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SPACE Treatment
(for parents of children and teens with anxiety and OCD)


Do you have a child with big fears or worries? Maybe they are worried about going to school, being separated from you, eating 'healthy', storms, germs, making mistakes, medical procedures, or being judged by others. Are these worries or fears impacting their daily life as well as yours? Do you need to do things differently for them because of their struggles? If so, you are in the right place, read on! 

 

SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) is a parent-based treatment program for children and adolescents with anxiety, OCD, and related problems. Because it is parent-based, the anxious kids are not involved in the treatment.

 

SPACE was developed by Dr. Eli Lebowitz at the Yale Child Study Center where it has been researched and found to be effective in randomized controlled clinical trials. In fact, research has found that supporting caregivers of anxious kids using SPACE is just as effective as individual therapy for the kids themselves.

 

The treatment focuses on changes that caregivers can make to their own behaviour to support their child. The two main changes that parents learn to make are:

  1. responding more supportively to their anxious child, accepting and validating their emotions and providing statements of confidence in their ability to handle those feelings

  2. reducing the accommodations they have been making for the child

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Treatment typically involves meeting every 1-2 weeks for 8-12 sessions. Each session, the therapist teaches new components of the treatment program, reviews progress since last session, and assigns "homework" to be done between sessions. The program is done in a thoughtful and calculated way, ensuring parents are ready for the next step before moving forward.

 

Some of the main anxiety problems treated with SPACE include:

  • Separation anxiety

  • Social anxiety

  • Generalized anxiety

  • Fears and phobias

  • Panic disorder and Agoraphobia

  • Selective mutism

  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder

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SPACE Groups

I run SPACE groups at The Child and Adolescent Centre of Ottawa (CAFCO). These 7-week groups are run virtually from 6:30-8pm on Zoom. This group is in high demand and therefore runs regularly on either Mondays or Thursdays. Please click here for more information and to add your name to the group waitlist. Wait times are typically 3-6 weeks; this is our most sought-after group, therefore it runs frequently. Unfortunately I am not accepting new clients at this time, therefore the only way to access the SPACE program through my services is by joining a group. 

Additional SPACE Resources

Below are some resources to learn more about SPACE. I suggest starting with the first video as it gives a great overview. If you think the SPACE program would be helpful for your family, check out the other resources and consider joining one of my SPACE groups. Unfortunately I am not accepting new clients at this time, so the only way to access the SPACE program through me is by joining a group. 

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Videos:

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Books:

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Websites:

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Research Articles:

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SPACE Groups

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