Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)

For Anxious and Disruptive Behaviors in Children Ages 1-10

 
A child angrily sits against a couch with her arms wrapped around her legs. A large teddy bear sits to her right while an adult comforts the child from the couch by rubbing her head.
 
 

PCIT can change a child’s entire life trajectory. That’s because disruptive behaviors in childhood have been linked to higher rates of high school dropout, substance abuse, unemployment, and even incarceration.

But the right treatment now, can start a child down a new path.
At Hamilton Family Counseling we specialize in therapy for children ages 1-10 with big emotions and challenging behaviors like those listed below.

 
 
  • o fussiness
    o cries easily
    o hard to calm
    o anger
    o frustration
    o easily upset
    o irritability
    o on edge, restless, or jumpy
    o fears
    o worries
    o phobias
    o separation anxiety
    o nightmares
    o difficulty sleeping
    o perfectionism
    o unrealistic expectations of self/others
    o chronic head, stomach, or body aches that have no medical cause

  • o whining or clinging
    o yelling or screaming
    o difficulty getting along with siblings/peers
    o outbursts, meltdowns, or tantrums
    o difficulty following rules or instructions
    o difficulty with transitions
    o arguing or blaming
    o difficulty with morning routine
    o difficulty going or staying in bed
    o challenging behaviors at mealtime
    o avoidance of school or homework
    o name calling, fighting, hitting
    o throwing or breaking objects
    o difficulty with completing tasks
    o difficulty with focus or paying attention
    o hyperactivity
    o impulsivity

  • o Child anxiety
    o Social emotional delay
    o Strong willed personality
    o Infant and toddler development
    o Sensitive temperament
    o ADHD
    o Moving homes or birth of a sibling
    o Autism or intellectual disability
    o Stressful or traumatic event
    o Placement in foster care
    o History of medical issues that have created lingering behavioral patterns

    Whatever the reason, contact us for a free consultation to see if PCIT might be a good fit for your family.

 

Adoptive and foster families can especially benefit.
LGBTQIA+ affirmative.

 

What is PCIT and how does it help?

One treatment we provide is Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), which many experts consider to be the gold standard in treating childhood disruptive behaviors because hundreds of studies over 40 years have shown PCIT to be nurturing and effective.

Through PCIT parents learn a special set of play therapy skills and behavior therapy skills so they can become their child's therapeutic specialist with the confidence to facilitate their child’s self regulation of emotions and help them respond to instructions quickly and happily.

Mother and father sitting on a couch and holding their school aged son as mother playfully touches her son's nose with her finger tip.


For children with ADHD, PCIT has been recommended by the CDC as a first line of treatment for children 6 and under before trying stimulant medication.

With strategies that are nurturing and effective, PCIT can radically transform behaviors in just 14 weeks, improve school behaviors, and improve the behavior of siblings.

 

Let’s work together to transform your child’s challenges into triumphs and increase the peace and connection in your home!

The PC-CARE Parenting Protocol

We also provide PC-CARE, one of the newest protocols to evolve out of PCIT that was developed at UC Davis Children’s Hospital. PC-CARE can address big emotions and challenging behaviors that arise from many causes including the following:

Father and school aged son playing with legos together on the floor illustratiing the warmth and connection possible with PCIT and PC-CARE.
Mother holding her school aged daughter and father holding his toddler son, all looking at the camera father is holding out for a family selfie.

PC-CARE is also a great option for parents who just want to move beyond traditional discipline and learn new parenting strategies that are nurturing and effective. In fact, PC-CARE equips parents with more than a dozen additional parenting strategies than PCIT.

A recent study showed PC-CARE to have a greater rate of improvement than standard PCIT over a comparable time period. And since PC-CARE treatment can be completed in 6 treatment sessions, this brief treatment may be the effective and more affordable option for eligible families.

Additional Options

We also provide Parent Only Strategy Sessions where parents can ask questions and get on the same page with quick, practical parenting solutions that both parents agree on.

And our Online Parenting Bootcamp teaches the principles of PCIT and PC-CARE in a support group atmosphere from the comfort of your home.

A parent couple attends an online parenting course from the comfort of their home.

Let’s Work Together