SPACE Therapy: Supporting Anxious Children and Teens with Anxiety and OCD
Are you struggling with an anxious child or teen who is hesitant to participate in traditional therapy? At Houston Center for Valued Living, we offer SPACE Therapy — a revolutionary, parent-focused treatment for children with anxiety, OCD, and related challenges. Designed to support childhood anxiety and OCD treatment, SPACE Therapy empowers parents to make changes that positively impact their child’s emotional well-being.
What is SPACE Therapy? A Parent-Based Approach for Childhood Anxiety
SPACE Therapy (Supporting Anxious Childhood Emotions) is a parent-focused therapeutic approach developed by Dr. Eli Lebowitz at the Yale Child Study Center. The program helps parents of children and teens with anxiety, OCD, and similar problems by teaching them how to respond more effectively to their child’s emotions.
Unlike traditional therapy, SPACE Therapy focuses on the parents, empowering you to create a more supportive environment for your child. The program helps you make changes in your own behavior that reduce your child’s anxiety, without requiring your child to participate in therapy sessions.
Wondering if SPACE Therapy can help your child? This program has been effective for treating a variety of childhood anxiety and OCD-related conditions, including:
- Separation Anxiety
- Social Anxiety
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (excessive worry)
- Fears and phobias
- Panic Disorder
- Agoraphobia
- Selective Mutism
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Key Elements of SPACE Therapy for Childhood Anxiety and OCD
During your SPACE Therapy sessions, you will focus on key topics that help alleviate your child’s anxiety:
- Understanding Your Child’s Anxiety or OCD: Gain a deeper understanding of the root causes of your child’s anxiety or OCD, and how it manifests in their daily life.
- Responding in a Supportive Way: Learn how to provide emotional support to your child without reinforcing their anxiety.
- Reducing Accommodations: Discover how to gradually reduce the accommodations you may be making for your child’s anxiety, such as avoiding certain situations or doing things for them that they could learn to do independently.
- Building a Supportive Community: Strengthen the support network around your child by engaging other family members, caregivers, or teachers.
- Minimizing Escalations: Learn how to prevent and manage escalations or conflicts, helping to create a calmer, more stable home environment.
Get Started with SPACE Therapy Today
At Houston Center for Valued Living, we specialize in SPACE Therapy, an effective approach to managing your child’s anxiety or OCD without requiring their participation in sessions. If you’re ready to take the next step in helping your child, contact us today to schedule a consultation and learn how this parent-based therapy can empower your family to reduce anxiety and create positive change.