SPACE: A 6-Week Group for Parents of Anxious Children

Reduce your child’s anxiety with SPACE!

~Next SPACE Group starts soon. Register now to secure your spot!!~

WHO: Parents of children and adolescents (ages 5-18) with anxiety, OCD, and related challenges

WHEN: Groups are always enrolling! Complete the Screening Form to find out when the next group will start!

HOW LONG: 6-week group. 60-minute session each week. 

WHERE: Virtual group held via secure telehealth platform

COST: $75 per weekly session per family.

What is SPACE?

Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) is an evidence-based parent-facing treatment for child and adolescent anxiety. Children do not attend SPACE, parents do! SPACE is designed to empower you to help your child develop skills to cope with anxiety and increase their independence. Your SPACE therapist, Dr. Rebecca Swenson, has been trained by experts at the Yale Child Study Center, where SPACE was developed. Learn more about SPACE at https://www.spacetreatment.net/.

What Will I Learn in SPACE?

Through six weekly sessions, you will come to better understand your child’s anxiety by learning what pediatric anxiety is, what keeps it going, and how it affects your family. You will discover how to support your child to face their fears with confidence. And you will create a step-by-step plan to decrease ‘accommodating’ behaviors – like excessive reassurance or avoidance – that can unintentionally reinforce anxiety. By reducing an ‘accommodating’ approach to a child’s anxiety, parents are able to uncover a new approach that enhances the child’s ability to cope with their anxious feelings, build resilience, and increase independence.

SPACE focuses on changes that parents can make on their own. But the treatment isn’t for you, it is treatment for your child delivered through a loving and supportive parent-child relationship. SPACE empowers parents to reclaim their family life from pediatric anxiety while gaining confidence in parenting their anxious child.

Who can Participate in a SPACE Group?

SPACE Groups typically consist of 3-4 families learning how to use SPACE skills together. Groups allow parents with similar experiences raising an anxious child to connect with and learn from each other. You are encouraged to join together with your parenting partner(s) – the group cost is per family, not per parent. After completion of the group, you will be invited to join a private Facebook page with other parents who have completed SPACE to continue connecting and supporting each other.

The SPACE group is open to residents of Michigan and over 43 Psypact participating states. Psypact is a program that allows licensed therapists to practice virtually in approved states. Click here to see whether your state is included in the list of eligible states.

What if I Would Rather Meet One-on-One? 

The concepts of SPACE can also be taught through individual sessions with parents. If you prefer, you can meet with your SPACE therapist one-on-one to learn strategies to help your child face their fears and get extra support trouble-shooting your intervention plans. Complete the Screening Form and select ‘Individual Therapy’ if you are interested.

Can I Be Reimbursed for SPACE Groups?

Because SPACE groups do not include a diagnostic assessment, your insurance carrier will not consider them to be a reimbursable medical service. However, if you or your child have already have had a diagnostic assessment completed at Birchwood Psychology as part of another service you are receiving (individual or family therapy), this service (group therapy) can be added to your existing Superbill. Reimbursement amounts vary and depend on your policy’s out-of-network benefits. Contact your insurance company and ask if your plan includes out-of-network benefits and, if so, how much you would be reimbursed for Multifamily Group Therapy ($75 for 60 minutes; CPT Code 90849).

Sounds Great! How Can I Sign-Up?

If you are interested in registering or learning more about SPACE, please complete the Screening Form. Your SPACE therapist Dr. Rebecca Swenson will get back to you as soon as possible to let you know about the registration process.

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Dr. Rebecca Swenson is a licensed clinical psychologist and parent coach who works with children, adolescents, young adults, and families in Northern Michigan with anxiety, OCD, and eating disorders. If someone in your family is struggling with emotional/behavioral health issues, contact Dr. Swenson today to learn more about evidence-based treatments that can help.