the cycle is where change starts, and it’s very workable.
Walk through it with a therapist, free for 20 minutesMeet therapists who work with panic
Every therapist below is a Registered Psychotherapist skilled in anxiety and panic. Watch a short intro, read their profile, or let us match you in your free consultation.
Watch introPhil Azer
Registered PsychotherapistCRPO #10018Maple (Vaughan) · Online
Calm and practical, Phil helps clients understand and settle panic.
Watch introYulia Evans
Registered PsychotherapistCRPO #14326Woodbridge · Online
Compassionate and skilled with anxiety and panic.
Not sure who fits?
Let us match you in your free consultation. If the fit isn’t right, we’ll help you switch to another therapist on the team.
What your first session actually looks like
When panic has been running the show, even booking can feel like a lot. Your first appointment is a 70-minute initial assessment, and here’s how that time tends to go, so nothing is a mystery.
- 1Minutes 0 to 15
Settling in
No interrogation. Your therapist welcomes you, explains confidentiality in plain language, and you set the pace. You share only what you want to.
- 2Minutes 15 to 60
Mapping your panic pattern
Together you look at the triggers, the body sensations, the thoughts that feed the fear, and what you’ve started to avoid. Understanding the shape of your panic is often a relief in itself.
- 3Throughout
Your first tool
You learn a simple, practical skill you can use right away, like steadying your breath or working with a body sensation, so you leave with something usable.
- 4The last 10 minutes
Leaving with a plan
You agree on what you’re working toward and one gentle thing to notice or practise before next week.
When panic has made your world smaller
Avoiding places where panic struck before is common, and very workable. Gentle, paced steps help you reclaim them, at a pace that feels safe.
Phobia therapySkills for the surge, and the cycle behind it.
Panic is well studied, and your therapist draws on established approaches, tailored to you and your pace. Sessions follow a clear structure: understand the panic cycle, build calming skills, then practise them in gradual, planned steps.
CBT for panic
Understand the panic cycle and shift the catastrophic thoughts that fuel it.
More on CBTInteroceptive and breathing work
Learn to meet the body sensations of panic with steadiness instead of fear.
Gentle, paced exposure
Reclaim the situations panic made you avoid, one safe step at a time.
Trauma-informed care
Because panic sometimes has roots, we work with the cause gently, at a pace you control.
PTSD and trauma therapyInnerSight was founded by Svetlana Antonyshyn, RP, on the belief that healing should treat the person, not a label. More about our approach.
What the research says
We’ll always be honest about evidence. Panic is well studied and CBT has the most research behind it, though the overall quality of that research is mixed, and no ethical therapist can promise how things will go for you.
About 3.7% of Canadians will have panic disorder at some point in their lives, and about 1.6% in any given year.
Panic attack symptoms typically peak within about 10 minutes. The dread of the next attack can be more disabling than the panic itself.
A Cochrane review of 54 trials found CBT was the most studied therapy for panic and often did better than the alternatives, though the evidence was low quality and the differences were small.
UK guidance from NICE recommends CBT for panic disorder, usually 7 to 14 hours in total, in weekly sessions completed within four months.
Our Registered Psychotherapists do not diagnose or prescribe, and we can’t rule out medical causes. If your symptoms are new, severe or different, please see a doctor or go to emergency first. If medication is part of your care, we’re glad to work alongside your doctor.
Clinically reviewed by Svetlana Antonyshyn, Registered Psychotherapist (CRPO #001652). Last reviewed October 2026.
What panic attack treatment costs
No hidden fees and no pressure. Most private insurance plans cover a portion of psychotherapy fees. We can bill Sun Life, Beneva (formerly SSQ) and Green Shield directly when your plan is with one of them, and we provide receipts for claims with other insurers.
- $0
- Free consultation · 20 minMeet a therapist, ask anything, and see if it feels right. No credit card and no obligation.
- $245
- First appointment · 70 minA longer first conversation to understand what’s going on and set goals together.
- $180
- Ongoing sessions · 55 minEvery session after your first, in person or online.
- $125
- Reduced-fee sessionWith select supervised therapists in training. Reduced-fee couples and family sessions are $175.
Appointments cancelled with less than 48 hours’ notice may be charged a cancellation fee. Sessions aren’t covered by OHIP, but psychotherapy from a Registered Psychotherapist may qualify as a medical expense at tax time. Worried about cost? See our reduced-fee program, or call us. We’re happy to walk you through it.
How far could your benefits go?
Pick your plan’s yearly maximum for a Registered Psychotherapist.
