Parent Child Interactive Therapy (PCIT)

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PCIT is for children ages 2 to 7 years old who demonstrate challenging behaviors such as aggression towards others, temper tantrums, and defiance. PCIT actively involves the parents by teaching strategies to decrease these behaviors in their child and has been proven effective in multiple research studies. The first phase of PCIT focuses on enhancing the child’s relationship with the parent, building the child’s self-esteem, and improving the child’s mood. The second phase of PCIT focuses on improving the child’s compliance and willingness to cooperate. The parent use a “bug in the ear” while interacting with the child, while the PCIT therapist observes the interaction from another room and provides real-time feedback to the parent. PCIT generally takes anywhere from 12 to 20 weeks and requires a commitment from the parents. More information about Parent Child Interaction Therapy can be found at http://www.pcit.org/about/.