I thought I could skip the empathy and move directly to his thinking because Carl had work on his feelings several times before. While thinking and feeling are intertwined in our brain, there are distinctly separate parts of the brain responsible for each function.
While Carl's feeling are complex with some coming from the limbic system of his brain, a part of the brain that is preverbal, an important step in gaining control of his emotions is learning to hear how his thoughts generate additional feelings.
Telling himself that "This is going to ruin my marriage, cost me my job, ruin my life." Can become a self fulfilling prophecy. At this point Carl does not even hear himself creating a story of doom. His feeling seem so strong that he believes that doom is surely on his doorstep.
It is very difficult to hear stories of doom, because the story often serves as an explanation for the trouble a person is experiencing. If you find yourself panicked by feelings, try tape recording yourself talking about your feelings. Then play the recording when you are feeling calmer. See if you can pick out the stories that are partially false. If you identify the false beliefs and replace them with less toxic explanations you will reduce your uncomfortable feelings.