Physical sensations
Notice what your body is doing without treating every sensation as a threat.
panic
Panic disorder treatment online, with a plan for steadier days.
Panic can make ordinary sensations feel dangerous and ordinary places feel risky. Understanding the panic cycle can help you regain room to move, choose, and live.
40+years of clinical work
10,000+sessions
ABPPboard-certified CBT psychologist
about this concern
When a wave of fear makes your body feel unsafe.
Panic is a powerful alarm response that can bring intense sensations, dread, and fear of losing control. Learning how sensations, interpretations, and avoidance reinforce one another can make the cycle less mysterious and less controlling.
recognize yourself
When the next wave of panic starts running the day.
You may fear another attack, monitor your body, avoid driving or crowded places, or organize your life around staying close to safety. The symptoms are real, even when the alarm is misfiring.
Therapy can help separate the physical wave of panic from the meanings attached to it, then build confidence through gradual, supported practice.
A rapid change in body sensations can feel dangerous and hard to explain.
Anticipating panic can become its own source of anxiety.
Normal sensations may start to feel like warnings that something is wrong.
Life can begin to revolve around staying close to a sense of safety.
moving forward
A clearer map for panic.
We can connect sensations, interpretations, fear, and avoidance so the pattern is less mysterious.
I can help you examine the meaning your mind attaches to a physical wave.
We may identify ways to respond that are challenging without being reckless.
The goal is to make panic less controlling, not to promise it can never occur.
What guides the work
Interpretations
Explore the thoughts that can intensify a wave of fear.
Avoidance
Understand how short-term relief can maintain fear over time.
Gradual practice
Move carefully, collaboratively, and in a way that fits your situation.
a possible pathway
Therapy can unfold in more than one way.
The sequence is flexible. We may return to earlier steps or change the focus as we learn what is useful.
- 01
Brief screening
We discuss what brings you to therapy and whether my approach is a good fit.
- 02
Understanding the pattern
We begin to identify recurring thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and experiences.
- 03
Building understanding
We connect present difficulties with patterns that may be maintaining them.
- 04
Working differently
We apply understanding to the situations and choices that matter in your current life.
- 05
Longer-term change
We continue refining what is useful and helping you become more effective in navigating your life.
understanding the work
A few practical questions.
What panic can feel like
Panic may include sudden fear, intense body sensations, dread, or a fear of losing control.
Why fear can build
Fear of another attack may lead to monitoring and avoidance that keep the alarm active.
What sessions may focus on
Understanding the cycle and developing a clearer response to body sensations.
Online format
Sessions take place by secure video, subject to PSYPACT/APIT authorization by location.
experience and context
Serious clinical depth, in a human setting.
40+
years in practice
10,000+
sessions
ABPP
board certification
Publications
listed in the CV
I bring more than four decades of clinical experience to work that stays personal, practical, and grounded in real life.
“The goal of therapy isn't lifelong dependence. It's helping you become your own therapist, equipped with the skills to navigate life's challenges with confidence.”
common questions
A few practical answers.
a possible next step
Start where you are.
Request a brief screening to discuss the treatment format and whether online treatment is appropriate in your location.
Direct contact
You can reach Robert directly.
A brief phone call is the first step. These links open your own phone, messaging, or email app; this page does not collect an enquiry form.
from the publication list
Dr. Berchick's published work on panic.
Focused Cognitive Therapy of Panic Disorder: A Crossover Design and One Year Follow-Up
This study examines focused cognitive therapy for panic disorder using a crossover design and one-year follow-up.
View citationTreating panic disorder in college students
This book chapter addresses the treatment of panic disorder in college students.
View citationCognitive therapy of panic disorder: A non-pharmacological alternative
This article presents cognitive therapy of panic disorder as a non-pharmacological alternative.
View citationother services
Start with a phone call.
The first step is a brief phone call to get a rough idea of whether we are a good fit before the Diagnostic and Treatment Evaluation. You may call, text, or email simply to request a conversation.
A brief phone or video screening can help us get a rough idea of whether the work may be a good fit before the Diagnostic and Treatment Evaluation.