1 Oct5 Facts Every Parent Should Know About PCIT by Kristen Estrella, LCSW It is often said that it “takes a village to raise a child” and that’s because child rearing is incredibly hard work! It is even harder when your village has become smaller or even inaccessible because of a global pandemic. Parenting can be lonely work on a “normal” day, let alone a period of forced isolation. How does a parent deal with tantrums, refusal to follow directions, talking back, hitting, calls from school, and public meltdowns with little respite? Thankfully, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) addresses these parenting challenges both during a pandemic and afterwards. Here are five facts that every parent should know about Parent-Child Interaction Therapy in the time of Covid: 1. It is an Evidence-Based Practice PCIT has been heavily tested and is well supported by evidence-based research as a therapy for children ages 2-7 who have behavioral difficulties. PCIT promotes interactions that are characterized by warmth, clear communication and healthy limits that set children and families up for success both during therapy and beyond. PCIT has been proven to strengthen the parent-child relationship and decrease non-compliance, defiance, and oppositionality. 2. PCIT is Unique in its Methodology, Making it Compatible with Telehealth PCIT uses coaching to empower parents to learn and practice skills in real time with their child. PCIT therapists typically provide coaching using a “bug-in-the-ear” approach in which they observe interactions through a one-way mirror and teach skills and strategies using a wireless earpiece. In telehealth, the screen on your device becomes the one-way mirror. When a one-way mirror or telehealth is not available, PCIT therapists use an “in-room” approach where they sit behind the parent to observe and coach to ensure that the parent is the agent of change rather than the therapist. Read the Full Article on Psychology Today
