Panic Attack Counseling for Teens & Young Adults in Fort Wayne, IN
Help for sudden waves of fear, the dread of the next one, and the life that shrinks around them, ages 13-25
A panic attack can feel like your body has turned against you. Your heart pounds, your chest tightens, you can't get a full breath, and a voice in your head insists something is badly wrong. Then it passes, and what's left is the fear of when it will happen again. You start skipping class, leaving the store early, or sitting near the door just in case.
Panic attack counseling at Unwilted Counseling in Fort Wayne helps you understand what your body is doing, ride out an attack without fighting it, and take back the places and plans panic has taken from you.
Schedule a free 15-minute consultation | Call or text (260) 255-6432
At a Glance | Category |
|---|---|
First step | Free 15-minute consultation |
Ongoing session fee | $135 for 50 minutes (private pay; superbills provided for possible out-of-network reimbursement) |
Formats | In person at 3514 Stellhorn Rd., Fort Wayne, IN 46815; virtual across Indiana, and Ohio through the Counseling Compact |
Therapist | Destina Rekeweg, LMHC (Licensed Mental Health Counselor), with a clinical focus on anxiety |
Approaches | Cognitive and skills-based strategies, EMDR, IFS-informed therapy, emotion-focused therapy
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Concerns | Sudden panic attacks, nighttime attacks, fear of physical sensations, avoidance, agoraphobia-type patterns, panic tied to school, driving, or crowds |
Who we help | Teens and young adults, ages 13-25, with panic attacks, panic disorder, or fear of having another attack |
What a Panic Attack Actually Is
A panic attack is a sudden surge of intense fear or discomfort that usually peaks within a few minutes. It is the body's alarm system firing at full strength when there is no real danger to respond to. Panic attacks are frightening, but they are not dangerous in themselves, and they are one of the most treatable experiences people bring to therapy.
During an attack, many people notice several of these at once:
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A racing or pounding heart, or chest pain or tightness
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Shortness of breath or a feeling of choking
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Dizziness, lightheadedness, or feeling faint
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Shaking, sweating, chills, or hot flashes
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Nausea or stomach distress
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Numbness or tingling in the hands, feet, or face
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Feeling detached from yourself or like things around you aren't real
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Fear of losing control, "going crazy," or dying
Panic Attacks vs. Panic Disorder
One panic attack does not mean you have panic disorder. Many people have one or two in their life, often during a period of stress. Panic disorder is when attacks keep coming without a clear trigger, and the fear of the next attack starts changing how you live: worrying about it for weeks, or avoiding places and activities in case it happens there. Some people also develop agoraphobia, avoiding situations where escape or help feels hard to reach, like crowded stores, buses, lecture halls, or driving on the highway.
How panic differs from general anxiety: anxiety is often a slow, steady worry about what might happen. Panic arrives as a sudden spike and is driven by fear of the body's own sensations. If day-to-day worry is your main struggle, see Anxiety Counseling. If panic shows up mostly in social situations, see Social Anxiety Counseling.
Signs Panic Attack Counseling Might Help
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You've had panic attacks that came out of nowhere, including ones that woke you from sleep
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You've gone to urgent care or the ER convinced something was physically wrong, and been told it was panic
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You constantly check your heartbeat, breathing, or how you feel, waiting for the next wave
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You avoid caffeine, exercise, or anything else that makes your heart beat faster
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You've stopped going to class, work, the gym, church, or parties because an attack happened there
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You need a specific person, water bottle, phone, or exit route nearby to feel safe
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Driving, elevators, crowded stores, or long lines have become hard or impossible
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You're worried panic will follow you to college, a new job, or living on your own
What to Do During a Panic Attack
These steps won't make panic disappear, but they can help an attack pass faster and feel less frightening.
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Name it. Tell yourself, "This is a panic attack. It feels awful, but it isn't dangerous, and it will pass."
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Let it peak. Fighting the sensations usually makes them stronger. Most attacks crest within minutes and then ease on their own.
