Breaking Free of Child Anxiety and OCD

By Eli R. Lebowitz, PhD

Breaking Free of Child Anxiety and OCD introduces parents to SPACE, or Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions, a parent-based approach developed to help children and adolescents struggling with anxiety and OCD. Rather than requiring parents to directly change their child’s behavior, the program focuses on changing how parents respond to anxiety and reducing accommodations that may unintentionally reinforce anxious patterns.

Through step-by-step guidance, practical suggestions, and worksheets, the book helps parents balance acceptance of their child’s genuine difficulties with confidence in their ability to cope. It also addresses common parenting challenges, including knowing when to provide reassurance, when to encourage independence, and how to respond when anxiety begins to affect the entire family.