--- title: "SPACE for Anxious Kids & Teens | The Solace Space" description: "SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) — a parent-led, evidence-based treatment for anxiety and OCD in kids and teens. Alpharetta and virtual across Georgia." lang: en json-ld: --- [The Solace Space Therapy · Alpharetta, GA ](/) Services Service Areas [About](/about-me)[Rates](/rates)[FAQ](/faq)[Blog](/blog-2)[Contact](/contact) [Book a free consult](https://calendly.com/thesolacespacetherapy/free-15-minute-consultation) SPACE # Help your child — _without_ making them talk to a stranger. (SPACE works with the parent. that's the whole point.) SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) is an evidence-based treatment developed at the Yale Child Study Center. The child never has to attend. The work happens with you. It's designed for anxious kids and teens — including OCD — who refuse therapy, are too young for it, or aren't ready. It also works alongside a child's own therapy. What it looks like ## Your whole family is _arranging around_ the anxiety. - Bedtime takes an hour because they can't be alone in the room. - You've stopped inviting friends over, or going places, to avoid the meltdown. - You answer the same reassurance question ten times a day. - School refusal — mornings are a war, and you're losing. - OCD rituals that the whole family now participates in. - You've read the books. You've tried the strategies. It's not working. How SPACE works ## Reduce accommodation. Increase _support_. Both, at once. (you're not the cause. you are the leverage point.) Family accommodation — the small, loving things you do to keep your child's anxiety from spiking — is one of the biggest predictors of whether childhood anxiety sticks around. It's also completely fixable, and not your fault. SPACE teaches you to systematically reduce accommodation while simultaneously showing more support, not less. Your child learns their anxiety is real, you believe them, and they can handle more than everyone's been assuming. Typical course is 12 weekly parent sessions. We build a plan, you implement, we adjust. The kid changes without ever setting foot in my office. What you'll actually do ## Change what you do. _Watch_ them change. 1. 01 ### Map the accommodations We list every single way the family currently works around the anxiety. It's usually more than you thought. No shame; this is data. 2. 02 ### Pick one target We pick one accommodation to reduce first. Not the biggest one. The strategic one. You get a script, a plan, and my number if it goes sideways. 3. 03 ### Show more support You'll learn a specific supportive statement that acknowledges the anxiety is real AND expresses confidence in your child's ability to handle it. It's not a pep talk. 4. 04 ### Hold the line, kindly We plan for the pushback — because there will be pushback. You'll have language and a plan before you need it, not during the meltdown. Straight talk ## When I'm _not_ the right fit. - Kids with primary concerns other than anxiety or OCD (behavioral issues, trauma, learning differences) — SPACE is anxiety-specific. - Situations where the child is in immediate crisis or unsafe — those need direct, higher-level care first. - Parents who aren't able to be on the same page with each other. The plan works when both parents (when both are involved) run it consistently. If any of that is you, I'll say so on the consult and point you toward someone who's a better fit. Common questions ## Before you book. My child says they want to come with me. Can they? SPACE is designed as parent-only, and that's usually where the leverage is. If your child also wants their own therapy, we can talk about how to sequence it. Will my child know I'm doing this? Yes. There's a specific way to tell them what's changing and why — we go over it together in an early session. It's not sneaky. How old does my child need to be? SPACE works from roughly age 4 through the late teens. The plan looks different at each age. ## Ready when _you_ are. A free 15-minute call. You tell me what's going on. I tell you honestly whether I'm the right fit. [Book the consult](https://calendly.com/thesolacespacetherapy/free-15-minute-consultation)[See all services](/Services) In a crisis or emergency, call or text [988](tel:988) to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or call [911](tel:911). The Solace Space Therapy · Alpharetta, GA Helping anxious minds find solace. Anxiety & OCD therapy in Alpharetta, GA + online across Georgia. ### Contact - [colleendonahueritz@gmail.com ](mailto:colleendonahueritz@gmail.com) - [(603) 209-2168 ](tel:+16032092168) - 290 S Main St, Suite 200 Alpharetta, GA 30009 ### Explore - [All Services](/Services) - [Anxiety Therapy](/anxiety-therapy) - [ERP for OCD](/erp-ocd-therapy) - [Social Anxiety](/social-anxiety) - [EFT for Couples](/eft-couples-therapy) - [Teen Therapy](/teentherapy) - [SPACE Therapy](/space-therapy) - [About](/about-me) - [Contact](/contact) - [FAQ](/#faq) - [Book a free consult →](https://calendly.com/thesolacespacetherapy/free-15-minute-consultation) ### Find me - [Psychology Today ](https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/colleen-ritz-alpharetta-ga/1134095) - [LinkedIn ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleendonahue/) - [Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/61585284334210/) In a crisis or emergency , call or text [988](tel:988) for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or call [911](tel:911). The Solace Space Therapy is not a crisis service. © 2026 The Solace Space Therapy · CDR Counseling, LLC. Nothing on this site constitutes therapy until a signed agreement is in place. Colleen Ritz, LPC is licensed in Georgia only. Website by [Automaus.ai](https://automaus.ai)