Parent Child Interaction Therapy

Do you have a strong-willed child?

You're lucky! Strong-willed children can be a challenge when they’re young, but if sensitively parented, they become terrific teens and young adults. Self-motivated and inner-directed, they go after what they want and are almost impervious to peer pressure. As long as parents resist the impulse to "break their will," strong-willed kids often become leaders.

Instead of punishing them for their destructive and challenging behaviors, it is recommended to try a Parent-Child Interaction Therapy. Originally developed by Dr. Sheila Eyberg, PCIT is a unique and effective treatment program that focuses on improving positive parent-child interactions and relationships. PCIT treats the parent, the children, and most importantly, their relationship. Every family changes one interaction at a time!

What Is PCIT

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is a short-term, evidence-based parent coaching program that has been mainly designed to improve positive parent-child interactions for families having children between the ages of about 2 and 7 years.

In PCIT, the therapist works together with the family to manage the behavior of the child, when it happens during the therapy sessions. With the help of the therapist, when practising specific techniques, confidence is increased in parents to independently manage the behavior of the children in public and at home. On average, it takes around 4 months for a family to complete the program, with hour-long weekly sessions.

PCIT is seen amazingly helpful for:

  • Developing positive strategies for child-rearing.

  • Building positive parent-child interactions.

  • Reducing behavioral problems in children (aggression, defiance, anger, etc).

  • Increasing interaction and communication skills within the family.

Children participating in PCIT may experience less frustration and anger, develop better self-esteem, improve in organizational, social, and play skills, feel calmer and safer, and communicate with the parents more effectively. Parents typically learn consistent techniques for parenting and may have greater confidence when it comes to dealing with the child’s behavior, both at home and in public.