Anxiety in Children and Adolescents: Parents as Agents for Change
As parents, we want to do everything in our power to decrease our child’s anxiety. But, what if you could help your child without even having him or her in therapy? What if you could decrease your child’s anxiety by changing your own behaviors? That is exactly what happens in the SPACE treatment program.
What is SPACE?
Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions is an evidenced-based treatment program for children and adolescents with anxiety, OCD, and related problems.
Who is SPACE for?
The child/teen is the client as the goal of treatment is to improve his/her ability to cope with anxiety.
Who participates in SPACE treatment?
While the child is the client, parents (or other caregivers) are the ones to work with SPACE therapists to learn tools and strategies to reduce their child’s anxiety indirectly by explicitly changing parental behavior. It is important to keep in mind that while parents are not to blame for a child’s anxiety, parents can become the most effective agents in reducing a child’s anxiety.
How does SPACE work?
Parents of children with anxiety-related distress often note that their reassuring statements (There is nothing to be afraid of) or behavioral suggestions (Just get on the bus and you’ll feel better at school) are many times ineffective. Further, trying to get a child to act differently often leads to even more distress. With SPACE, parents learn two primary behavioral changes that will allow a family to avoid much of the escalation that stems from trying to force a child to act differently, and most importantly, will lead to reduced anxiety in the child.
Specifically, parents learn to recognize and decrease accommodations (i.e., all the common and normal actions a parent does to help a child avoid anxiety-related distress such as repeatedly responding to a child’s worries or sleeping with a child who is afraid to be alone) AND learn to increase supportive responses (i.e., acceptance of anxiety-related distress as challenging and confidence that the child can cope effectively with that distress).
How long does SPACE treatment last?
SPACE treatment typically lasts 8-12 sessions though may require additional meetings depending upon individual child and family needs.
Where does SPACE treatment occur?
SPACE sessions with a therapist may occur in-person or via telehealth on a weekly basis. Further, parental practice of the newly learned tools and strategies between sessions is necessary for a successful treatment outcome.
For additional resources and information, please visit the Space website