Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE)
Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) is an evidence-based, parent-focused treatment designed to help children and adolescents with anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and related challenges. Rather than treating the child directly, SPACE works by helping parents make meaningful changes in the ways they respond to anxiety. The treatment focuses on two key areas:
Increasing Supportive Responses: Parents practice responding to their child’s anxiety with both empathy and confidence. The goal is for parents to learn practical tips for promoting resilience in their child while avoiding power struggles.
Reducing Unhelpful Accommodations: SPACE guides parents to identify and gradually reduce unhelpful accommodations so their child can learn to face their fears and build independence
What to Expect
Children typically do not attend SPACE sessions. Instead, parents meet with the therapist to learn practical strategies they can begin using at home. SPACE can be used as a stand-alone treatment or alongside a child’s individual therapy.
Research has shown that SPACE is highly effective, with clinical trials demonstrating outcomes comparable to child-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety disorders and OCD. If you are interested in learning more about SPACE, please reach out!