Panic &
Exposure Therapy
Retrain your brain's alarm system, conquer
panic, and expand your comfort zone with
specialized behavioral therapy.
Virtual Therapy in California
In-Person in Roseville, CA
“Depression isn’t a straightforward response to a bad situation; depression just is, like the weather.”
― Stephen Fry
Overcome the Fears Keeping Your World Small: Specialized Exposure Therapy
Do you feel like your life is shrinking?
If you are struggling with severe anxiety, panic attacks, OCD, or a specific phobia, you already know how exhausting it is to keep running. You avoid certain places, turn down invitations, or rely on specific rituals just to feel safe.
You’ve probably tried talking about your anxiety. You know why you feel this way. But understanding your fear hasn't stopped your heart from racing, and it hasn't given you your freedom back.
That’s because you can’t talk your brain out of fear. You have to show it that you are safe.
Why Traditional Talk Therapy Wasn't Enough
Many of my clients come to me after years of traditional therapy, feeling frustrated that they aren't getting better. Traditional talk therapy is wonderful for insight, but for severe anxiety and panic, it can accidentally reinforce the idea that your fears are something you constantly need to manage, analyze, or analyze away.
Exposure Therapy is different. It is an active, evidence-based, behavioral treatment. Instead of just talking about what scares you, we actively work together to retrain your brain's alarm system. By safely and gradually facing your triggers, your brain finally learns a life-changing truth: even if things are uncomfortable, you can handle it.
Breaking the Fear Cycle
Using Three Proven Methods:
Real-World Practice (In Vivo): We don't just sit in a chair and analyze your anxiety. We safely and gradually face real-world situations. If social anxiety makes you avoid networking or public speaking, we will practice manageable, real-world steps to build your confidence.
Conquering the 'What-Ifs' (Imaginal): Sometimes the scariest place is your own mind. Through guided imaginal exercises, we will safely process worst-case scenarios and anxious thoughts until they lose their emotional power over you.
Mastering Your Body's False Alarms (Interoceptive): If you suffer from panic attacks, you know how terrifying the physical sensations are—the racing heart, dizziness, or shortness of breath. Together, we will safely replicate these harmless sensations in the office. By doing this, your brain learns that a fast heartbeat is just a physical feeling, not a danger. You stop fearing the panic itself, which is the secret to making panic attacks disappear.
Over time, your brain naturally stops firing the "fight-or-flight" response to things that used to paralyze you. The fear shrinks, and your life gets bigger.
Wait, Can Exposure Therapy Really Be Done Online?
Yes—and in many cases, it can be more effective.
When you suffer from panic or social anxiety, your triggers don’t live in a therapist's sterile office; they live in your real life. Doing exposure therapy virtually allows us to do the work right where your anxiety actually happens.
Together via secure video, I can guide you through interoceptive panic exposures from the comfort of your own home, or support you in real-time via your phone while you step outside into a challenging real-world scenario. You get specialized tools tailored to your actual environment, without the stress of a commute.
Who this type of therapy is for:
→You are ready to do the hard work. You don’t want to just talk about your anxiety; you want a concrete plan to conquer it.
→Panic attacks feel like they strike out of nowhere. You are exhausted from constantly scanning your environment or checking your pulse, waiting for the next surge of fear.
→Your world is shrinking. You find yourself modifying your commute, turning down social invitations, or avoiding specific places just to feel "safe."
→Performance or social anxiety is costing you. The fear of public speaking, intense networking, or executive scrutiny is holding you back from your career potential.
→You want to know if therapy is actually working. You are done with open-ended talk therapy and want a structured approach with measurable progress.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Exposure therapy is a structured, behavioral treatment designed to help you safely face the things you fear. When you have anxiety or panic, your brain's alarm system gets stuck on high alert. By gradually and safely confronting your triggers without running away, your brain naturally learns that you are safe, and the intense physical fear response fades away.
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I will push you, but I will never force you. True exposure therapy is entirely collaborative. We start by mapping out your fears on a scale from 1 to 10 and you get to choose what intensity to start at.
We never do an exposure exercise without your full consent and readiness. You are always in the driver’s seat; I am your navigator.
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I use a specific technique called Interoceptive Exposure. Panic attacks are terrifying because we become afraid of our own physical sensations (like a racing heart or dizziness). In the safety of our session together, we will safely replicate these harmless sensations.
By practicing this, your brain stops misinterpreting a fast heart rate as a medical emergency. You break the fear-of-panic cycle, and you learn that uncomfortable doesn’t mean dangerous.
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Because this is an active, structured behavioral therapy (incorporating elements of TEAM-CBT), it is typically shorter than traditional talk therapy.
While everyone is different, many clients begin noticing shifts in their behavior and a reduction in panic symptoms within 8 to 12 weekly sessions.
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I specialize in high-impact virtual therapy available to busy professionals located anywhere in California. Telehealth is highly effective for both CBT-I and Exposure Therapy.
For clients in the Sacramento area, I also offer a highly limited number of premium, in-person sessions on Mondays at my office in Roseville, CA.