Therapy for Children Struggling with Anxiety & OCD in Elizabeth City

Anxiety and OCD can show up in ways that look like “just being sensitive,” “controlling,” or “having a lot of worries”—but if those fears are getting in the way of daily life, it’s worth paying attention.

Your child may be struggling with anxiety or OCD if they:

• Constantly seek reassurance (“Will you be there the whole time?” “What if I mess up?”)

• Avoid certain places, people, or situations due to fear

• Have frequent meltdowns or panic when routines are disrupted

• Perform rituals or routines that must be done "just right" to feel safe

• Struggle with separation, sleep, school, or social situations

• Get extremely distressed when their thoughts, plans, or preferences are interrupted

If their fear or discomfort is running the show—and your family is walking on eggshells to avoid triggering it—there’s a good chance anxiety or OCD is playing a bigger role than you think.

The good news? You don’t have to wait for a diagnosis to get support. SPACE therapy works directly with you, the parent, to help reduce symptoms and restore calm at home.

Ask ChatGPT

That’s exactly where SPACE comes in.

SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) is designed for situations just like this—where a child is unwilling, unmotivated, or even in full denial that anything’s wrong. The magic of SPACE is that your child doesn’t have to attend therapy at all. I work directly with you, the parent, to shift the patterns that are feeding the anxiety or OCD behind the scenes.

By changing how you respond to your child’s distress—without pressure, punishment, or forcing them into therapy—you can still help reduce their symptoms and bring more calm to your home. Change starts with you (and no, that doesn’t mean you’re the problem—it means you have the power).

Ask ChatGPT

It feels like manipulation sometimes—especially when your child’s anxiety shows up as big meltdowns, controlling behavior, or endless “what if” questions. But here’s the truth: anxiety and OCD are not choices or bad behavior—they’re survival responses.

When a child is anxious or stuck in an OCD loop, their brain is sounding the alarm, even if there’s no real danger. What looks like defiance, control, or drama is usually your child trying (desperately!) to avoid fear or discomfort. They’re not trying to manipulate you—they’re trying to feel safe.

With SPACE, we stop feeding the anxiety without shaming your child. You’ll learn how to set boundaries with love, reduce accommodations, and respond in a way that supports growth—not fear.

And bonus? When you stop treating anxiety like “bad behavior,” things at home often get a whole lot calmer.

Yes. That’s the beauty of SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions). Unlike traditional therapy, SPACE is parent-based, which means I work directly with you—not your child.

Why? Because when a child is anxious, the entire family system gets pulled into managing it. You may find yourself walking on eggshells, changing routines, avoiding triggers, or offering constant reassurance—all in an effort to help them feel better (and keep the peace). But those well-intentioned accommodations actually keep anxiety stuck.

In SPACE, I help you shift how you respond to your child’s anxiety—setting clear boundaries with warmth and confidence, reducing those patterns, and creating a home environment that supports bravery, not avoidance.

Research shows SPACE is just as effective as individual therapy for kids with anxiety and OCD. You have more influence than you realize—and I’ll show you how to use it in a way that actually works.