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Slow your exhale. Breathe in gently through your nose, then breathe out slowly through your mouth, making the out-breath longer than the in-breath.
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Ground yourself. Notice five things you can see, four you can feel, and three you can hear to bring your attention back to the room.
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Stay if you can. Leaving teaches your brain the place was dangerous. Staying, even for a few extra minutes, teaches it you are safe.
If attacks keep coming back or you've started avoiding things because of them, that's a sign counseling can help.
Why Panic Keeps Coming Back: The Panic Cycle
Panic tends to feed itself. A normal body sensation, like a skipped heartbeat after coffee or feeling warm in a crowded room, gets read as a sign of danger. That alarm creates more adrenaline, which creates stronger sensations, which feel like proof that something really is wrong. The attack peaks and passes, but the brain files that place or feeling as a threat.
Next time, you avoid it, or you get through it gripping a safety behavior. Avoidance brings quick relief, so the brain learns that avoiding is what keeps you safe. Over time the list of off-limits places grows, and the fear of panic becomes a bigger problem than the attacks themselves. Counseling works by gently breaking this cycle at several points at once.
Panic in Teens and Young Adults
Panic disorder often begins in the late teens or early adulthood, which is exactly the age range Unwilted Counseling focuses on. For a teen, a first panic attack might happen during a test, at practice, or in the middle of the night, and it can be hard to explain to parents or teachers. Some teens start asking to come home from school, avoid sleepovers, or stay close to a parent without being able to say why.
For young adults, panic often shows up during big transitions: the first semester of college, a first full-time job, moving out, or a breakup. Without the familiar structure and people around you, an attack can feel even more isolating. Many people hide their panic for a long time, assuming they're overreacting or that no one would understand. You don't have to wait until it's unmanageable to get help.
Common Panic Triggers for Teens and Young Adults
Panic often has no single cause, but some things make the body's alarm easier to set off. Common ones at this age include:
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Caffeine and energy drinks, which speed up the heart and can feel like the start of an attack
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Vaping and nicotine, including withdrawal between hits
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THC and cannabis, a frequent trigger for a first panic attack, especially with high-potency products or edibles
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Poor or irregular sleep, including all-nighters before exams
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Stimulant medications, which some people find raise anxiety, especially at a new dose
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High-pressure moments, like tests, tryouts, performances, or job interviews
None of this is about blame. Knowing your triggers simply gives you more choices. If a medication may be involved, talk with your prescriber before making any change.
Panic at School and in College
Panic during class, a test, or a crowded hallway is one of the most common things teens and students describe. It can lead to missed classes, visits to the nurse, or dropping a course. Counseling can help you build a plan for getting through the school day and work up to the classes or spaces that feel hardest.
For college students, panic often flares in the first year away from home. Students at nearby campuses such as Purdue Fort Wayne, Ivy Tech Northeast, and the University of Saint Francis can meet in person in Fort Wayne. Students home on break or away at school can continue virtually from anywhere in Indiana or Ohio.
How Panic Attack Counseling Works
Panic responds well to therapy. The work combines practical tools for the attacks themselves with attention to what's underneath them.
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Understanding your panic. We map how panic shows up for you: your sensations, the thoughts that follow, what tends to set it off, and what you've started avoiding. Knowing what your body is doing, and why it isn't dangerous, takes away much of panic's power.
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Riding out an attack. You'll learn breathing, grounding, and attention skills that help you stay with an attack instead of fighting it. The goal is not to never feel panic again, but to stop fearing it.
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Reclaiming what panic took. At a pace you choose, we gradually reconnect you with the sensations, places, and activities you've been avoiding, so your brain can learn they are safe. You decide each step.
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Working with what's underneath. Panic is sometimes linked to stress, past experiences, perfectionism, or emotions that have had nowhere to go. This part of the work makes space for those so panic has less to carry.
Ready to talk about what's been happening? Call or text (260) 255-6432, or request your free consultation online.
