At AK Psychology Group, we help families shift from accommodating anxiety to nurturing confidence. This post highlights how the SPACE model supports anxious children by working directly with their parents.
Why Anxiety Becomes a Family Experience
Anxiety in children often shows up in ways that impact the entire family—skipped school days, missed activities, constant weather checks, and last-minute changes to plans. These reactions come from love, but over time, they can unintentionally reinforce the very fears they are meant to soothe. That’s where the SPACE model offers a path forward.
What Is SPACE?
SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) is a parent-based treatment developed by Dr. Eli Lebowitz at Yale. It’s designed for families where a child may be unwilling to engage in therapy or where parental accommodations have taken root.
Rather than changing the child’s behavior directly, SPACE helps parents change how they respond to their child’s distress. It provides language and strategies that reduce accommodation while preserving empathy.
Parents learn to send a consistent message: “We know this is hard, and we believe you can handle it.”
Case Example: C, Age 9
Robyn Bellinson, LCSW, recently worked with a family using the SPACE model.
C was a 9-year-old boy who had experienced a difficult summer. During camp, he often needed to be picked up early on rainy days. He feared thunderstorms, dogs, and that something bad might happen if his parents left the house. He sent them frequent texts asking about the weather. He avoided outdoor activities and froze during storms.
CBT had been attempted in the past but didn’t fully engage him. Even at the start of this treatment, he struggled to separate from his mother. Robyn supported this process gradually—first with his mother in the room, then in the hallway, and eventually waiting outside in the parking lot. As the weeks went on, C began entering sessions independently.
Shifting the Pattern: Reducing Accommodation
In early parent sessions, Robyn helped C’s parents identify ways they had been accommodating his fears. They checked weather reports, responded to repeated texts, and showed up at every practice, just in case.
These choices were understandable. They were trying to help him feel safe.
With support from the SPACE model, the parents began to change how they responded. They chose to attend games but not practices. They answered weather-related texts only once. They began practicing the core message: “We understand this is hard, and we trust you can handle it.”
Building Confidence, Not Avoidance
As the parents made these changes, C began reflecting more openly on his fear of the unexpected. He realized that he might never like surprises, but he could learn to live with them. He even began taking photos of nature—capturing moments like rainbows after the storm.
At home, the parents began stepping out for dinner without constant check-ins. They gave their son more space to try, to struggle, and to succeed.
Why This Matters
This case highlights something we see often: parents act from deep love. But love expressed through accommodation can sometimes hold children back.
The SPACE model helps shift that love into a form that supports growth and confidence.
How We Can Help
If you find yourself adjusting your entire day around your child’s anxiety, or if you’re not sure how much support is too much, we can help.
At AK Psychology Group, we work with parents and families using evidence-based approaches like SPACE to help children face their fears and build resilience.
Sometimes the most powerful changes begin not by doing more, but by doing something different.
