Therapists Who Practice Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)

Rooted in attachment therapy and social learning theory, parent-child-interaction-therapy, or PCIT, was developed by Shelia Eyberg in the 1970’s. PCIT is all about building skills that help parents become more nurturing and positive towards their children. There are usually two phases: 1) relationship enhancement, and 2) discipline and compliance. In the relationship enhancement phase, the interaction is led by the child, and the techniques of praise, reflection, imitation, description, and enjoyment are used, and in the discipline and compliance phase parents learn how to provide clear and direct instructions and how to implement consistent and clear consequences for whatever actions occur, be they positive or negative. The effectiveness of this approach has been supported by many studies, and overall it has been shown to lead to less stress and smoother functionality in the family household.