Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is a gold-standard behavioral intervention for young children (ages 2-6) with emotional and behavioral disorders that improves the quality of the parent-child relationship. It involves live coaching during interactions with your child to enhance positive reinforcement, improve communication, and reduce disruptive behavior. Dr. Denese is certified in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) through PCIT International.

Please note, some clinicians deem the strategies they implement as effective based only on client testimonials, essentially random chance. In contrast, in addition to many testimonials from families globally, PCIT has been scientifically tested since 1980. You can find an extensive list of research articles that support the effectiveness of PCIT here.

What does PCIT help with?

  • Impulsivity (hurting others, destroying property, eloping etc.)

  • Difficulty following instructions from parents, caregivers, and/or teachers

  • Excessive tantrums

  • Anxiety (such as when separating from loved ones at school, extracurriculars)

  • Tense home environment and family dynamics (parents often describe the feeling as “walking on eggshells” and/or that siblings without these challenges feel left out)

  • Trauma-related behaviors (tantrums, clinginess, etc)

Parental love: white mom with son hugging her back.

Key Components:

Child-Directed Interaction (CDI): Focuses on improving the parent-child relationship through positive attention and play.

  • You are coached to follow your child’s lead in play, using specific skills to enhance your child's self-esteem and reduce inappropriate behaviors. These skills include:

    • Praise: Giving labeled praises to reinforce appropriate behavior.

    • Reflection: Paraphrasing what your child says to show understanding and encourage verbal communication.

    • Imitation: Imitating your child's play to show interest and approval.

    • Description: Describing your child's behavior to demonstrate attention and involvement.

    • Enjoyment: Showing enthusiasm and enjoyment during interactions.

    Parent-Directed Interaction (PDI): Focuses on effective discipline and behavior management.

    • You are taught to give clear, direct commands and to follow through consistently with appropriate consequences. Strategies include:

      • Clear Commands: Giving specific, concise, and manageable instructions.

      • Consistent Consequences: Implementing time-out procedures and other discipline techniques consistently.

      • Positive Reinforcement: Continuously reinforcing good behavior with praise and rewards.

    Live Coaching:

    • Dr. Denese observes parent-child interactions via video feed and provides real-time feedback and guidance to parents through an earpiece (AirPods, headphones, etc.)

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