There is a clear and critical need to care for mental and physical health simultaneously. Understanding this connection and synergy is vital to overall wellness.
NAMI FL Holistic Health Series is a wellness program designed to educate and empower you to better manage your health — mentally and physically.
Navigating Childhood Anxiety: Empowering Caregivers with the SPACE Program
Join Dr. Katrina Blomquist, child clinical psychologist, and Liz Allen, Dean of Students at Elizabeth Ann Clune Montessori School and NAMI Program Committee Chair for a talk on childhood anxiety! We will be discussing the SPACE program for caregivers of anxious children. SPACE stands for Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions and is a parent-based treatment program for children and adolescents with anxiety, OCD, and related problems. SPACE was developed by Dr. Eli Lebowitz at the Yale Child Study Center and has been tested and found to be efficacious in randomized controlled clinical trials. Caregivers who participate in SPACE will learn skills and tools to help their child overcome anxiety, OCD or related problems. The program focuses on changes that parents can make to their own behavior; they do not need to make their child change. The two main changes that parents learn to make are to respond more supportively to their anxious child and to reduce the accommodations they have been making to the child's symptoms.
Katrina Blomquist, PhD
Dr. Katrina Blomquist is a licensed clinical psychologist with advanced training in the treatment of anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. She specializes in evidence-based therapies, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure and response prevention (ERP), to help clients overcome obstacles and achieve their goals. Passionate about working collaboratively, Dr. Blomquist empowers children, adolescents, and adults to address challenges head-on.
An upstate New York native, Dr. Blomquist earned her undergraduate degree from Cornell University and her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Duke University. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at Seattle Children’s Hospital and post-doctoral training at the Evidence-Based Treatment Center of Seattle, with a focus on anxiety disorders. Her clinical expertise is complemented by her research on developmental relationships, including friendships and jealousy dynamics, during her graduate studies.
Dr. Blomquist is dedicated to helping families navigate mental health concerns and has extensive experience across clinical settings, including her prior role as a psychologist at Cornell University. She now practices at MindWell, where she continues to make a meaningful difference in the lives of her clients.
Liz Allen, NAMI Finger Lake Board Member and Program Committee Chair
Liz Allen is the Dean of Students at Elizabeth Ann Clune Montessori School of Ithaca. Her role is to foster a positive and engaging learning environment, enabling EACMSI students from three to fourteen to flourish. This involves supporting students and families throughout their trajectory at the school. She works closely with teachers, Support Specialists, and other professionals as needed. In addition to her Montessori training, Liz has significant experience supporting young people and their families in dealing with mental health concerns. Since 2017, she has been on the NAMI Finger Lakes (National Alliance on Mental Illness) board and presents NAMI’s signature educational programs to families, school faculty, and students from grades K-12. Liz is also trained in SPACE, Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions, a parent-based treatment program for children and adolescents. Liz earned her B.A. in Mathematics from the University of New Hampshire. She has two children, both EACMSI graduates, and she lives in Ithaca with her husband.
Join us Wednesday January 22nd from 5:30 - 7:00 pm for this Virtual Workshop
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Expert Tips for Your Health
Mental health is just as vital as physical health - they deeply affect each other. It's important to reconsider the notion that mental and physical health are separate and acknowledge their close connection.
Improving mental wellness means caring for your whole self - recognizing the many aspects that play a role. You're a mix of many parts that work together. You're not just a label or a problem to solve - you're a unique individual with intertwined physical and mental health.
NAMI FL is here to help bridge the gap between mental and physical health through our Holistic Health Series. Our aim is to provide resources and support for understanding how your body functions as a whole and how making healthy choices can enhance both mental and physical well-being.
