In this episode Zack interviews Amy Killy, a licensed clinical social worker from Washington D.C. who specializes in working with anxious children and their parents. Amy provides a deep dive into S.P.A.C.E. (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) treatment, a model designed to empower parents to effectively respond to their child’s anxiety. Through focusing on parent behavior and shifting their responses to their child anxiety, research shows there can be a significant and long lasting reduction in anxiety symptoms.

Amy discusses the common pitfalls parents of anxious children face, such as being overly protective or too demanding, and how these tendencies can unintentionally reinforce a child's anxiety. S.P.A.C.E. focuses on reducing accommodations—protective behaviors that parents often use to alleviate their child’s anxiety—and providing effective support. Parents learn to validate their child's feelings while also fostering confidence in their child’s ability to cope with their anxiety, a balanced approach that fosters emotional resilience. In addition to a in depth education on S.P.A.C.E, Amy also shares other valuable resources that parents can access to learn more about helping their children fear less!  

Zack’s Hack: In this week’s anxiety hack Zack shares how coping ahead can help you fear less!!

Fear Less is sponsored by Mountain Valley Treatment Center.

Resources mentioned in this episode include:

Weaver and Associates

Parenting Programs at Weaver

Understanding SPACE (this link also links to other SPACE resources

Raising a Kid Who Can (scroll to the bottom to request free chapter)

Breaking Free of Childhood Anxiety and OCD

Flusterclux - podcast with Lynn Lyons