Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is an evidence based treatment for young children, typically ages 2-8, with oppositional defiant disorder and other behavior concerns.

PCIT is done in two phases: Child Directed Interaction (CDI) and Parent Directed Interaction (PDI).

It is conducted as live coaching with the parent while they interact with their child. The sessions are completed virtually in the comfort of your home. The parent wears a ear bud or headphones so that they can receive live coaching from the therapist on skills the parent is learning to use to manage their child’s behavior.

Each phase of PCIT begins with a teaching session where the parent learns the skill set for that phase. Subsequent coaching sessions follow in each phase until the parent is implementing the skills with consistency. Progress is monitored weekly and skills are practiced without live coaching daily. Each session is about 50 minutes long.

CDI focuses on establishing warmth in your relationship with your child through learning and applying skills proven to help children feel calm, secure in their relationships with their parents, and good about themselves.  

Desired outcomes of the first phase of treatment in PCIT include:

-Decreased frequency, severity, and/or duration of tantrums

-Decreased activity levels

-Decreased negative attention-seeking behaviors (such as whining and bossiness)

-Decreased parental frustration

-Increased feelings of security, safety, and attachment to the primary caregiver

-Increased attention span

-Increased self-esteem

-Increased pro-social behaviors (such as sharing and taking turns)

PDI will equip you to manage the most challenging of your child's behaviors while remaining confident, calm, and consistent in your approach to discipline. In this phase, you will learn proven strategies to help your child accept your limits, comply with your directions, respect house rules, and demonstrate appropriate behavior in public. 

Desired outcomes of the second phase of treatment in PCIT include:

-Decreased frequency, severity, and/or duration of aggressive behavior

-Decreased frequency of destructive behavior (such as breaking toys on purpose)

-Decreased defiance

-Increased compliance with adult requests

-Increased respect for house rules

-Improved behavior in public

-Increased parental calmness and confidence during discipline

PCIT is billed per session at $150.

PCIT can be completed in 12-20 sessions with consistent attendance and homework completion, although it is not time dependent. Treatment is considered complete when the parent masters the skills of both phases and rates their child’s behavior within normal limits on the progress monitoring behavior ratings.