Supporting Your Anxious Child: Evidence-Based SPACE Program for Parents
- Jennifer McIntee-Leinweber
- Oct 22
- 3 min read
It can feel like you’re walking on eggshells. You want to comfort them — but sometimes, the more you try to help, the worse things seem to get.
You’re not making things worse. Your instincts just need a new roadmap.
💡 Introducing the SPACE Program
Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) is an evidence-based program developed at the Yale Child Study Center. It helps you support your child by changing how you respond to anxiety, not your child’s personality.
Research shows that when parents reduce accommodations — like sleeping beside a worried child, offering constant reassurance, or letting them skip anxiety-provoking situations — children’s anxiety symptoms improve, even without direct child therapy.
Clinical trials show that SPACE is as effective as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for childhood anxiety, but without requiring the child to attend therapy sessions.
🪴 In SPACE, Parents Learn How To:
· Identify how anxiety “shows up” in your family
· Recognize and reduce unhelpful accommodations
· Respond to anxiety with confidence and compassion
· Strengthen your child’s sense of independence
🚫 What SPACE Is Not:
· It doesn’t force children to face fears
· It doesn’t blame parents
· It doesn’t require intensive homework or child participation
💬 What Parents Often Say
Parents who complete SPACE often describe feeling hopeful again. They discover that helping doesn’t mean rescuing — it means trusting that their child can cope, with their support.
It’s a powerful shift from feeling helpless to feeling equipped.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who is SPACE for?
SPACE is designed for parents of children or teens who experience anxiety, OCD, or related difficulties. It’s particularly helpful for families where traditional child-focused therapy has been challenging or where a child resists attending therapy.
Q: Will SPACE make me feel more confident in dealing with my child’s anxiety?
Yes, SPACE will help you learn effective ways to support and respond with confidence and compassion. You will learn how to respond more supportively to your anxious child and ways to reduce the accommodations you have been making to the child’s symptoms.
Q: Do children need to attend sessions?
No. SPACE is unique because it works through parents. You’ll learn practical strategies that support your child’s growth and independence at home.
Q: How long does the SPACE program take?
Most families see meaningful changes within 8–12 sessions, depending on your goals and pace.
Q: What if both parents aren’t available to participate?
Ideally, both caregivers attend, but meaningful progress can still happen if only one parent participates. We’ll help you tailor the approach to your family’s situation.
Q: Does this mean my child won’t ever need therapy?
Not necessarily. Some families combine SPACE alongside child-focused therapy while others choose to focus on child-focused therapy later. The goal is to reduce anxiety-related patterns at home, so your child feels safer, stronger, and more confident.
Q: How is SPACE different from “tough love”?
SPACE isn’t about ignoring distress. It’s about responding in a calm, confident, and compassionate way that helps your child build coping skills — not dependence on reassurance.
Q: Who leads SPACE sessions at OBP Wellness?
SPACE sessions are facilitated by Jennifer McIntee-Leinweber, a Registered Psychologist trained in the SPACE model.
🌼 Ready to Learn More?
If you’re curious about how SPACE could support your family, connect with Jennifer McIntee-Leinweber. R. Psych at Off the Beaten Path Psychology & Wellness to learn more.
At Off the Beaten Path Psychology, we provide counselling and therapy services to individuals, couples, and families in Airdrie, Calgary, and Cochrane, Alberta. Our team supports anxiety, burnout, relationship challenges, and trauma recovery. Contact us today to learn more about how we can support your mental health journey.