How to Calm Panic Attacks with Portland Anxiety Therapy: Proven Steps that Actually Work

When panic rises, support matters. Portland anxiety therapy helps you face those moments with grounded care.

Anxiety therapy in Portland isn't just about treating a diagnosis, it’s about learning how to care for yourself in the moments when the overwhelm and panic feel like they’ve hit you all-at-once. If you've landed on this page, it may be because you’ve experienced a moment like that. Maybe it was a sudden wave of panic in a grocery store aisle, or a tightness in your chest during a conversation that felt ordinary…until it wasn’t.

If you've ever felt like your body suddenly got hijacked (heart racing, breath shallow, thoughts swirling fast) it’s okay. You’re not going “crazy” and, while painful to get through, panic itself cannot kill you. Panic attacks can feel overwhelming, disorienting, and even frightening, but they are also understandable responses, especially when we’ve been carrying unacknowledged stress, fear, or shame for a long time.

And yes, there are ways to move through them with more support, clarity, and confidence. Let’s talk about how.

What Panic Feels Like (And Why It Makes So Much Sense)

Panic isn’t just “in your head.” It’s a full-body experience. You might feel like you can’t catch your breath, like your heart is pounding out of your chest, or like you’ve left your body entirely. Some people feel dizzy, others cry without knowing why. Many feel fear that they’re going to die, even when they’re physically safe.

When you live with anxiety, especially if you’ve had to suppress it to get through the day, these moments can sneak up on you. For LGBTQ+ folks, panic attacks often have layers: past trauma, present stress, the ache of not being understood, the vigilance of trying to stay protected in spaces that aren’t always welcoming.

None of this means something is wrong with you.

Panic is your body’s way of saying, “Something feels unsafe,” even if you can’t always pinpoint what that something is. In anxiety counseling in Portland, we work from the understanding that your body learned this response for a reason and that with compassion, care, and the right support, it can also learn how to settle.

Grounding First, Then Awareness

When a panic attack hits, this isn’t the time for deep introspection or to break out that meditation mat to “clear your thoughts.” That kind of mindfulness may be useful later, but in the moment, we want grounding.

This means anchoring into something simple, immediate, and present.

That might look like pressing your feet into the floor and naming what you can see around you. It might be placing a cool object in your hand or sipping something cool to remind your nervous system that you’re here and now, not back there, and not in danger. That kind of grounding can remind the body that it can hold this overwhelm, that it has support to do so.

These small acts of presence may not make the panic disappear instantly. But they shift the gears. They say to your system: we’re allowed to slow down. We don’t have to bolt. We don’t have to fight.

For many of my clients, even knowing that panic isn’t permanent can make a difference. The intensity will pass. You don’t have to fight it. You can walk through it, step by step, with kindness and hearty support.

Inviting Anxiety to the Table

In our work together, I won’t try to get rid of your anxiety.

That might sound strange at first…but hear me out.

Anxiety has likely been with you a long time. It might have helped you scan for danger in childhood, or kept you from saying the “wrong” thing when being yourself didn’t feel safe. We can talk about how these parts of us serve a purpose, even if their methods are exhausting.

So instead of stuffing anxiety down or trying to silence it, we get curious. What is this part trying to protect you from? What does it need? How long has it been working this hard?

When we approach anxiety with compassion instead of fear, it loses some of its urgency. It becomes one voice in the room, not the only one. Have you ever felt that moment where you wanted to be seen and someone actually took the time to take in what you were sharing and the body relaxed a bit? It’s kinda like we give that some respect to whatever part of you holds that fear and it gets to breathe.

And slowly, you begin to feel more able to guide yourself through the moments when that panic grips the body and mind.

Panic with a Side of Shame

For clients who are Queer or Trans, panic often doesn’t come alone. It brings shame as a sidekick.

“I should be over this by now.”
“Why can’t I just calm down?”
“Everyone else seems fine, what’s wrong with me?”

These are statements I hear often. Those parts of you that hold shame are often operating from some other rulebook than the values and beliefs you hold.

Let’s be clear: while, like anxiety, it is part of our human experience- shame doesn’t soothe panic. It will often amplify it.

In therapy, we work gently with these experiences, identifying and naming the feeling of shame when it shows up, understanding the conditions that created it, and beginning to shift the belief that you are somehow “too much” or “not enough.”

The truth is, your panic makes sense. So does your shame. Neither define you.

And neither are permanent.

Learn more about how anxiety therapy in Portland can support your healing journey, especially for LGBTQ+ clients, in this deeper dive.

What Healing Can Look Like

One of the most surprising things clients tell me is: “I didn’t realize how much less anxious I’ve been lately until I looked back.”

Panic doesn’t always disappear overnight. But your relationship with it can transform.

Where once you felt hijacked, now you feel a pause.

Where once your choices were shaped by avoiding panic, now you find room to breathe before reacting.

You start to trust that your system knows how to come back down, and that you (yes, you) played a role in that shift.

It’s not about becoming a different person. It’s about becoming more aligned with who you already are, underneath the overwhelm.

This Is Work Worth Doing

If panic has been running the show, you’re not weak. You’re not failing. You’re responding exactly as you learned to in a world that may not have always honored your safety or your worth.

And therapy can help you come back to yourself.

If you’re just beginning this journey and wondering how to choose the right support, you might find comfort in exploring how to find the right anxiety therapy in Portland, it’s a good place to ground yourself in what really matters when choosing a therapist.

In our work together, we’ll start where you are. We’ll listen to your system’s signals. We’ll build a toolkit that works for you. No one-size-fits-all solutions, no judgment, and no rush.

I’ll bring my experience as a Queer therapist, and you’ll bring your experience and wisdom around your own life. Together, we’ll find the ground.

And when the panic comes again (because sometimes it may), you won’t be alone with it. You’ll know that there are ways to attend to it with care. And you’ll know you can.

Author Bio

Eric Goodwin, LPC, helps LGBTQ+ individuals in Portland move through anxiety, panic, and shame with compassion and clarity.

Eric Goodwin, LPC, is a Queer-identified Licensed Professional Counselor offering anxiety therapy in Portland. He helps LGBTQ+ clients move through anxiety, shame, and inner criticism with mindfulness, self-trust, and self-compassion. Eric blends parts work, trauma-informed care, and a warm, person-centered approach to help clients reconnect with themselves and find grounded, affirming paths forward.

Learn more about working with Eric here or book a free 15-minute consultation, (971) 533-5590, to see if therapy together feels like the right fit.

FAQs About Panic and Anxiety Therapy Portland

1. How do I know if what I’m experiencing is a panic attack?

Panic attacks can feel different for each person, but often include a racing heart, shortness of breath, shaking, or a sense that something is very wrong; even if you know you’re physically safe. If you’re unsure, therapy can help you understand your symptoms and find ways to care for yourself during those intense moments.

2. Do I need to be in crisis to start anxiety therapy?

Not at all. In fact, many people begin therapy when they notice smaller signs that anxiety is limiting their choices or increasing their stress. You don’t need to wait for a panic attack to get support. The earlier you begin, the more space you’ll create to live from clarity instead of fear.