Therapy Services
Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)
What is PCIT?
PCIT works with children and parents to improve the caregiver-child relationship and help parents learn skills needed to manage difficult behaviors. PCIT has been extensively researched in over 100 studies and has been shown to consistently help decrease children’s behaviors, increase listening, and improve family relationship.
How does PCIT work?
1. PCIT works wonderfully using an on-line video platform or in-person using the “bug in ear” technique.
2. There are two phases to PCIT. Phase 1: The therapist serves as a coach for parents to increase positive and supportive communication with their child to strengthen the relationship. Phase 2: Parents learn and practice effective discipline and teaching skills.
Who participates in PCIT?
PCIT is designed for parents who are overwhelmed, stressed, or feeling confused about their child’s behaviors. This therapy was created for kids between 2 and 7 years old, however can be adapted for younger or older children. PCIT works with children demonstrating behaviors including: difficulty in school or childcare settings, struggling to follow directions, whining or arguing, temper tantrums, talking back to or defiant towards caregivers, swearing or using inappropriate language, and/or aggression towards peers, siblings, or adults.
What are the benefits of PCIT?
Parents often report feeling more confident as caregivers and having more positive connections with their child. Children learn how to improve cooperation, appropriately express their feelings, transition more easily, and enjoy connecting with others.
Child Parent Psychotherapy (CPP)
What is Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP)?
CPP and other forms of play therapy can help children and their caregivers heal after stressful or traumatic events by processing through play and reflection.
What happens during CPP and play therapy?
1. Foundational Phase: We spend time meeting with caregivers to understand the family’s needs and challenges, strengths and values, and history and experiences. Then, we make a plan for how CPP may help your family.
2. Core Treatment: We meet once a week with the caregiver and child. We often use toys because young children show feelings and thoughts through play. We help caregivers and children understand each other, talk and play about difficult experiences, respond to difficult feelings and behaviors, and create a family story that leads to healing.
3. Wrapping Up: We celebrate changes families have made and talk about how caregivers made changes happen. We consider how endings and goodbyes may bring up different feelings and talk about what will be needed in the future.
What are the benefits of CPP?
Caregivers often report feeling less stressed and having more positive connections with their child. Caregivers often notice an improvement in their child’s mood, learning, behaviors, trauma symptoms, and relationships with caregivers.
Reflective Parenting Program (RPP)
What is RPP?
A workshop series that invites groups of parents to build reflective practice of understanding their child(ren)'s behaviors and learn ways to respond. When groups are not being offered, caregivers may choose to complete the curriculum individually over the course of 12 or more weeks.
What happens in RPP groups and who participates?
The series is 12 weeks in duration and has specific curriculum for children of all ages (early childhood, elementary school age, and adolescence). Workshops consist of instruction, discussion, and exercises covering these topics and more: emotional life of the caregiver, child’s temperament, responding to your child’s emotions, separation and independence, function of play, and discipline.
What are the benefits of RPP?
Caregivers often report seeing how their reflective capacity can be used to build more satisfying relationships with their children and are able to better manage stressors in the family as they arise.