SPACE
Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions
Developed at the Yale Child Study Center, SPACE has been found to be effective in randomized controlled clinical trials. SPACE is an evidenced based treatment for children and teens who struggle with anxiety, OCD, and related challenges. Unlike other treatment for childhood anxiety disorders, SPACE is a parent-based treatment.
Who participates in SPACE?
The parent participates in space training. While the child is still the main patient, the parent will be the client during SPACE sessions while they learn what steps they can take to help their child overcome their anxiety or related challenge.
What happens during SPACE treatment?
Parents will learn the tools and skills needed to assist their child in overcoming their challenges. Treatment will focus on parents changing their own behavior so that the child does not need to ask their child to change. Parents will learn to respond more supportively to their child while also reducing any accomodations that they have been making to reduce the child's symptoms.
What is accommodation?
An accommodation is all the things that the parents do or say to lessen a child’s distress. All parent's do this in one way or another. It's a natural instict!