Your heart is pounding, you can't catch your breath, every fibre screams: danger. But there is none. This is a panic attack, a false alarm. And it can be resolved. With over 25 years of experience, I help people in Duesseldorf and online with my SAF Method™, calming this alarm step by step.
How do panic attacks show up?
- Racing heart, tightness in the chest, dizziness, shortness of breath, trembling, sweating, nausea, tingling or weak knees. These are just examples. Any physical reaction that feels too intense or too uncomfortable can be part of a panic attack. Every body has its own repertoire.
- The worry of losing control in the situation
- Avoiding places, transport, or appointments out of fear of the next attack
- Constantly monitoring your own body and being on high alert
These reactions are exhausting, but they make sense: with the right approach, the cycle of fearing the symptoms, the triggers, and what keeps pulling you back in can be broken.
How does coaching for panic attacks work?
Panic attacks feel uncontrollable. In coaching, we address them step by step, so your nervous system can learn to let go of the false alarm.
My approach: The SAF Method™
SAF Method™ stands for the three steps we work through in coaching:
S: Soothe the Symptoms
So your nervous system can leave alarm mode.
A racing heart, dizziness, trembling, or shortness of breath feel threatening. The first step is to teach your nervous system how to regulate itself, so your body can settle again.
A: Address the Activators
So that what triggers panic loses its power.
Certain thoughts, situations, or inner judgments set off the false alarm. In this step, we make them visible and work with them so they no longer trigger panic automatically.
F: Free the Fueling Thoughts
So nothing keeps the panic alive.
Fueling thoughts are the thoughts that flare up in the middle of panic and feed it: "I'm about to collapse.", "I'm losing control.", "This will never stop." As long as these sentences run inside you, panic has fuel. When they fade, it loses its drive.
The Result
When your body has calmed down, the triggers are defused, and nothing keeps the panic alive any longer, the inner alarm subsides on its own. Your whole system feels it: the false alarm has settled.
Then what often feels impossible during a panic attack returns: trust in your own body, clarity in your mind, calm throughout your whole system.
Which method addresses what?
In my practice, with the experience of over 10,000 coaching hours, I see time and again that panic attacks with a clear trigger often change noticeably after just a few sessions.
In our first conversation we clarify what matters most for you: in which situations the panic strikes, which physical reactions are the strongest, which triggers are at work and what keeps your anxiety going. Everything else follows from there.
| Method | Addresses | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| WingWave | Acute stress response in the nervous system | Quick relief from physical panic |
| Hypnosis | Missing sense of safety | Anchoring trust in your own body |
| IFS | Inner parts that trigger the alarm | Understanding what the alarm is trying to protect |
| NLP | Fueling thoughts | Recognising and releasing panic-feeding thoughts |
| The Work | Beliefs behind the anxiety | Questioning beliefs: Is this really true? |
| TRT | Deeply rooted patterns from childhood | When panic has been present for a very long time |
Frequently Asked Questions about Panic Attacks
How can I tell whether something is a panic attack?
Typical signs are sudden, intense anxiety, physical alarm signals such as a racing heart, shortness of breath or dizziness, and the feeling of not being able to control the situation. The symptoms usually peak within a few minutes and then subside.
What is the first step during an acute attack?
It helps to interpret the panic response as an alarm reaction rather than as immediate danger. After that, short and clear regulation steps that you have practiced beforehand can be applied.
Can I prevent panic attacks?
Yes, by recognising your patterns early, practicing regularly, and reducing avoidance. Prevention does not mean total control, it means better steerability in demanding situations.
Are panic attacks dangerous?
Panic attacks feel very threatening, but they are usually not dangerous. A medical check-up is still important when symptoms are new or unclear.
How many sessions are usually useful?
That is individual. Many people benefit from a clearly structured start with closely scheduled first steps and a stabilisation phase afterwards.
My concern may not be serious enough.
There are no panic attacks too small. Some last thirty seconds, others half an hour. What counts is not how long they last or how intense they are, but how much they shape your life. And you know that best yourself.
I have already tried so much.
I see that a lot in my practice. Many approaches focus on getting the symptoms under control, for example through breathing techniques, distraction strategies or positive affirmations. From my perspective, that cannot work because they fight against the symptoms. With me you learn a new way to deal with your symptoms. Beyond that, we work on the triggers and on the so-called "fueling thoughts" that set the panic in motion and keep it going.
Ready for the next step?
If you'd like, we'll plan the first concrete steps together, so panic no longer shapes your daily life.
What topics are related to panic attacks?
- Anxiety and Panic, overview and orientation
- Overcoming Anxiety, help with fear
- Fear of Flying, when anxiety on a plane turns into panic
- Fear of Fainting – The fear of losing control during a panic attack
- Claustrophobia – When confined spaces trigger panic
- Driving Anxiety – When panic attacks strike behind the wheel
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder – When fears spread
- Agoraphobia – When your safe radius keeps getting smaller