SPACE stands for Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions and is a parent-based treatment programme for children and adolescents with anxiety and/or OCD. SPACE was developed by Dr. Eli Lebowitz at the Yale Child Study Centre and has been found to be effective in clinical trials.
Parents (and other caregivers) participate in SPACE treatment sessions. The child or adolescent does not need to attend the treatment sessions. Ideally, both parents would attend the sessions, although this is not essential.
Parents who participate in SPACE will learn skills and tools to help their child overcome anxiety. The treatment focuses on changes that parents can make to their own behaviour, to help their child overcome anxiety. This involves changes to responses, language, and accommodations around the child’s anxiety.
The sessions are held in person, approximately every two weeks, and are a safe space to share the challenges you are going through. The programme follows a set structure so it is important that participants are able to commit to attending each session. The sessions will involve learning about how anxiety functions, and what helps children with anxiety. In between each session, parents will be asked to make specific changes or do some preparation work before the next session.
Some of the main anxiety problems treated with SPACE include:
• Separation anxiety
• Social anxiety
• Generalised anxiety
• Fears and phobias
• Panic disorder and Agoraphobia
• Selective mutism
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder
The SPACE treatment is suitable for children and adolescents who are demonstrating some anxiety-related challenges, which are causing the parents to have to change their behaviour in order to support the child. The child does not need to have a diagnosis of an anxiety condition. To assess your suitability, you can think about these questions:
1. Are there certain things that you feel you have to do because of your child’s anxiety? (e.g., go with them to places, speak for them, check things for them, answer multiple questions, change your schedule, provide things) – If the answer is yes, this program will be a good fit for you and your child.
2. Are there certain things you feel you can’t do because of your child’s anxiety? (e.g., have people come to the house, go to certain places, go out in the evening) – If the answer is yes, this program will be a good fit for you and your child.
3. Do you often feel you’re treading on eggshells because of your child’s anxiety? – If the answer is yes, this program will be a good fit for you and your child.
4. Is your child attending school? – If your child is not currently attending school, or is struggling to attend school, please book a short call to discuss the suitability of the program for your needs: Book a screening call
5. What is the main thing you would like to see as a result of this program? – If your main objective is to get your child to return to school, please book a short call to discuss the suitability of the program for your needs: Book a screening call
6. Does your child have, or potentially have, any neurodivergent conditions? – The program has been shown to work well for both neurotypical and neurodivergent children. However, if they are neurodivergent, e.g., they have ADHD, ASD or PDA, the adaptations we make may need to be considered differently to allow for this. Please book a short call to discuss the suitability of the program for your needs: Book a screening call
26th April, 10th May, 17th May, 7th June, 14th June, 5th July
Course Timings – 2 hours per day with Whatsapp support in between sessions
Arrive at 09:45 (Ready for 10am Start) End 14:00
Full payment of £570 can be made upfront
Alternatively, a 50% payment of £285 can secure your place.
The second payment of £285 is due halfway through the course (17th May)
When my daughter started Primary School, she was completely silent. She has selective mutism, an anxiety condition. She is prone to anxiety, and anxiety can show up in a range of areas for her.
When we first realised there was a problem, it really took its toll on us as parents. The mental and emotional load was really overwhelming.
But I wasn’t happy to sit back and hope everything got better by itself. I learned the tools, studied the techniques, and helped my child to make wonderful progress in overcoming anxiety. I dedicated myself to helping other parents feel more in control, by knowing what they can do themselves, at home, to support their child.
I was a primary school teacher for almost twenty years, after which I studied/qualified as:
• Master’s degree in the Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health
• Accredited Goulding method consultant
• Trained provider of the Supportive Parenting of Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) program
• Emotional Freedom Technique
• Certified personal development coach
• Certified mental health coach
• Certified trauma-informed coach
I support parents to learn strategies at home to support their and their child’s emotional wellbeing. Let’s work together, to help you and your child feel better.
“Katrina has a calm, supportive way of communicating and gave us a simple, clear path to follow. Within just a few weeks of working together, our daughter is much calmer, our relationship is closer, and she is managing her anxiety better.”
