EMDR for Panic Attacks: 8 Powerful Steps to Lasting Relief 2025

Have you ever felt your heart racing uncontrollably, experienced heart palpitations, or been overcome by an overwhelming sense of impending doom? For millions of Americans living with panic disorder, these terrifying episodes can strike without warning, turning everyday activities into anxiety-filled challenges. At Dream Big Counseling and Wellness, we understand how debilitating these experiences can be.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) for panic attacks offers a powerful path to freedom from this cycle of fear. Unlike approaches that only manage symptoms, EMDR therapy addresses panic at its roots—treating the underlying traumatic memories and triggers that keep panic attacks returning.

EMDR for Panic Attacks: Quick Facts

• Effectiveness: Research shows 70-77% of people become panic-free after completing EMDR treatment
• Sessions Needed: Typically 6-15 therapy sessions (varies by individual)
• How It Works: Uses bilateral stimulation (eye movements, taps, or auditory tones) to reprocess distressing memories
• Success Rate: Meta-analyses show large effect sizes (g = 1.12) for anxiety disorders including panic disorder
• Duration of Results: Can provide lasting relief when treatment processes are completed properly

What sets EMDR therapy apart from traditional talk therapy is its unique approach. During EMDR sessions, therapists use bilateral stimulation—typically eye movements, gentle taps, or alternating tones—while you briefly focus on distressing experiences in a safe, controlled environment. This helps your brain process traumatic memories differently, reducing their emotional charge.

The efficacy of EMDR for panic attacks lies in recognizing these episodes for what they truly are: traumatic experiences that get “locked” in your nervous system. By carefully targeting the first, worst, and most recent panic attacks, EMDR therapists help your brain update these “danger” memories, allowing your nervous system to finally relax.

If you’re in Georgetown, TX or nearby areas like Round Rock, Cedar Park, Jarrell, Liberty Hill, or anywhere in Texas via secure online sessions, you don’t have to face panic disorder alone. At Dream Big Counseling and Wellness, I offer a private, personalized approach to therapy that honors your individual experience with panic attacks.

nderstanding Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder

Have you ever felt like your heart might burst out of your chest, your breathing became impossible, and you were absolutely certain something terrible was about to happen? That’s the reality for millions who experience panic attacks – sudden, overwhelming surges of intense fear that can feel like life-or-death emergencies.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), a panic attack isn’t just feeling nervous before a big presentation. It’s an intense wave of fear that peaks within minutes and includes at least four specific symptoms like racing heart rate, shortness of breath, chest pain, or the terrifying fear of dying. Many people also experience trembling, sweating, dizziness, or the unsettling feeling of being detached from reality.

Research from comprehensive global studies shows anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, represent a significant worldwide health burden, affecting approximately 4.7% of Americans at some point in their lives, with women experiencing panic disorders at twice the rate of men. This isn’t just a statistic – it represents millions of people whose daily lives are disrupted by these mental disorders.

Why Do Panic Attacks Feel Like a Heart Attack?

I often tell my clients, “Your brain’s primary job is keeping you alive, not making you happy.” This perfectly explains why panic attacks feel so catastrophic and why people often mistake them for a heart attack.

When panic strikes, your brain’s alarm system – primarily the amygdala – triggers your body’s fight-or-flight response. It’s like someone hitting the emergency button in your nervous system. Your body floods with adrenaline and cortisol, preparing you to battle a tiger or run for your life… except there’s no actual danger present.

What makes panic disorder particularly insidious is what clinical psychology refers to as “catastrophic misinterpretation.” Your brain takes normal body sensations and transforms them into life-threatening scenarios. That slight chest tightness? Your mind creates a mental picture of a heart attack. Feeling a bit dizzy? Your thoughts jump to “I’m going to pass out or lose control.”

This creates a vicious cycle where physical sensations trigger frightening thoughts, which increase anxiety, which worsens the physical sensations. Before you know it, you’re caught in a terrifying spiral that feels impossible to escape.

From First Episode to Panic Disorder

The progression from a single panic attack to a full-blown panic disorder typically follows a predictable path that I’ve seen countless times in my Georgetown practice.

It often begins during a period of high stress or after consuming stimulants like caffeine. That first attack is so frightening that it creates what therapists call “fear conditioning” – your brain essentially bookmarks the experience as extremely dangerous and something to be avoided at all costs.

This leads to anticipatory anxiety – the constant worry about having another attack. You might find yourself constantly monitoring your body for any signs that panic is coming (hypervigilance). This heightened awareness often leads to avoidance behaviors – steering clear of situations where you’ve had panic attacks before.

Over time, the list of “unsafe” places grows (generalization), and in severe cases, this can develop into agoraphobic avoidance or even social anxiety disorder – avoiding public places or situations where escape might be difficult.