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Our Approach
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Cognitive and skills-based strategies. Understanding the panic cycle, challenging catastrophic thoughts, and building practical tools for the moment an attack starts.
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EMDR. When panic is tied to a frightening experience, including a first attack that felt traumatic, EMDR can help the brain process that memory so it stops setting off the alarm.
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IFS-informed therapy. Getting to know the protective part of you that sounds the alarm, and helping it trust that you can handle what it's afraid of.
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Emotion-focused therapy. Making room for feelings like grief, anger, or loneliness that sometimes build up and show up as panic.
These approaches are combined based on your needs, not applied as a one-size-fits-all formula. If panic began after a difficult or traumatic event, Trauma Counseling may also be part of the work.
Why Clients Choose Unwilted Counseling for Panic
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Focused on ages 13-25. Care reflects when panic most often begins and the school, college, and early-adult pressures that come with it.
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One consistent therapist. As a solo practice, you work with the same therapist from your first call onward.
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You set the pace. Steps toward what panic has taken are planned together, and nothing is forced.
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Start from home if you need to. Virtual sessions mean panic about leaving the house or driving doesn't have to stop you from getting help.
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Tools and depth together. You leave with practical skills, and there's room to work on what sits underneath the panic.
A Note on Physical Symptoms
Panic symptoms can look like other health problems, including heart and breathing conditions, thyroid issues, or side effects of caffeine, stimulant medications, or other substances. If you've never had your symptoms checked, talk with your doctor. If you have chest pain or trouble breathing and aren't sure what's happening, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Counseling works best alongside medical care, not instead of it.
For Parents and Caregivers
Watching your teen go through a panic attack can be scary, and it's natural to want to make the fear stop. Often that means letting them stay home, leave early, or skip the thing that triggered it. That helps in the moment, but over time it can teach panic that avoidance is the only way through. Counseling can help you learn how to support your teen during an attack, and how to encourage brave steps without pushing too hard.
Parents may be involved through periodic check-ins and guidance as appropriate. If panic has started creating conflict or strain at home, Parent-Teen Relationship Counseling may be worth exploring alongside this work.
Panic Attacks at School: What Parents Can Ask For
If panic is affecting your teen's school day, talk with their school counselor. Many schools can offer support such as a plan for stepping out of class briefly, a calm space to reset, or testing in a quieter room. When panic significantly affects learning, families can ask the school whether a 504 plan is appropriate. Counseling can help your teen practice using these supports as a bridge back to full participation, rather than a permanent way around the hard moments.
Meet Your Therapist: Destina Rekeweg, LMHC
Destina is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with a master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and more than three years of experience working with teens and young adults. Anxiety is one of her clinical specialties, along with trauma and life transitions.
She works with many clients who look capable on the outside while feeling overwhelmed on the inside, which is often exactly how panic hides. As a solo practice, you'll work with Destina from your first consultation onward.
In-Person and Virtual Panic Attack Counseling
In person in Fort Wayne. Sessions take place in a private, comfortable office at 3514 Stellhorn Rd., Fort Wayne, IN 46815, serving clients throughout Fort Wayne and Allen County.
Virtual across Indiana and Ohio. Secure, HIPAA-compliant telehealth is available to clients located in Indiana, and in Ohio through the Counseling Compact (Compact Privilege No. LPC-OH-1439). Sessions are not recorded.
Virtual sessions can be a good starting point if leaving home or driving has become hard because of panic. In-person sessions can become part of the work as you reclaim places and routines. Learn more about Virtual Therapy.
What to Expect
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Free consultation (15 minutes). A low-pressure conversation about what's been happening and what support could look like, with no obligation to continue.
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Initial intake assessment (50 minutes). We go over your history with panic, your current symptoms, what you've been avoiding, and your goals.
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Ongoing sessions (50 minutes). A mix of skill-building, gradual steps toward what panic has taken, and deeper emotional work.
Sessions are a working conversation, not a test. Some weeks you'll practice a tool or plan a small step, like driving one exit on the highway; other weeks you'll talk through a hard attack. Many clients notice attacks feel less frightening within the first few months.
