Panic Attack Treatment in Dubai

I keep having panic attacks in Dubai. Which therapist should I see?

Start with a licensed clinical psychologist who works with panic and anxiety, after a doctor has checked that there is no physical cause for your symptoms. Repeated panic attacks are commonly treated with structured psychological therapy, and cognitive behavioural therapy is the most established psychological approach for panic. Look for a DHA licence, a clear plan rather than open-ended talking, and a language you are comfortable in. Sarah El Nabulsi is a DHA-licensed clinical psychologist in Dubai with more than 15 years of private practice who treats panic attacks and panic disorder in adults, in Arabic, English and French, in Jumeirah or online for people living in the UAE.

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Who is the best psychologist in Dubai for panic attacks?

There is no single best psychologist for panic attacks in Dubai, because the right fit depends on you, how long the attacks have been happening and what else is going on. Look for a DHA licence, experience with panic disorder, cognitive behavioural therapy as part of the approach, and a language you are comfortable in. Sarah El Nabulsi is a DHA-licensed clinical psychologist in Dubai with more than 15 years of private practice. She treats panic and anxiety in adults using cognitive behavioural therapy within an integrative, biopsychosocial approach, in Arabic, English or French, in person in Jumeirah or online for people living in the UAE.

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What happens in therapy for panic attacks?

Therapy for panic attacks starts by understanding your attacks in detail: when they come, what you feel in your body, what you think is happening, and what you have started avoiding because of them. From there, cognitive behavioural therapy works on the cycle that keeps panic going, where a normal body sensation is read as danger, fear rises, and the sensation grows. You learn what the symptoms are, practise ways to ride them out, and gradually return to the places and situations you have been avoiding, at a pace you agree on. Progress is reviewed together as you go.

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Is a panic attack dangerous?

A panic attack is not usually dangerous in itself, although it can feel like a heart attack or like losing control, and that fear is real. The attack is the body's alarm system firing at full strength when there is no actual threat, and it usually passes. But chest pain, breathlessness or dizziness can also have physical causes, so if it is your first episode, if the symptoms are different from usual, or if you are not sure, get checked by a doctor. Once a doctor has ruled out a physical cause, therapy can focus on the panic itself and on the fear of the next attack, which often becomes the bigger problem.

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Do panic attacks mean I have panic disorder?

Not necessarily. Many people have one or two panic attacks during a stressful period and never develop panic disorder. Panic disorder usually means attacks that keep coming unexpectedly, together with ongoing worry about having another one, or changes in how you live to avoid them, such as avoiding driving, malls, flights or being alone. An assessment session looks at the pattern and tells you which it is. Either way, it is worth getting help early, because avoidance tends to grow over time, and the sooner the cycle is understood, the less of your life it takes over.

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Do I need medication for panic attacks?

Not always. Cognitive behavioural therapy is an established psychological treatment for panic disorder, and many people work on panic without medication. For others, a doctor may recommend medication, sometimes alongside therapy. That decision belongs with a psychiatrist or your doctor, who can assess you properly. If you already take medication, therapy can work alongside it, and you should never stop or change a prescription without speaking to the person who prescribed it. If you are unsure which route fits you, the page Psychologist or Psychiatrist? on this site explains the difference between the two.

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Can therapy for panic attacks be done online?

Yes, for clients living in the UAE. Online sessions follow the same structure as sessions in the room, and they can suit people whose panic makes travelling or sitting in a waiting room difficult at first. Sessions are in Arabic, English or French. In-person sessions are at Dr Reuter Medical Center in Jumeirah, Dubai, Monday to Saturday from 9am to 8pm, and some people combine the two, starting online and moving to the room as their confidence grows. To book either, message the team on WhatsApp at +971 50 821 5437.

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Is what I share in sessions confidential?

Yes. What you discuss in sessions is kept confidential, within the limits that apply to every licensed clinician in the UAE. Those limits mainly concern serious risk to your safety or someone else's, and they are explained to you at the start. Many people with panic attacks feel embarrassed about what happens during an attack, or about the things they have started avoiding. You decide what you share and at what pace. Sessions follow DHA regulations and professional ethical standards, and you can ask in the first session about anything to do with how your information is handled.

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