Diagnosing panic disorder involves ruling out medical causes first (many symptoms overlap with heart, respiratory, or neurological conditions), followed by clinical assessments using standardized tools. At Dream Big Counseling and Wellness, I take a thorough approach to ensure we’re addressing the true root of your symptoms.

The good news? Panic disorder is highly treatable. With approaches like EMDR therapy for panic attacks, even those who’ve struggled for years can find relief. Unlike approaches that only manage symptoms, EMDR treatment works to reprocess the memories and triggers that fuel panic at its source – which is why so many clients experience lasting relief rather than just temporary reduction of depression symptoms or anxiety.

EMDR Therapy Basics

When psychologist Francine Shapiro initially developed EMDR therapy in the late 1980s, she was focused on helping people with PTSD. The basic principles she discovered have since evolved to help with many other conditions, including panic disorder.

I often explain to my clients that EMDR involves what we call the Adaptive Information Processing model. Think of it like this: sometimes our brains don’t fully process difficult experiences. Instead of filing them away neatly, these distressing memories get stuck with all their original emotions, body sensations, and negative beliefs intact. When something in our present reminds us of these unprocessed memories—even subtly—those old feelings come flooding back, often feeling much stronger than the current situation warrants.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing for panic attacks works by helping your brain finally process these “stuck” experiences through a structured eight-phase approach:

1. History-taking – EMDR therapists start by getting to know your unique story and identifying which experiences might be contributing to your panic
2. Preparation – Your therapist will teach you calming techniques like deep breathing that you can use both in and between therapy sessions
3. Assessment – Together, you’ll pinpoint specific traumatic memories to process, along with the negative beliefs, emotions, and physical sensations connected to them
4. Desensitization – This is where the bilateral stimulation (eye movements, taps, or tones) comes in as you process the memory
5. Installation – You’ll strengthen new, positive beliefs to replace the old, negative ones
6. Body scan – Your therapist will check for any lingering physical tension
7. Closure – EMDR therapists make sure you’re feeling grounded and calm before ending each session
8. Reevaluation – At the start of each new session, you’ll assess your progress and determine next steps

As Francine Shapiro herself explained, “When a negative and distressing event, like a panic attack, occurs, it seems to get locked in the nervous system with the original picture, sounds, thoughts, and feelings. The eye movements we use in EMDR seem to open up the nervous system and allow the brain to process the experience.”

During EMDR sessions at Dream Big Counseling and Wellness, I’ll guide your attention from side to side while you briefly focus on the target memory. This bilateral stimulation—whether through eye movements, gentle taps, or alternating auditory tones—seems to help your brain’s natural healing processes kick in. Many clients describe it as feeling like their brain is finally making sense of experiences that previously felt overwhelming.

How Bilateral Stimulation Calms the Brain

While researchers are still exploring exactly how EMDR therapy works, three compelling theories help explain the mechanisms behind why this approach is so effective:

Working-Memory Taxation: When you focus on a distressing memory while simultaneously following bilateral stimulation, you’re essentially giving your brain two jobs at once. This taxes your working memory, which can actually reduce how vivid and emotionally intense the memory feels when your brain stores it again.

REM-Sleep Mimicry: Have you ever noticed how your eyes move rapidly back and forth during certain sleep phases? That’s REM sleep—when your brain processes daily experiences. The eye movements in EMDR seem to mimic this natural process, potentially helping your brain process traumatic memories similarly to how it processes everyday experiences during sleep.

Vagus Nerve Activation: The rhythmic bilateral stimulation may activate your vagus nerve, which plays a crucial role in your “rest and digest” response—the exact opposite of the panic-inducing “fight or flight” state. This could help explain why many people feel a deep sense of calm during and after EMDR sessions.

Safety & Preparation Before Reprocessing

Before we dive into memory processing, EMDR therapists always ensure clients have a solid foundation of coping skills. This preparation phase isn’t just a formality—it’s essential for your comfort and success.

Think of it like preparing for a hike. You wouldn’t set out on a challenging trail without proper shoes, water, and knowing the route. Similarly, we won’t start reprocessing traumatic memories until you have the tools you need to navigate any emotional distress that arises.

During preparation, we’ll work together to:

• Build a toolkit of calming techniques you can use both during sessions and in your daily life. These might include specific deep breathing patterns, grounding exercises, or progressive muscle relaxation.
• Create a “safe place” in your mind that you can return to whenever you need a moment of peace or security.
• Identify your personal strengths and resources that you can draw on during challenging moments.
• Understand your “window of tolerance” – that sweet spot where you’re engaged enough for emotional processing without feeling overwhelmed.

At Dream Big Counseling and Wellness in Georgetown, TX, I tailor this preparation phase to your individual needs. Some people might need just one or two preparation sessions before feeling ready to process memories, while others benefit from more extensive resourcing. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach—we’ll move at whatever pace feels right for you.

