A First-Line, Evidence-Based Treatment for Childhood Anxiety
Empowering Parents. Reducing Anxiety. No Child Sessions Required.
Many parents believe that for a child to overcome anxiety, the child must be the one in the therapy seat. However, research from the Yale Child Study Center shows there is another way—one that is often more effective and sustainable for the entire family.
SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) is designed specifically for parents who want to help their child become more resilient and independent. It is a structured, evidence-based treatment that focuses on the person with the most power to change the environment: the parent.
Click the button below to speak with us about how SPACE can help your family.
Schedule A Free Phone Consultation – Select Drs. Lilly or Dufrene
Why Choose SPACE First?
You don’t have to wait until your child is ‘ready’ or ‘motivated’ for their own therapy to begin seeing progress. In fact, SPACE is a proven first-line treatment that is just as effective as individual Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for children.
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Clinical Effectiveness: Research confirms that SPACE leads to significant reductions in both child anxiety symptoms and family accommodation.
- Start Now: Because this model focuses on the parents, you can begin making progress today, even if your child isn’t yet ready to engage in their own treatment.
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Highly Effective for Single Parents: Most research on SPACE was conducted with only one parent. Whether you are a single parent or your partner isn’t able to participate, you can successfully lead this change on your own.
Is SPACE Right for Your Family?
SPACE is particularly effective for children and teens struggling with:
- Separation or Social Anxiety
- Generalized Anxiety and Constant Worry
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Panic Disorder and Phobias
- Selective Mutism
- School Refusal or Bedtime Struggles
Why Focus on Parents?
When a child is anxious, parents naturally step in to help. You might find yourself walking on eggshells, providing endless reassurance, or managing meltdowns to keep the peace. While these actions are done out of deep love, they can unintentionally create a cycle where the child never has to face the natural consequences of their anxiety.
When parents handle the difficult parts of life for them, the child often loses the internal motivation to change. If the environment is perfectly accommodated to their fears, they don’t experience the discomfort necessary to fuel growth. This impacts the effectiveness of exposure-based treatments conducted directly with the child and reinforces the belief that they cannot handle the world without your constant intervention.
The SPACE Model flips the script: Instead of forcing the child to change, we help the parent stop the accommodation that inadvertently feeds the anxiety.
SPACE equips you to:
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Identify the Patterns: Pinpoint the hidden accommodations that keep the anxiety cycle spinning.
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Increase Support, Decrease Accommodation: Learn to express 100% confidence in your child’s ability while simultaneously pulling back the “crutches” that hold them back.
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Reduce Conflict: Move away from power struggles and toward a calm, strategic plan for independence.
Work With Dr. Holtzman
At Rise OCD and Anxiety, Dr. Holtzman provides expert guidance through the SPACE protocol.
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Flexible Telehealth: All sessions are conducted via secure telehealth. This allows you to join from home or work without the stress of a commute. While two caregivers are welcome to join – even from separate locations – only one parent’s participation is required to drive meaningful change and make the treatment effective.
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Actionable Steps: Every session provides a clear plan for the week ahead.
- Real Results from Rise Parents: Families using SPACE report a marked decrease in daily conflict, a significant drop in family accommodation, and a clear improvement in their child’s ability to function independently.
Change Starts With You — We’re Here to Help
SPACE gives you the tools to reduce your child’s anxiety, starting with small steps that make a big difference.
Click the button below to speak with us about how SPACE can help your family.
Schedule A Free Phone Consultation – Select Dr. Lilly
Want to learn more about the therapist who leads our SPACE program?
Meet Dr. Rochelle Holtzman or hear her talk about SPACE from by clicking the post below
Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE)