Breaking the Anxiety Cycle: How Parents Can Help Children Thrive With S.P.A.C.E. Therapy by Lauren Bomberg, MA, LPC, BC-DMT

Bergen County Moms
3 hours ago
3 min read

Young girl having seperation anxiety from her mother while holding on to the monther's leg, not able to leave her.

When a child experiences anxiety, a parent’s natural instinct is to step in and make the discomfort disappear. While this response comes from a place of love, certain accommodations can unintentionally reinforce the anxiety cycle over time.

S.P.A.C.E. Therapy (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) empowers parents with practical, evidence-based tools to respond differently—helping children build confidence, independence, and long-term emotional resilience without forcing or pressuring the child into treatment.

At The Lukin Center, families have access to S.P.A.C.E. Therapy with Lauren Bomberg, LPC, BC-DMT, a Certified S.P.A.C.E. Therapist who specializes in helping parents shift their responses in ways that reduce anxiety and foster meaningful, lasting change at home.

Here are ways you may unintentionally be reinforcing your child’s anxious emotions:

Cycle diagram titled "Your Child's Anxiety Cycle" showing stages: Child Distress, Parent Accommodation, Short Term Relief, Child Dependence.

Infographic on S.P.A.C.E therapy by Lokin Center. Highlights reducing child distress, increasing supportive statements, and decreasing parent accommodation.

How S.P.A.C.E. Works

10 to 12 week program
Parents participate
Child and parents benefit
Learn how to change your response to your child’s anxiety and promote long-term independence

You are not the problem; however, you can be part of the solution.

Click here to learn more about S.P.A.C.E. Therapy and how The Lukin Center supports families in our community.

Lauren Bomberg, MA, LPC, BC-DMT | Lukin Center Psychotherapy, Bergen County Moms — Lauren Bomberg | Lukin Center Psychotherapy

Lauren Bomberg, MA, LPC, BC-DMT is a psychotherapist at Lukin Center for Psychotherapy, specializing in treating young children with neurodevelopmental, social-emotional, and behavioral challenges while supporting their parents with positive solutions. She is particularly passionate about the treatment of anxiety and related disorders. Adult work may focus on navigating life transitions and stressors, relationships, occupational or academic pressures, and perfectionism.

Lauren uses evidenced-based, solution-focused, and strengths-based approaches with unconditional positive regard for the client to foster healthy coping and communication skills. As one of few Board Certified-Movement Psychotherapists in New Jersey, Lauren finds creative and playful ways to actively engage children in session to meet their individualized treatment goals. She supports their parents with Positive Parenting tips and scripts, Parent-Child Interactive Therapy (PCIT) skills, and her professional training in the scientifically-proven Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) program. Finally, Lauren empowers clients with psychoeducation and incorporates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) skills. Previously, Lauren spent years refining her clinical skills at the partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient levels of care. She has provided group, individual, and family therapy to children, adolescents, and adults in crisis with a variety of acute psychiatric diagnoses. During her graduate studies, Lauren focused on child development and nonverbal communication, serving infants to adolescents with neurodevelopmental and motor disabilities in specialized and inclusive school settings. Her thesis, inspired by Attachment Theory, was published and selected for presentation at the ADTA national conference. Dedicated to lifelong learning and quality care, Lauren frequently participates in continuing education and mental health advocacy today.

Lauren earned her Bachelor of Science from Muhlenberg College, where she majored in both Neuroscience and Dance with a concentration in Dance Science. She then attended Drexel University, where she earned her Master’s degree in Dance/Movement Therapy and Mental Health Counseling.