Parenting is the toughest job in the world and every child is different

What works for one child may not work for the other. My passion is helping families to improve the quality of the parent-child relationship and changing parent-child interaction patterns. As parents, you probably realize that early intervention is beneficial. You are right! Research supports your belief. Problems tend to get worse over time. As problems worsen, the child is more likely to experience impediments to his or her development.

Therapy initiated before age seven may be more effective because problem behaviors are less ingrained, children are more accepting of new behavioral expectations, and children are still highly influenced by their parents. Altogether, this suggests a greater proclivity for treatment gains.

You may wonder how therapy will work for your child. You may think – How will my child sit and talk about problems.

PCIT is an interactive therapy designed for children ages two to seven who are showing behavioral and/or emotional problems. PCIT is evidenced based and empirically supported. PCIT places emphasis on improving the quality of the parent-child relationship, changing parent-child interaction patterns, and treating behavioral/emotional problems. If you are feeling worried, concerned, and/or frustrated, please call to schedule an appointment.

Marriage and Family Therapists (MFT) hold a Masters Degree with an emphasis on psychotherapy and counseling, she is also a member of UC Davis Children’s Hospital. Marriage and Family Therapists are the only mental health (also referred to as Brain Health) professionals who by law complete mandatory coursework in counseling and psychotherapy. Marriage and Family Therapists are known as Relationship Experts and are trained to treat individuals, couples, families, and groups.

Marriage and Family Therapists are psychotherapists uniquely trained and credentialed to assess, diagnose, and treat a wide range of issues so individuals, couples, and families can achieve more adequate, satisfying, and productive relationships. What you tell a Marriage and Family Therapist is private. By law, therapists are required to maintain confidentiality in most circumstances.

Originally developed by Dr. Sheila Eyberg and modeled after Hanf’s (1969) two-stage approach, PCIT is a blend of operant theory, traditional psychotherapy, and early child developmental psychology.

PCIT is founded on social learning principles. PCIT is effective in treating a broad range of behavior problems. PCIT is a dyadic intervention that is designed to alter specific patterns of interaction found in parent-child relationships. Parents participate in positive interaction training. This training results in changes to the pattern of parent-child interactions and helps to improve the quality of the parent-child relationship.

PCIT is a structured program and is divided into two phases. Each phase contains multiple components designed to impact both the parent and the child’s behavior. Parents are taught specific skills, practice the skills, and ultimately achieve “Mastery”.

1. The first phase emphasizes the parent-child relationship. Parents learn how to increase positive and supportive communication with their child.

2. The second phase concentrates on establishing structure and a consistent discipline program. In the Improving Compliance component, parents are taught and coached on the elements of effective child-management skills.

Numerous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of PCIT for reducing child behavior problems. Treatment effects have been shown to generalize across time, to generalize to the home, to generalize to the school setting, and to generalize to untreated siblings.