Parent-Child Interaction Therapy with Toddlers

PCIT-Toddler teaches parents techniques to assist their 12-36 month old with:

• emotion regulation
• frustration tolerance
• attachment
• early compliance/listening
• social skills
• cognitive skills
• fine and gross motor skills

Research has found significant reductions in child behavior problems (both externalizing and internalizing) and significant improvements in positive parenting skills following participation in PCIT-T. 

Parent-child dyads meet individually or in a group format with a therapist who is certified in PCIT.  Parents receive live training and moment-to-moment feedback on the use of these specialized techniques--making this a powerful intervention. Parents are taught skills to a mastery criterion and will experience:

• decreased stress levels
• increased understanding of developmental expectations
• improved ability to self-regulate emotions
• enhanced shared enjoyment

Who Should do PCIT-Toddler?

Parenting is hard.  Life can make it harder.  So, while anyone can benefit from learning engagement strategies that aid in attachment and emotion regulation, consider PCIT-Toddler especially if any one of the following is a concern:

• disrupted attachment (adoption, birth of sibling, divorce)
• tantrums
• aggression
• fussiness separation anxiety or withdrawal from parent
• developmental concerns
• parental stress (anxiety, dissatisfaction, difficulty coping, lack of parental self-confidence)
• sibling with special needs

How does PCIT-Toddler differ from regular PCIT?

PCIT was designed for children ages 2-7 and includes behavior management techniques appropriate for this developmental period.  PCIT-Toddler is a downward extension of this Evidence-Based Treatment taking into consideration the expectations and developmental milestones for our youngest clients.  For example, while we teach time out procedures for older children, we instead focus on early patterns of parental commands and child compliance in PCIT-Toddler.  Children begin to learn how to manage their frustrations early on, which is why PCIT-Toddler includes methods for soothing young children.  In older children, PCIT instead focuses more on children's ability to tolerate negative affect and the balance of control within a family dynamic.  Both advance children's play skills, social communication, compliance, and the bond between parent and child.