Helping Your Child Overcome Anxiety & OCD with SPACE Treatment

As a parent, watching your child struggle with anxiety or OCD can be overwhelming. You may find yourself walking on eggshells, avoiding certain topics, or making daily accommodations to help ease their distress. While these adjustments are made out of love, they can sometimes reinforce anxiety in the long run.

This is where SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) comes in—a research-supported, parent-based treatment designed to help children and teens manage their anxiety and OCD more effectively.

What Is SPACE Treatment?

Developed by Dr. Eli Lebowitz at the Yale Child Study Center, SPACE is an evidence-based treatment parent-focused intervention for treating child anxiety and child OCD. Unlike traditional therapy, SPACE does not require direct participation from the child. Instead, parents learn specific strategies to reduce the unintentional reinforcement of anxiety while increasing their child’s ability to tolerate distress.

Key Components of SPACE:

• Reducing Accommodations: Many parents naturally accommodate their child’s anxiety by modifying routines (e.g., avoiding sleepovers, staying with them at bedtime, answering excessive reassurance-seeking questions). SPACE teaches parents how to gradually reduce these accommodations in a supportive and structured way.
• Supportive Responses: Parents learn to communicate empathy and confidence rather than engaging in avoidance-based behaviors. This shift helps children build resilience and self-regulation.
• Practical Steps: SPACE provides a clear, step-by-step framework to help parents implement changes without overwhelming their child.

Why SPACE Might Be Right for Your Family

1. It Empowers Parents: You don’t have to rely on your child being ready or willing to engage in therapy—you can make the changes that help them grow.
2. Scientifically Supported: Research shows SPACE is as effective as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in reducing childhood anxiety and OCD symptoms.
3. No Child Participation Required: Ideal for kids who are resistant to therapy or unable to engage in traditional treatment.
4. Long-Term Resilience: By reducing anxiety accommodations, children learn that they can handle discomfort, helping them gain confidence and independence.

What Does the Research Say?

Studies on SPACE have shown impressive results:

• A 2019 study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry found that SPACE was as effective as CBT in reducing child anxiety symptoms. In this randomized controlled trial, children whose parents received SPACE showed significant improvements—even without direct participation in therapy.
• A 2020 study on SPACE for childhood OCD also demonstrated positive outcomes, with reductions in obsessive-compulsive symptoms and decreased parental accommodation.

These findings suggest that empowering parents to respond differently to their child’s anxiety can lead to real, lasting improvements.

Is SPACE Right for Your Child?

If your child struggles with anxiety or OCD and you feel stuck in a cycle of accommodations, SPACE might be the right approach for your family. By making small, intentional changes, you can help your child build the resilience they need to navigate life’s challenges with confidence.

If you’d like to learn more about SPACE or explore whether it’s a good fit for your family, feel free to reach out—I’d love to help guide you through this process!

Want to hear a real family’s experience with SPACE? Click on the video below to learn more: