Introducing Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT).
Are you at a loss about disciplining your child or concerned about the parent-child relationship? You’re not alone. Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is an evidence-based technique that addresses these issues. Evidence based means this technique has been proven effective with sound evaluation. Parent Child Interaction Therapy is considered a gold standard treatment for children age 2-7 who have disruptive behavior problems, hyperactivity, defiance, or emotional issues. Parent Child Interaction Therapy helps parents adopt an authoritative discipline style in a loving and supportive way. In PCIT, parents learn to become the therapeutic force that propels their child’s self-control. Through coaching sessions, caregivers learn skills that target behavior and emotional goals and strengthen the parent-child relationship. Treatment requires weekly participation for several weeks (depending on the depth of the problem). The parent and child participate in the sessions with Dr. Blackwell who is trained in PCIT. Many families start seeing positive outcomes early in PCIT. For more information on Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) please check out the website at the link below. The first step in investigating PCIT for you and your child is to schedule a parent appointment with Dr. Blackwell to discuss your child’s needs and assess the best intervention.
The Learning Years
On the spot advice to navigate parenting challenges
The Learning Years is a wide-ranging reference with fresh insights into child-rearing and self-care for parents. This book addresses typical parenting issues with to-the-point, practical information perfect for busy caregivers. There is a strong emphasis on embracing imperfection, prioritizing, and finding joy in everyday moments.
“There are many ways to be a good parent and nurturer”
— Pat Blackwell, PhD.
The process of nurturing healthy development is dynamic and joyful.
There are many ways to be a good parent or caregiver. The needs of the individual child, the contours of the environment, and relationships between the players can lead the way to best practices (parenting, education, or therapy). But we must be present to observe and to be deliberate about how we nurture (ourselves and the children we care for).
Mistakes will happen. It’s essential that we become as kind to ourselves as we are to the children we care for.
This website is a file drawer of strategies, and ways of thinking about children and the world we are growing in together. I also hope that readers will find ways of mining everyday encounters with children for the joy that is there.
- Pat Blackwell, Ph.D. (child psychologist).