EMDR for Panic Attacks: Protocol & Effectiveness

When I work with clients experiencing panic attacks, I follow a carefully structured EMDR protocol that gets to the heart of what’s fueling their panic. Unlike treatments that only address symptoms, EMDR targets the stored traumatic memories that keep the panic cycle alive.

Think of panic attacks as leaving “emotional fingerprints” in your brain’s memory networks. Even though they happen in the present, they’re often connected to past experiences that your brain has flagged as dangerous. These distressing memories become the foundation of your panic response.

In our EMDR sessions, we typically focus on several key memory targets:

First, we’ll process your first panic attack memory. This initial experience often creates the template for all future panic, making it especially important to address. Next, we’ll work on your worst panic attack memory, which usually carries the heaviest emotional burden. Your most recent attack is also crucial as it maintains your current fear cycle.

We don’t stop there. We’ll also explore any background stressors that might have primed your nervous system for panic in the first place. Many clients don’t initially realize how life stressors contributed to their vulnerability to panic.

What surprises many clients is that we also process feared future scenarios – what therapists call a “flash forward.” These are those catastrophic images of having a panic attack in public or being unable to escape. By processing these fear-based projections, we can reduce anticipatory anxiety significantly.

Throughout our work together, I’ll track your progress using standardized measures like the SUD scale (measuring distress from 0-10) and VoC scale (measuring how true positive beliefs feel, from 1-7). These tools help us objectively see your improvement session by session.

The research supporting EMDR for panic attacks is compelling. Studies published in clinical psychology journals show that about 77% of panic disorder clients become completely panic-free after EMDR treatment. A comprehensive meta-analysis found EMDR produced a large effect size (g = 1.12) for anxiety disorders including panic.

Even more encouraging, another meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials confirmed EMDR’s effectiveness in reducing anxiety symptoms compared to control conditions. And if you’re wondering how it compares to other approaches, research shows EMDR is as effective as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for improving panic symptoms and quality of life.

Why EMDR for Panic Attacks Treats the Root Cause

EMDR therapy for panic attacks is so effective because it addresses the root cause rather than just teaching coping skills.

EMDR involves an eight-phase approach to treatment that addresses emotional distress and trauma. It works by recognizing that panic attacks themselves are traumatic experiences. Your first panic attack likely created a traumatic memory that got stored in your brain with all its original intensity – the racing heart, the intense fear, the catastrophic thoughts like “I’m dying” or “I’m going crazy.”

These panic memories differ from normal memories in important ways. They remain emotionally charged and are stored in a fragmented way that bypasses your rational brain. They’re easily triggered by similar situations or even subtle body sensations that remind your brain of the original panic experience.

Through bilateral stimulation (those eye movements, taps, or tones we use in session), EMDR helps your brain reprocess these memories so they can be stored as normal, non-threatening memories. They’ll still be accessible, but without the emotional charge that triggers new panic attacks.

This process, called memory reconsolidation, is powerful because it doesn’t just teach you how to cope with panic – it actually changes how your brain processes the memories that fuel panic in the first place.

As I often explain to clients, “EMDR doesn’t erase your mental picture of panic attacks. Instead, it helps your brain file these memories properly, with the understanding that they were uncomfortable but not actually dangerous.” This shift in perspective makes all the difference.

The therapy also strengthens connections between your emotional brain (limbic system) and your thinking brain (prefrontal cortex), improving your ability to distinguish between real threats and false alarms – the core issue in panic disorder.

Is EMDR Treatment a Permanent Solution for Panic Disorder?

“Will I have to deal with panic attacks for the rest of my life?” This question comes up in nearly every initial consultation I have with panic clients at Dream Big Counseling and Wellness.

The good news is that research and my clinical experience suggest that for many people, the relief from EMDR for panic attacks is lasting. Follow-up studies show a significant percentage of clients remain panic-free years after completing treatment. Even for those who experience some symptom return, the sensations are typically less intense and far more manageable.

Several factors influence how long-lasting your results might be:

• Complete treatment is crucial – stopping therapy prematurely often leads to partial results
• We need to address all significant trauma and trigger memories, not just the most obvious ones
• Lifestyle changes that support nervous system regulation make a big difference in maintaining results
• Consistently using the skills and insights you gain during therapy helps extend benefits

Occasionally, clients benefit from “follow up” sessions after completing their initial treatment, particularly after new stressful life events or traumas. These maintenance sessions help reinforce and extend the benefits of the original treatment.

Your insurance, including Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, United Healthcare, Scott & White Health Plan, or Cigna, may cover these follow-up sessions just as they cover the initial EMDR treatment. I’m happy to discuss insurance coverage options during your consultation.

What Happens in EMDR Sessions?

