Parent-Child Interaction Therapy

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.

What is Play Therapy?

Young children do not often know how to tell us about their problems with words like adults do. Children show us what is happening in their lives with their behaviour and communicate easiest through their natural language: play. Just as counselling or "talk therapy" can help adults resolve their challenges, children can benefit from "playing out" the struggles in their lives.


Working with children individually, I primarily use play therapy and other expressive art techniques. This happens in a specially equipped playroom filled with toys chosen for their potential to assist children in expressing themselves. Children aged 4 to 10 years respond best to expressive play therapy, although using toys, the sand tray, and art techniques can be helpful at virtually any age. My approach is to provide a safe, predictable environment in the playroom where children can express what is troubling them when they do not have the verbal language to express their thoughts and feelings. In play therapy, toys are like the child's words and play is the child's language (Landreth, 2002).

Children who have suffered a loss (through death, parental separation, or significant move), are experiencing sadness or withdrawal, seem to be overcome with worries, are having trouble making friends or being bullied/bullying others, have frequent emotional outbursts or tantrums, or have faced a significant trauma (physical, sexual, emotional abuse or neglect) may benefit from play therapy. If you are concerned about your child and feel they may need to see a counsellor, please do not hesitate to contact me for further information.

The Association for Play Therapy website has an article titled Play Therapy Makes a Difference which provides a further description of the philosophy, process, and benefits of play therapy for children.

What should I expect from my first counselling session?

If you have never seen a counsellor or therapist before, don't be discouraged. In fact, it can take a great degree of courage to even make a phone call to a counsellor, let alone walk in the door for your first session.

I usually ask a few basic questions to my clients in the first session and allow the majority of the time to hear what clients want to tell me. My intention is to get an idea of how I can help you explore the challenges you are facing and help you to feel comfortable speaking about personal issues. I welcome questions from my clients at any point in the counselling process and always respect an individual's choice to decide how much information they care to share with me.

My approach is to work collaboratively and holistically, taking into account each individual's strengths and resources along with their goals and intentions for change or healing. Rather than providing straight advice, I prefer to empower clients to find appropriate responses and solutions that fit for them. The duration of counselling is decided by the client; the option to begin and end counselling is available at anytime. In my practice I have seen clients for as little as 3 sessions, and as long as several years.

What are all those letters after your name?

In my practice I am often asked to describe my educational background and qualifications. I have sought very specific training and degrees which I feel support my professional development and goal of providing responsible, relevant, and compassionate service to my clients.

BA
I received my Bachelor of Arts (with Distinction) in Child and Youth Care from the University of Victoria in 2000. The School of Child and Youth Care is a specialized program which provides education, training, professional development and research in the care and support of children, youth, families and their communities. The work of the School of Child and Youth Care is grounded in the principles of inclusion, social justice and ethical practice.

MA
I completed my Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology at the Adler School of Professional Psychology in Vancouver. This was also a specialized clinical training program and included a 600 hour counselling internship, which I completed at the Adler Counselling Clinic in Vancouver. I chose to complete my graduate degree at the Adler School because I believe in a holistic, respectful, and colaborative approach to counselling.


RCC
I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor, a designation of the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors. This means that I have passed a thorough registration process including an audit of my educational and clinical training, professional references, criminal record screening, and my agreement to abide by stringent ethical standards. This designation, and the use of the logo above, are an indication of standards reserved for qualified clinical counsellors in BC.