Safety first
Panic attacks: when to call 988 or go to the ER
Most panic attacks are not medical emergencies, but they can feel like one.
Chest pain not yet checked
Go to the ER or call 911 if you have any uncertainty about chest pain or cardiac symptoms that have not been ruled out medically.
Thoughts of self-harm
Call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) if you have any thoughts of suicide or self-harm.
Eye Cue Mental Health is outpatient psychotherapy only. We do not provide crisis stabilization or emergency services. If you have experienced long waits to get a Medi-Cal therapist, call us at 562-860-2891 to ask about current availability.
The condition
What is a panic attack?
Per the National Institute of Mental Health, a panic attack is a sudden surge of fear or physical discomfort that peaks within minutes. Look for the pattern of recurrent, unexpected attacks that come out of nowhere with no warning. Many people go to the ER thinking it was a heart attack before learning the cause was panic.
Remind yourself the attack will peak and pass.
Panic disorder is the diagnosis when attacks recur unexpectedly and fear of the next one shapes daily life. NIMH identifies it as a treatable condition with well-studied psychotherapy options, including CBT.
Illustration only, not to scale. A panic attack is a sudden surge that peaks within minutes, then passes.
Recognizing panic
Symptoms of a panic attack
Rapid heartbeat or heart pounding
The heart races or pounds. Most people who thought it was a heart attack describe this as the symptom that sent them to the ER first.
Chest pain or chest tightness
Pressure in your chest, often paired with shortness of breath. A panic attack can feel like a heart attack until a doctor rules out the cardiac cause.
Shortness of breath
Can't catch your breath or a sense you are not getting enough air. Usually resolves as the attack peaks and fades.
Dizziness and sweating
Lightheadedness, feeling like you might pass out, chills, hot flashes, or shaking and trembling. These symptoms cluster together in most panic episodes.
Numbness and nausea
Numbness or tingling in the hands or face, and nausea or stomach upset. Pins and needles are also common during an attack.
Feeling detached or losing control
Feeling unreal or detached from your surroundings. A feeling of impending doom or fear of dying is the cognitive symptom that most distinguishes panic from general anxiety.
Triggers and avoidance
What causes panic disorder?
Panic attacks can begin after high stress, a major life transition, or a traumatic event. For some people they start without any clear cause. A history of trauma or PTSD can make panic attacks more likely, and panic disorder and depression therapy needs are often present together.
The pattern that locks panic disorder in place is avoidance, where you organize your life around not having another attack. Therapy breaks that cycle.
When it starts
Slow your breath. Let it pass.
Use the grounding and breathing techniques your clinician teaches you between sessions. Slow your breath to interrupt the physical spiral. Remind yourself the attack will peak and pass. Weekly therapy is where you build those skills so the next attack does not control what you do.
Follow the circle: breathe in as it grows, breathe out as it shrinks. This is a practice aid, not treatment. If chest pain or cardiac symptoms have not been checked by a doctor, call 911.Understanding the difference
Panic attacks versus general anxiety
Panic attack
- Onset
- Sudden
- Shape
- A discrete, intense episode
- Peak
- Within minutes
General anxiety
- Onset
- Persistent
- Shape
- A low-level state of worry
- Peak
- No single peak
A panic attack vs anxiety attack distinction: general anxiety tends to be a persistent low-level state of worry. A panic attack is a discrete episode, sudden and intense, peaking within minutes. Panic disorder vs generalized anxiety disorder is a diagnostic difference that shapes your treatment plan.
General anxiety is covered on our anxiety therapy page. Both conditions are within scope here. CBT for panic focuses on the attack itself. CBT for generalized worry patterns works differently, and your clinician will clarify which fits your presentation.
How it works
What panic disorder treatment looks like here
Panic disorder treatment at Eye Cue is individual therapy focused on panic disorder presentations. Our named therapy approaches are Psychodynamic Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). For panic specifically, CBT is the first-line evidence-based approach our clinicians use.
CBT for panic helps you identify panic triggers and break the panic cycle before it peaks. Sessions build relaxation skills and grounding techniques you take between appointments. This between-session practice is where most of the real work happens.
Call us with your insurance card
We verify whether your plan covers panic-disorder therapy before you book. Medi-Cal is one of several plans we hold contracts with.
Get matched with a clinician
We match you with a clinician who has current openings. If the fit is off, we rematch you within the practice.
Set your treatment goals
In the first session your clinician identifies your panic patterns, triggers, and avoidance behaviors. Treatment goals come from what you bring in.
Meet weekly, in person or by video
Weekly sessions build the skill before the next attack happens. Same clinician whether you are in our Cerritos office or on video statewide.
Build skills between sessions
Your clinician gives you practical tools to use when an attack starts. Treatment length follows your medical necessity, not a session count.
Why Eye Cue
Why choose Eye Cue for panic disorder
Weekly sessions are real here
Many Medi-Cal panels offer biweekly or monthly availability. Weekly sessions matter for panic disorder, where skill-building degrades quickly without weekly reinforcement in early treatment. Call to ask about current availability.
Medi-Cal accepted for panic-disorder therapy
Eye Cue Mental Health accepts Medi-Cal, Cigna, Aetna, and many others. Whether your plan covers this depends on your plan and medical necessity, and we verify before your first session. See the full insurance list and county details.
Same therapist in person or by video
At Eye Cue your clinician is yours whether you sit in our Cerritos office or join by video from anywhere in California. Big telehealth platforms often split your care. We do not.
