Parent Child Relationship Therapy
“My child won’t listen to me and starts crying when I ask them to clean up or do anything. He just starts whining and telling me he can’t do it.”
“I feel like we are having such a hard time getting her to leave the playground when it is time to go.”
“My 5-year-old just keeps breaking everything.”
Can you relate to any of the above common parenting concerns?
Then parent child relationship therapy might be for you.
Here’s how I can help you.
There can be any number of reasons why your child is acting out or not listening to your words or those of others. I can help you feel more confident in discerning when your child behavioral concerns are related to something more pressing, like hunger, sleep). Either way, frequent tension can make your parent-child relationship feel strained. I can help you work on getting warmth back into your parenting relationship, while reducing behavioral concerns and boosting feelings of confidence for both you and your child.
How do I do this? I use a combination of Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) and Play Therapy. As with other manualized treatment approaches, I tailor PCIT to fit the needs of your unique family. PCIT combines parent training and play therapy, teaching caregivers how to follow their child’s lead in play to establish warmer relationships and consequently work on establishing effective limit setting. I teach you and coach you on child directed play. Later, I coach you on effective limit setting.
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What is Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)?
PCIT is an evidence-based treatment for young children, ages 2 to 7 years with behavioral problems. PCIT combines elements of attachment, authoritative parenting and play therapy to improve the parent child relationship. It is generally conducted through "coaching" sessions during which you and your child are in a playroom while the therapist observes, watching you interact with your child through a one-way mirror and/or live video feed. You wear a "bug-in-the-ear" device through which the therapist provides in-the-moment coaching on skills you are learning to manage your child's behavior. You learn in essence, how to be a play therapist “of sorts” to your child.
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What is Play Therapy?
Play therapy refers to a range of play-based treatment approaches that use children's natural urge to explore and play and harness it to respond to their developmental and mental health needs. This expectation of play is typically difficult to process for many caregivers who are accustomed to experiencing and expecting talk therapy.. Play is powerful. While there may not seem to be “anything happening” there actually quite a lot happening and being communicated.