S.P.A.C.E.
(Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions)
What is it?
Well, it has nothing to do with NASA (I know, I was disappointed too). Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) is a gentle, highly effective approach that helps children and teens with anxiety by working closely with their parents.
Rather than putting pressure on your child to “fix” their anxiety, SPACE focuses on giving you the tools and support to respond in ways that help your child feel braver, more confident, and more independent over time.
Developed by Eli Lebowitz at the Yale Child Study Center, this research-backed model has helped many families create meaningful, lasting change—even when kids aren’t ready or willing to participate in therapy themselves.
Many parents find SPACE to be not only effective, but also reassuring—it offers a clear, compassionate path forward when anxiety has taken over family life.
How does it work?
Methodically. SPACE is a structured, research-backed approach, so we’ll follow a clear, step-by-step plan together. I work closely with parents to understand what’s driving their child’s anxiety and to build practical, supportive ways of responding that truly help.
This is a short-term, goal-focused treatment—typically lasting just a few months. My goal is to give you the tools and confidence you need so that, over time, you won’t need me anymore.
Who is it for?
SPACE is for families affected by a child’s (or children's) anxiety. The child does not have to attend sessions. It requires absolutely nothing from the kid. This is especially beneficial for kids who do not want to attend sessions, or change their behavior, or for parents who want to help, but don’t know how.
SPACE can be effective for any child or teen with anxiety, but it especially beneficial for those with diagnoses like OCD, phobias, selective mutism, picky eating/ARFID, social anxiety, separation anxiety, and generalized anxiety disorder.
SPACE is designed to help the entire family, because one family member’s anxiety often affects the entire family. Another perk of this model is that because the kids do not need to be part of sessions, it does not add yet another thing to deal with after school.