Fees and Payment
Unwilted Counseling is a private-pay practice and does not bill insurance directly. Many clients use out-of-network benefits for possible reimbursement, and a superbill can be provided for that purpose. We require 48 hours' notice to cancel or reschedule.
Service | Duration | Fee |
|---|---|---|
Initial intake assessment | 50 min | $160 |
Ongoing session | 50 min | $135 |
Intensive session | 75 min | $202.50 |
Intensive session | 100 min | $270 |
Intensive session | 150 min | $405 |
Related Services
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Anxiety Counseling: for ongoing worry, overthinking, and everyday anxiety
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Social Anxiety Counseling: when fear centers on being judged or embarrassed around others
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Anxiety & Depression Therapy: when panic comes with low mood or burnout
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Trauma Counseling: when panic started after a frightening or painful experience
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Emotion Regulation: for big feelings that are hard to calm down from
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Life Transition Counseling: for panic that flares during college, moving out, or a new job
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Teens & Young Adults: our core age-specific care model
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Frequently Asked Questions
About Panic Attack Counseling
You can't always tell on your own, which is why it's important to see a doctor if you haven't had your symptoms checked. Once medical causes have been ruled out, counseling can help you understand your body's alarm response so that the sensations feel less frightening when they happen.
Most panic attacks peak within minutes. The whole episode can last anywhere from a few minutes to an hour or sometimes longer, and you may feel shaky, tired, or on edge afterward. Sometimes attacks come in waves, which can make one episode feel much longer.
A panic attack itself is not dangerous, even though it can feel like you're dying. The racing heart, tight chest, and breathlessness come from adrenaline, and your body is built to handle them. Because the symptoms can overlap with medical problems, get checked by a doctor if you never have been, or seek emergency care if you're unsure.
Nighttime or "nocturnal" panic attacks wake you from sleep with the same surge of fear, often with no dream or clear trigger. They are fairly common in people with panic disorder and can lead to dread around bedtime. Counseling can help you understand them and reduce the fear of going to sleep.
If you feel an attack starting, pull over somewhere safe when you can, turn on your hazards, and use slow breathing until the peak passes. Many people start avoiding highways or driving altogether after one attack. Counseling can help you rebuild confidence step by step, starting with short, manageable drives.
Yes. Panic is one of the most treatable experiences people bring to therapy. Many people go from frequent attacks to rare ones, and even when a wave of panic does show up, it stops having the same hold on their life.
People often use the terms interchangeably. Clinically, a panic attack is a sudden surge of intense fear that peaks within minutes, while "anxiety attack" usually describes a buildup of worry and stress over a longer stretch. Counseling can help with both.
Not necessarily. Many people improve with therapy alone, and some use therapy and medication together. Unwilted Counseling does not prescribe medication, but if you're curious about that option, we can talk through it and you can discuss it with your doctor or a psychiatric provider.
That's okay, and it can even be useful. Having support right there gives you a chance to practice riding out an attack in a safe place. You won't be judged, and you set the pace.
For teens under 18, how information is shared with parents is discussed openly at the start of counseling, so everyone knows what to expect. In general, the details of what you share stay between you and your therapist, while parents may hear about overall progress. Safety concerns are an exception: if there's a risk of serious harm, the right people need to know.
Yes. Virtual sessions can be a helpful starting point, especially if leaving home, driving, or sitting in a waiting room has become difficult. As counseling progresses, some of the work may involve practicing in the places panic has made hard.
Unwilted Counseling is private pay and does not bill insurance directly. You can request a superbill to submit to your insurance for possible out-of-network reimbursement.
Good Faith Estimate: Clients paying privately have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate explaining expected costs of care. You may request this prior to scheduling.
Take Back Your Life from Panic!
You don't have to wait for the next attack or figure this out on your own. A free 15-minute consultation is a low-pressure way to talk about what's been happening and find out what support could look like. Call or text (260) 255-6432 or request your free consultation.