Many clients come to their first EMDR session feeling nervous about what to expect. Let me walk you through what typically happens in an EMDR session for panic attacks at Dream Big Counseling and Wellness:

We’ll start with a brief check-in about how you’ve been doing since our last meeting and any new developments. This helps us determine which memory or trigger to focus on that day.

During the assessment phase, we’ll activate the target memory and identify several key components: the most distressing image from the memory, the negative belief you hold about yourself related to this memory (often something like “I’m not safe” or “I can’t handle this”), and the positive belief you’d prefer to have instead.

We’ll also identify the emotions that arise and rate their intensity using the SUD scale, as well as noting where you feel these emotions in your body. These physical sensations are important – panic is very much a body-based experience.

The desensitization phase is where the bilateral stimulation happens. I’ll guide your eye movements (or use taps or tones if you prefer) while you briefly focus on the target memory. Between sets of bilateral stimulation, you’ll simply report what you notice – there’s no right or wrong response.

This process continues until your distress level decreases significantly. Many clients are surprised by how naturally their thoughts and feelings shift during this process without forced effort.

Once your distress is reduced, we move to the installation phase, where we strengthen your desired positive belief. We’ll then do a body scan to check for any remaining physical tension related to the memory.

Before ending, I always ensure you’re feeling grounded and calm through proper closure techniques. Sometimes I’ll assign simple homework or observations to practice between our therapy sessions.

Throughout this entire process, I maintain a supportive, non-judgmental presence. Active listening and attunement are essential parts of effective EMDR therapy. My role is to guide the process while allowing your brain to do its natural healing work. As a dedicated therapist in Georgetown, TX, I’m able to provide highly personalized care that’s customized specifically to your needs and experiences with panic.

If you’re in Georgetown, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Jarrell, Liberty Hill, or anywhere in Texas (I offer secure online sessions statewide), I’d be happy to discuss how EMDR for panic attacks might help you find freedom from panic disorder.

Complementary Approaches at Dream Big Counseling and Wellness

While EMDR therapy is powerful on its own for treating panic attacks, I offer several complementary treatment approaches that can enhance your healing journey:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT is a well-researched approach that helps you identify and change negative thought patterns that contribute to panic and anxiety disorders. It provides practical tools for challenging catastrophic thinking and gradually facing feared situations through exposure techniques.

Solution-Focused Therapy

This approach emphasizes identifying solutions and building on your existing strengths rather than dwelling on problems. It helps you visualize a future free from panic and develop concrete steps to achieve that vision.

Attachment Therapy

Our earliest relationships shape how we respond to stress and regulate emotions. Attachment therapy explores how your relationship patterns might influence your experience of anxiety and can help address underlying insecurities.

Somatic Therapy

Since panic disorder is as much a physical experience as it is mental, somatic therapy focuses on the body’s role in processing and storing stress and trauma. This approach complements EMDR by addressing the physical dimensions of panic.

Safe & Sound Protocol (SSP)

This listening therapy developed by Dr. Stephen Porges stimulates your vagus nerve, calming your nervous system and creating an optimal physiological state for processing and emotional regulation.

Additional Issues Treated with EMDR at Dream Big Counseling

Beyond panic disorder, EMDR therapy is effective for numerous related conditions:

Trauma and PTSD

EMDR was originally developed for PTSD and remains one of the most effective treatments for processing traumatic memories and reducing their impact on your present life.

Anxiety Disorders

From generalized anxiety to specific phobias and social anxiety disorder, EMDR can target the core memories and beliefs that fuel various anxiety disorders.

Depression

Depression frequently co-occurs with anxiety disorders. EMDR can address the negative self-beliefs and experiences that contribute to depression symptoms.

ADHD

For individuals with ADHD who also experience anxiety, EMDR can help process experiences of failure or criticism that often accompany ADHD and contribute to anxiety.

Addiction

Substance use often develops as a way to self-medicate anxiety and panic symptoms. EMDR can help address both the underlying anxiety and the traumatic experiences that may have contributed to addiction.

Conclusion: Your Path Forward

Living with panic attacks doesn’t have to be your permanent reality. EMDR therapy offers a path to profound relief by addressing the root causes of panic rather than just managing symptoms.

At Dream Big Counseling and Wellness in Georgetown, TX, I provide personalized, evidence-based EMDR therapy tailored to your unique experience with panic. Whether you’re in Georgetown, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Jarrell, Liberty Hill, or anywhere in Texas through secure online sessions, effective treatment is available to help you reclaim your life from panic’s grip.

Your journey toward freedom from panic starts with a single step—reaching out for help. Contact Dream Big Counseling and Wellness today to schedule a consultation and learn more about how EMDR therapy can help you break free from the cycle of panic attacks.

Together, we can transform your relationship with anxiety, process the memories and triggers that fuel panic, and help you build a life defined by possibility rather than limitation.