Open 7 days, 8 AM to 10 PM
Panic attacks do not follow business hours. Eye Cue is open all 7 days, with sessions available Saturday and Sunday as late as 10 PM.
Clinician fit: we rematch you within the practice
If you do not connect with your assigned clinician, we match you with another clinician on the team. You do not lose your place in the insurance process and do not start over.
Multilingual care for panic
Our team delivers therapy in six languages beyond English: Spanish, Farsi, Tagalog, Hindi, Urdu, and Punjabi, spoken across our team at one outpatient practice. Confirm the specific language at intake. Language match changes what you can say in session. For trauma-related panic, EMDR therapy is available through a clinician on our team trained in EMDR.
Coverage
Your insurance and panic-disorder therapy
Eye Cue Mental Health accepts Medi-Cal, Medicare, Covered California, Cigna, Aetna, and many others. Whether your plan covers this depends on your plan and medical necessity, and we verify before your first session. See the full insurance list and county details.
If you are unsure about your plan, call us and we will be direct about whether we can help.
In their words
"This therapist has saved my life. Makes you feel great when you walk out of his office. Saqui will also give you tools to continue your treatment on your own time. Highly recommend him for people all ages."
Javier M.Google Review, 5 stars, Cerritos, CA
Individual results vary; this reflects one client's experience and is not a promise of outcome.
Eye Cue Mental Health at a glance: In practice since November 2017 · Sessions 7 days, 8 AM to 10 PM · In-person in Cerritos and telehealth across California
Telehealth across California
An online therapist for panic attacks anywhere in California
If you live anywhere in California, you can work with an Eye Cue clinician by video from home, work, or wherever you feel settled. You keep the same clinician for as long as treatment runs. When it helps, you can switch to in-person sessions at our Cerritos office without changing therapists.
Statewide telehealth depends on your plan. Some Medi-Cal plans are limited to one county: L.A. Care, Carelon, and Health Net Medi-Cal to Los Angeles County, and CalOptima to Orange County. We verify your plan before your first session. See the full insurance list and county details.
In person and online
In person at our Cerritos office
We see clients in person at our Cerritos office and by telehealth across California. Whether your plan covers this depends on your plan and medical necessity, and we verify before your first session.
Anywhere else in California by telehealth. See all locations. Eye Cue Mental Health · 17215 Studebaker Rd., Suite 110, Cerritos, CA 90703 · 562-860-2891 · Open 7 days, 8 AM to 10 PM
Good questions
Frequently asked questions about panic disorder
Still unsure? Call 562-860-2891 and we will talk it through, no commitment.
A panic attack is a sudden, intense episode of fear or physical symptoms that peaks within minutes and comes out of nowhere. General anxiety, on our anxiety therapy page, is a persistent worry state. Panic disorder is the pattern of recurring unexpected attacks and the fear of having the next one.
CBT is the first-line approach our clinicians use for panic. We also use Psychodynamic Therapy and Solution-Focused Therapy, and we offer trauma therapy and EMDR therapy for panic with a trauma component. Eye Cue is psychotherapy-only. We do not prescribe medication or offer TMS.
Therapy alone works for many people with panic disorder. Eye Cue is psychotherapy-only. Some clients pair therapy with medication their PCP or psychiatrist prescribes. We do not prescribe or manage medication, but we will refer if a medication evaluation seems clinically useful.
Go to the ER or call 911 if you have any uncertainty about cardiac symptoms not yet medically evaluated. Call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) if you have thoughts of suicide or self-harm. Most panic attacks are not medical emergencies. If you are safe and ready for weekly therapy, call us at 562-860-2891.
Yes, Medi-Cal is one of several plans we hold contracts with. Whether your specific plan covers panic-disorder therapy depends on your plan and medical necessity, and we verify before you start. Call 562-860-2891 with your card.
Use the grounding and breathing techniques your clinician teaches you between sessions. Slow your breath to interrupt the physical spiral. Remind yourself the attack will peak and pass. Weekly therapy is where you build those skills so the next attack does not control what you do.
Start therapy when panic attacks are recurring, or when you have started avoiding situations because of them. You do not need a crisis to begin. Earlier work is easier than repair after long-term avoidance has narrowed your life.
Treatment length follows your medical necessity, not a session count. No algorithm decides when therapy ends. We review your progress with you as treatment moves forward. Call us to talk about what care might look like for your situation.
CBT for panic has a strong evidence base. Many people see meaningful reduction in attack frequency through outpatient psychotherapy alone. We cannot promise an outcome for any individual. Treatment is weekly, length is based on your needs, and if the clinician fit is off we rematch you.
Call 562-860-2891 to ask about current availability. We match you with a clinician who has current openings. We do not publish a specific wait-time number because it changes week to week.
Related care
Related services at Eye Cue Mental Health
Panic disorder treatment sits under our broader mental health treatment and individual therapy offer. Related services include anxiety therapy, trauma therapy, EMDR therapy, depression therapy, and telehealth therapy statewide.
Get started
Start panic-disorder treatment in Cerritos
Eye Cue Mental Health has offered outpatient psychotherapy in Cerritos, CA since November 2017. Call 562-860-2891 to check your insurance and get matched with a clinician. In-person at 17215 Studebaker Rd. or telehealth across California.
If you are in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) any time.
- 562-860-2891
- 17215 Studebaker Rd., Suite #110, Cerritos, CA 90703
- Open 7 days a week, 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM