If your days feel like one power struggle after another, with meltdowns at bedtime, "no!" to every request and tantrums in the grocery store, you are not alone. And you don't have to keep guessing what will work. Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, or PCIT, is one of the most researched treatments for young children with challenging behavior.

What is PCIT?

PCIT is a therapy for children ages 2 to 8 and their caregivers. It was developed by Dr. Sheila Eyberg to help with behaviors like:

• Temper tantrums and meltdowns
• Not following directions
• Talking back, yelling or hitting
• Trouble at school, preschool or daycare

What makes PCIT different is that parents don't just hear advice. They practice new skills with their child, in the moment, while a therapist coaches them through an earpiece. Because you are the one making the changes, the progress lasts long after therapy ends.

Phase 1: Building the relationship

The first phase is called Child-Directed Interaction. Parents learn to follow their child's lead during a short daily "special time" using the PRIDE skills:

• Praise: specific praise for good behavior ("Thank you for using gentle hands!")
• Reflect: repeat or rephrase what your child says
• Imitate: play the way your child is playing
• Describe: narrate what your child is doing, like a sportscaster
• Enjoy: show warmth and enthusiasm

Parents also learn to give attention to positive behavior and calmly ignore minor misbehavior. Many families notice their child is calmer and more connected within a few weeks.

Phase 2: Getting cooperation

The second phase, Parent-Directed Interaction, teaches parents how to give clear, effective directions and follow through consistently. Directions work best when they are:

• Specific and positively stated ("Please put the blocks in the bin" instead of "Stop making a mess")
• One at a time, and right for your child's age
• Given in a calm, neutral voice

Parents also learn a predictable, consistent plan for what to do when a child doesn't listen, so discipline feels less like a battle.

Does PCIT work?

Research shows PCIT reduces disruptive behavior, lowers parent stress and improves the parent-child relationship. It has also been shown to help children who have been through trauma, reducing trauma symptoms, behavior problems and big emotional swings. Most families complete each phase in about 5 to 10 sessions, then "graduate" once the skills are working at home, in the car and in public.

PCIT near you

If your young child's behavior is wearing your family down, PCIT can help you feel confident and connected again. Fox Child & Family Therapy offers PCIT at our Olathe office. Learn more on our PCIT page, or see our help for anger, tantrums and meltdowns and family counseling.

Call our intake team at 913-229-5691.