Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)
Do you constantly feel frustrated with your difficult to manage child?
Do you find yourself running in circles with your child?
Do you constantly have to repeat yourself?
Do you feel like he or she never listens to you?
Do you feel you are caught in a never-ending spiral of negativity and fighting?
It can be painful to parent a difficult child. When a child is born, all parents have positive expectations of what their parent-child relationship will be like down the road. When parents find themselves faced with an oppositional, challenging toddler or child, it can become incredibly frustrating, disappointing, and saddening and the whole family can suffer. When a child is constantly arguing, talking back, and even resorting to hitting and aggressive behavior, it can feel exasperating trying to figure out what to do. But there is hope.
Many families struggle with oppositional children
Indeed 1/10 children at some time in their rearing demonstrate problem behaviors such having trouble paying attention, difficulty with transitions from one thing to another throughout the day, or difficulty redirecting. Many times, these children will also have issues with aggression, defiance, noncompliance and/or oppositionality. They may behave well for grandparents, nannies, and schoolteachers but when they come home they refuse to listen, follow rules, eat their dinner, and go to bed.
It can be extraordinarily hard on parents to understand what to do in these seemingly conflicting scenarios. You may have begun to believe that your child just “wants to be bad” and that there is no hope to salvage your relationship. The good news is that these issues are treatable. With knowledge of positive attention skills and behavioral management strategies, you too can help your child learn to listen to you. With time, small changes result in big strides in behavior and you will find your family can enjoy time together rather than be caught in a constant struggle.
How Parent Child Interaction Therapy can help
Parent Child Interaction Therapy is a highly specialized therapeutic approach to helping families overcome the challenges posed by having a difficult to manage child ages 2-9. This approach has over 15 years of research supporting its use with children who are defiant, aggressive, obstinate, hyperactive and inattentive. Studies have shown that with 3-6 months of regular therapy and practice, children see significant reductions in these problem behaviors and improvements in their mood, wellbeing, self-esteem, language abilities, and social skills.
Parent Child Interaction Therapy involves one-on-one coaching with a licensed and certified PCIT psychotherapist during therapy sessions. Parents sit on one side of a one-way mirror and engage in play exercises with their child. On the other side of the mirror, therapists watch and speak to the parents through a radio device and ear bud so that only the parent can hear the therapist speak. Therapists coach parents in specific parenting skills to teach parents how to best respond to their child to promote positive, calm, cooperative behavior. In addition to positive parenting skills, parents will be taught safe, consistent, reliable means of discipline that actually work. Sessions can be provided in the therapy clinic or conveniently over the internet in the comfort of your own home.
In addition to learning new skills that help your child, you will find that over the course of treatment your relationship with your child improves. Many parents have reported that within a few weeks, their child’s attitude has completely turned around and they are no longer plagued by constant fighting. Indeed, PCIT aims not only to improve children’s behavior but aims to improve the overall relationships between family members to help resume a sense of peace in your home. Additionally, if you have siblings in the family, they can be included in treatment to make sure the benefits of therapy are far reaching and long lasting.
If your child is aggressive, defiant, rude, talks back, lies, hits, steals, fails to do their homework, yells, etc. etc. we can help you. Their behavior is not because they are inherently a bad child. They are not destined for lifelong issues with oppositionality, defiance or disobedience. If your child is acting out, making changes in how you react to them will result in big improvements. During PCIT therapy you will be taught specific parenting skills about how best tailor your child’s environment to reduce their vulnerabilities, how to effectively respond to your child’s difficult behavior, how to anticipate problems and avoid them from the onset, and how to build a strong enduring positive bond with your child. After all, you became a parent to enjoy a loving relationship with your child and that is what you’d rather be doing.
Many parents doubt that therapy can help their child. Indeed, many parents ask:
My child is only 3 how can therapy help?
At Larsen Behavioral Wellness, we treat young children in family sessions with their parent. The focus will be on improving your child’s behavior through working with you, their parents. We have successfully treated children as young at 24 months old. Indeed, early intervention is the best intervention. If you are noticing issues don’t hesitate to call and book an appointment. When early intervention is completed, you can often save your family years of struggle and frustration.
I’ve read parenting books or attended workshops before they don’t work.
Parent Child Interaction Therapy at Larsen Behavioral Wellness is different than reading books or attending a workshop. During therapy you will be seen weekly with your child. You will be coached by a licensed mental health provider who is specially certified in PCIT by PCIT international (PCIT.org). This certification requires over 40 hours of in person didactic coursework as well as months of case work under the direction of a master PCIT trainer. Dr. Larsen was trained at one of the premier PCIT clinics in the world, at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, under Dr. Beverly Funderburk, one of the creators of PCIT. Over the years, Dr Larsen. and her staff have applied their methods with many families to help them achieve their goals. PCIT is not a parenting class, it is truly a transformational, therapeutic experience. When books and workshops fail, isn’t it better to have a trained expert at your side to walk you through exactly what to say and do? Well that is what you will get with Larsen Behavioral Wellness. Whether you are seen in our clinic through our state-of-the-art PCIT therapy center or through internet sessions in the comfort of your own home, you will have the guidance and clarity of an expert walking your through the skills and methods. This experience is far more than just learning from a book. It’s truly transformational!
I’ve tried different behavioral management strategies or time out before and they don’t work.
It can be frustrating to try different discipline strategies and find they come up short. Our methods have been tested for over 15 years with thousands of children and have shown to be highly effective. We teach you in a step-wise approach of how to react to your child. Building on positive attention skills, we create an environment where discipline is only rarely needed, and when it is, we have a fool-proof method to get your child to listen. We will walk you through exactly what to do and stay with you until your child listens! Further, our approach not only builds on their listening skills, but it improves children’s confidence and self-esteem because we always end on a positive note. Don’t be discouraged that other methods have failed.
What makes us different from other centers?
Larsen Behavioral Wellness is a team of experts in child mental wellness and family therapy. We take a positive whole child approach to all our clients and have invested in the proper equipment and training to conduct PCIT to the highest of industry standards. Our facility is state of the art and includes the infrastructure (one-way mirrors, specialized therapy toys, and bug in the ear devices) to conduct PCIT according to published standards. If a therapist tells you they do PCIT, ask if they are certified by PCIT international and make sure to ask if they have the proper set up (one-way mirror, bug in the ear technology). You are investing in your child’s future, don’t settle for imitators or unverified “experts” who will waste your time and resources.
Helping Your Child Is Possible
Change is possible! You don’t need to be stuck in this seemingly unending cycle of negativity and conflict. Larsen Behavioral Wellness will offer you answers and support. Please call 201 639 3361 or contact us for a free phone consultation. We would be happy to address any reservations or questions you may have about our approach to child behavioral issues.