An estimate, not a quote or a promise of coverage. Plans differ on the percentage reimbursed, per-visit limits, deductibles and which providers they recognize, so check your benefits booklet or ask your insurer about “Registered Psychotherapist” and “Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying).”
Book a free 20-minute consultDon’t take our word for it. Check.
Anyone can say they’re good at this. Here’s what you can verify about us in about two minutes, without speaking to anyone.
Regulated, not self-declared
“Psychotherapist” is a protected title in Ontario. Our team are Registered Psychotherapists, accountable to a College with a public complaints process.
See every therapist’s registrationSupervised every month
Our therapists meet for clinical supervision every month, so the work stays accountable to someone other than the person doing it.
How we workWe show our sources
Where we describe what therapy can help with, we name the source and link it, from Statistics Canada and CAMH to peer-reviewed trials.
What we help withNothing locks you in
No referral needed. No contract, no package to buy. Fees are published up front, $180 for a 55-minute session. If the fit isn’t right, tell us and we’ll help you switch to another therapist on the team.
Fees and coveragePanic attack treatment: your questions, answered
Still wondering about something? Ask us in a free consult, or call (905) 553-9507. Phones are answered weekdays 9 am to 5 pm, Saturdays 9 am to 2 pm.
Are panic attacks dangerous?
A panic attack is your body’s alarm firing when there’s nothing to escape, and it usually peaks and passes within minutes. It can feel exactly like a medical emergency, though, and chest pain or breathlessness can also have medical causes. If your symptoms are new, severe or different, or you’re unsure, please see a doctor or go to emergency first. Once you’ve been checked, therapy helps you understand panic so the fear of it can loosen its grip.
Do I need a referral for panic attack therapy in Vaughan?
No referral is needed. You can book a free 20-minute consultation online at psychotherapyclinic.janeapp.com or call (905) 553-9507. Most people have their first full session within a week.
How is this different from anxiety therapy?
Panic attacks are sudden, intense surges of fear, while anxiety is more of an ongoing background worry. Here we focus on the panic cycle and the fear of the next attack. For ongoing worry and generalized anxiety, see our anxiety therapy page.
Can therapy stop my panic attacks?
No ethical therapist can promise a particular result, and we won’t. What therapy offers is a way to understand the panic cycle, learn to ride the wave instead of fighting it, and gradually reclaim what you’ve been avoiding, so panic has less say over your life. CBT has the most research behind it for panic.
What if I am afraid to leave the house?
That is common with panic, and it is very workable. We gently work with avoidance and agoraphobia at a pace that feels safe to you, helping you reclaim the places and situations that panic has narrowed.
Is panic attack therapy available online across Ontario?
Yes. We offer secure video sessions anywhere in Ontario, plus in-person sessions in Vaughan, Woodbridge and Barrie. Online sessions also mean you can practice your skills in the settings where panic actually shows up.
How much does it cost and is it covered?
The first 20-minute consultation is free. Individual sessions are $180 for 55 minutes, and your first full appointment is a 70-minute initial assessment at $245. There is no OHIP coverage for psychotherapy, but most private insurance plans cover a portion of services from a Registered Psychotherapist. We bill Sun Life, Beneva (formerly SSQ) and Green Shield directly.
What happens in the first session?
We map your unique panic pattern together, the triggers, the body sensations and the thoughts that feed it, and start simple, practical tools you can use right away. You leave with something usable, not just a conversation.
How is panic attack therapy different from breathing exercises I can find online?
Breathing techniques can help in the moment, and we teach them too. Therapy goes further: you work with a Registered Psychotherapist to understand your specific panic cycle, identify triggers you may not see on your own, and gradually reduce the fear of future attacks, not just manage the symptoms once they start. It is personalized, ongoing support rather than a single technique.
Could this be a heart attack or a medical emergency instead of a panic attack?
Panic attacks can feel exactly like a heart attack or another medical emergency, with chest tightness, a racing heart, and shortness of breath. If these symptoms are new to you, are severe, or you are at all unsure, please see a doctor or go to emergency care first so medical causes can be ruled out. A psychotherapist does not diagnose or rule out medical conditions. Once you have been checked, therapy can help you understand and reduce panic attacks going forward.
Panic attack treatment near you
In-person sessions in Woodbridge, Maple and Barrie, plus secure video sessions anywhere in Ontario. Evenings and weekends available.
Appointment hoursMonday to Friday, 9:30 am to 8:00 pmSaturday, 9:30 am to 5:30 pm
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Panic responds to the right skills and support, and the first step is a free, no-pressure conversation. You can take it today.
Phones answered Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm, Saturday 9 am to 2 pm.
