Parents who participate in SPACE will learn skills and tools to help their child overcome anxiety, OCD or related problems.
The treatment focuses on changes that parents can make to their own behavior, they do not need to make their child change. 
The two main changes that parents learn to make in SPACE treatment are to respond more supportively to their anxious child and to reduce the unnecessary accommodations they have been making to the child symptoms.


Skip ahead to 5:15 to learn more about what happens in SPACE

SPACE FAQs

Is SPACE right for me?
SPACE may be right for you if:

  • Your child is experiencing anxiety in a way that interferes with their daily life
  • You are repeatedly reassuring your child that they don't need to worry, that everything is ok
  • You/your family avoid certain places or activities because of your child's anxiety
  • You feel motivated to make changes in how you support your child in decreasing their anxious emotions
How does it work?
SPACE is a short-term (10-15 sessions) intervention where you and I work together, using a framework, to decrease unnecessary accommodations. While the primary target of this treatment is your child's anxiety, we will not be asking your child to change their behaviors directly. Our focus will be on how you as the parents can shift your own methods of support.
Why focus on parents behaviors?
Our focus on your behavior as the parents does not mean that you are to blame for your child's anxiety. You are not the problem, however, you can be an important part of the solution. Anxiety disorders tend to make it harder for children to function as independent individuals because they rely on their parents to help them cope with anxiety, rather than learning to cope on their own. SPACE helps parents shift their support to foster confidence in the child that they can handle the distress they are feeling. 
How can parents help make treatment effective?
Commitment: Since this intervention is short, it's best when parents can prioritize it over a few months.
Both parents/caregivers: if possible, choose a time when you can both attend sessions
Work in between sessions: Meeting weekly is only part of the solution. Effective treatment requires active steps outside of our meetings. These steps are planned together in session, then implemented at home by you.
Taking independent steps: When children are overly anxious they may need their parents to take initiative and make changes without their approval. Think of your child as having many inner voices; some of the voices represent the anxiety, others represent the child's ability to cope. By acting independently from what the child is saying in the moment, you are aligning yourself with the voices for positive changes and giving him/her your support
does my child need to meet with you?
If they are resistant to therapy right now, that's ok. This intervention is designed for parents whose child doesn't want to participate, and the treatment is effective regardless of their willingness to engage in therapy. 
That said, they are welcome to participate through individual therapy, which will allow them to learn more about why we experience anxiety and skills they can use to feel more confident when anxiety does pop up. 
I'm in! How do we start?
Reach out by clicking here or emailing me at [email protected]. We'll set up an initial 50 min session where we'll review the program in more detail and get started on steps you can begin taking at home!