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You are a parent/caregiver and you have been feeling lately that your childs anxiety has been out of control. They have been refusing to go to school, attend after school activities, or spend time outside of home because they are too anxious. You find yourself reassuring them that they’ll be okay or letting them stay home out of fear that they won’t be able to handle the anxiety. But nothing seems to be working to get a handle on the anxiety. 

SPACE is a parent-based treatment program designed to help children and adolescents struggling with anxiety or obsessive-compulsive behaviors. Unlike traditional child-focused therapy, SPACE empowers parents with strategies to reduce their child's anxiety by adjusting their own responses to their child’s anxious behaviors. A lot of families who are helped by SPACE have had an unsuccessful response to individual therapy (whether your child wouldn’t connect with the therapist or did but would not or could not implement strategies outside of the therapy office). 

Through SPACE, parents learn how to offer support while gradually reducing accommodations that reinforce the child’s anxiety. This helps children develop greater independence and resilience in managing their fears, all without the child needing to attend therapy sessions directly. 

My name is Alison Flowers and I am psychologist in Westlake, OH

What to expect:

  • The first appointment I will ideally meet with you and your child to make sure that SPACE is a good fit for your family. However, if your child refuses to attend/participate that it is okay! SPACE is a treatment where parents are the change agent so child participation in the first session is not required.

  • After the first appointment we will decide if we will do virtual or in person appointments (or both) and I meet with parents/guardians during these appointments.

  • Children do not need to participate in follow up appointments. Sometimes we decide a course of CBT for individual therapy would be beneficial but this is separate from SPACE treatment.

  • SPACE is a time limited program lasting typically from 8-16 appointments. This program is ideal for parents who want to play an active role in helping their child overcome anxiety in a supportive and structured way.

Contact me at (216) 245-2421 for your free 15-minute phone consultation about SPACE treatment.

I know it can feel like a big step to reach out to a psychologist and start treatment, but I try to make it easy. We’ll spend 15-minutes on the phone and I’ll let you know how or if I can help. If I am not the right person,

Have questions about my other services in Westlake, OH? Learn about me here, or check out the FAQs about therapy.

 

Frequently Asked Questions for SPACE treatment

  • Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions is a evidenced-based treatment designed for parents of children and teens who struggle with anxiety and Obsessive Comupulsive Disorder (OCD).

  • Both SPACE and CBT are evidence-based approaches for childhood anxiety, but SPACE focuses more on changing parental behavior, while CBT focuses on helping the child develop coping skills directly. Both approaches can be effective depending on the child's and family’s needs. Often families try SPACE either after individual therapy has not been working or their child refuses to participate/implement skills at home.

  • SPACE is designed for children and adolescents ages 6-18. However, since the treatment works primarily through parents, it can be effective even for younger children (under 6) who may not be ready to participate directly in therapy.