Signs Anxiety May Be Shaping Family Life

Many caring parents unintentionally change family routines to help their child feel less anxious. These changes often provide short-term relief but can allow anxiety or OCD to become more powerful over time.

You may recognize patterns like:

• Giving frequent reassurance to calm worries

• Modifying routines to prevent distress

• Avoiding situations that trigger anxiety

• Sleeping with your child because they feel unsafe

• Speaking for your child in social situations

• Repeatedly checking or explaining things to reduce worry

• Changing family plans to prevent meltdowns

• Feeling like the household revolves around managing anxiety

If these patterns sound familiar, you are not alone. Most families develop accommodations because they care deeply about their child and want to reduce distress.

The SPACE approach helps caregivers gradually shift these patterns in a supportive way so children can build confidence and independence.

What is SPACE?

SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) was developed by Dr. Eli Lebowitz at the Yale Child Study Center.

It is a research-supported program designed to help caregivers support children struggling with anxiety or OCD.

Unlike traditional child-focused therapy, SPACE helps parents change their responses to anxiety in ways that reduce accommodations and increase supportive communication.

The program has been tested in clinical trials at the Yale Child Study Center and has been shown to significantly reduce anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents.

Help for Parents of Children with Anxiety or OCD

When a child struggles with anxiety or OCD, families often find themselves adjusting daily routines to prevent distress. Parents may offer frequent reassurance, help their child avoid situations that trigger anxiety, or modify family plans in order to keep things calm.

While these changes are made with the best intentions, they can unintentionally allow anxiety to grow stronger over time.

The SPACE program (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) helps caregivers learn practical strategies to respond to anxiety in ways that support their child’s growing independence.

This virtual workshop is designed for parents of children and teens experiencing anxiety, OCD, school refusal, or avoidance patterns and provides structured guidance for reducing accommodations while strengthening supportive communication.

What You’ll Learn in the SPACE Workshop

This workshop provides practical tools caregivers can begin using immediately.

During the program you will learn how to:

Identify and reduce family accommodations

Recognize the ways anxiety or OCD may be shaping family routines and learn how to gradually reduce these patterns.

Respond to anxiety without reinforcing it

Develop supportive communication strategies that validate your child’s distress while encouraging them to face challenges.

Use supportive statements that build confidence

Learn specific language used in the SPACE model that communicates both acceptance of your child’s feelings and confidence in their ability to cope.

Plan accommodation reductions

Create a step-by-step plan for reducing accommodations in a thoughtful and sustainable way.

Respond to pushback and emotional reactions

Understand why children may react strongly when accommodations change and learn strategies for responding calmly and consistently.

Support your child’s growing independence

Help your child develop confidence and resilience by creating opportunities for them to face fears and build coping skills.

Workshop Structure

Each session builds on the previous one and includes teaching, discussion, and practical planning so caregivers can begin using SPACE strategies right away.

Session 1 — Understanding Anxiety and Family Accommodation

Learn how anxiety operates and how family accommodations can unintentionally keep anxiety or OCD stuck.

Session 2 — Supportive Communication

Learn the core supportive statements used in SPACE to communicate acceptance while expressing confidence in your child’s ability to cope.

Session 3 — Mapping Accommodation Patterns

Identify specific accommodations occurring in your household and begin developing a plan for change.

Session 4 — Reducing Accommodations

Learn how to gradually reduce accommodations in a thoughtful and supportive way.

Session 5 — Responding to Pushback

Develop strategies for handling distress, anger, or resistance while maintaining calm consistency.

Session 6 — Strengthening Independence and Long-Term Change

Review progress, troubleshoot challenges, and develop strategies for maintaining change after the workshop.

Workshop Details

Format

Interactive small-group sessions held via Zoom

Schedule

Tuesdays • 6:30–7:30 pm MST

May 5, 12, 19, 26

June 2 , 9

Cost

Early Registration: $500 per family

(available when payment is completed by April 1)

Standard Registration: $600 per family

(includes up to two caregivers)

Materials

All workshop materials are provided digitally, including slides and caregiver planning worksheets.

Payment Options

Payment plans are available through Affirm for families who prefer to spread the cost over time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this therapy?

No. This is an educational workshop based on the SPACE program. The workshop focuses on teaching caregivers strategies they can use to support their child.

It does not include diagnosis or therapy services.

Why don’t you need to meet my child?

SPACE focuses entirely on caregiver behavior. Children rely on caregivers to regulate their environment and respond to anxiety.

By reducing accommodations and increasing supportive communication, caregivers can create the conditions that allow children to face fears and build resilience.

What if I miss a session?

Because the sessions build on each other, attending each week is strongly recommended. If you miss a session, slides and handouts will be provided.

What if I need additional support?

Participants are welcome to email brief questions between sessions. Individual consultations are also available if additional guidance is needed.

Meet Your Workshop Leader

Michelle Puerner, LCSW, founder of The Anxiety Break, leads all SPACE workshops.

Michelle is a licensed clinical social worker with nearly 15 years of experience specializing in anxiety and OCD treatment. She is trained in the SPACE model and is passionate about helping families break free from cycles of anxiety and accommodation.

Michelle is licensed in Montana and Colorado.

Reserve Your Spot

If you’re interested in joining the upcoming workshop, the first step is completing a short interest form.

Once your form is received, we will follow up with registration details and answer any questions before confirming enrollment.

Spots are limited to keep the group small and supportive.

Early registration pricing of $500 per family is available for participants who complete payment by April 1.