Agoraphobia can make ordinary life feel increasingly restricted. You might find yourself avoiding public transit, crowded places, or situations where getting help quickly would be difficult, all because of the fear that a panic attack could happen and you would be stuck. What starts as caution can gradually narrow the world you feel comfortable moving through.
The work in therapy centres on understanding the fear beneath the avoidance and, at a pace that works for you, gently widening that world again. Cognitive-behavioural approaches help you identify and question the thoughts maintaining your avoidance, while gradual exposure, done carefully and collaboratively, builds real evidence that the situations you have been avoiding are ones you can actually manage. Relaxation and grounding skills are woven in throughout to give you practical tools you can use in the moment.