What is Parent-Child Interaction Therapy?
Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is an empirically valid counselling program for families that focuses on reducing behavioural issues, improving parenting skills, and enhancing relationships.
PCIT uses a unique, concrete approach to teach parents and children new and positive ways to relate to each other. Parents learn how to encourage positive behavior as well as effective discipline strategies tailored to their child’s behaviour and temperament.
In each coaching session, the parent and child play together in one room while the PCIT counsellor coaches the parent through an earpiece from a separate room. The therapist helps the parent practice and master new skills to address their child’s problem behaviours.
Who Can Benefit from PCIT?
PCIT is an appropriate intervention anytime a parent or guardian feels their child’s behaviour has become unmanageable. The PCIT program at Westcoast Family Centres is offered for children aged 2 through 7 years old.
PCIT has been used successfully with:
- Attachment difficulties
- Children who are verbally or physically aggressive
- Defiance and stubbornness
- Hyperactivity
- Chronic child behaviour problems
- Child abuse or neglect
- Children with antisocial behaviour or who have trouble playing with other children
PCIT is appropriate for any birth parent, foster parent, step-parent, guardian, or cargiver who is concerned about their child's behaviour. PCIT is available in Vancouver, BC, at Westcoast Family Centres.
