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Real-Time Coaching to Improve Behavior and Strengthen Your Relationship
Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is an evidence-based therapy designed to improve the parent-child relationship through positive communication and behavior management techniques.
PCIT provides parents with hands-on strategies that help increase positive behaviors, decrease problematic behaviors, and strengthen the bond between parent and child. It further helps to increase your child’s attention and focus, prosocial behaviors, communication, and emotion regulation.
We provide PCIT both via telehealth and in-person at our office in Salt Lake City, Utah.
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In Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, you and your child attend sessions together. PCIT is unique because it is a live coaching model. While you interact with your child in a playroom, your therapist observes from another room and provides real-time guidance through a small earpiece.
Treatment occurs in two structured phases. In the first phase, you learn skills that strengthen warmth, connection, and positive attention. In the second phase, you learn consistent, calm discipline strategies that reduce challenging behaviors. Parents practice these skills both in session and at home between visits. This hands-on approach allows families to see meaningful changes more quickly than talk-based parenting programs.
PCIT is considered short-term, but it is not limited to a fixed number of sessions. Instead of ending after a preset timeline, therapy continues until parents demonstrate mastery of the skills and children show measurable behavioral improvement.
Most families complete treatment within approximately 12 to 20 weekly sessions, though some may need more or fewer depending on their goals and the severity of concerns. Because progress is measured using clear behavioral criteria, families leave treatment with confidence that the changes are sustainable.
PCIT is especially effective for children ages 2 to 7 who struggle with tantrums, aggression, defiance, frequent noncompliance, hyperactivity, or difficulty regulating emotions. It is also helpful for children who have trouble listening, following directions, sharing, or managing frustration.
Research shows that PCIT can significantly reduce disruptive behaviors while increasing positive behaviors such as cooperation, attention, communication, and prosocial interactions. In addition to improving child behavior, many parents report feeling more confident, calm, and effective in their parenting.
It is ideal for all primary caregivers to participate so that children receive consistent responses across settings. When both caregivers learn and practice the skills, progress often happens more quickly and is maintained more easily.
However, PCIT can still be highly effective if one primary caregiver consistently attends and practices the skills at home. Therapists work collaboratively with families to determine the most realistic and supportive approach for their unique situation.
Yes. PCIT is a well-established, evidence-based treatment supported by decades of clinical research. It has been extensively studied in university, hospital, and community settings. Research demonstrates that PCIT reduces disruptive behaviors, improves parent-child attachment, and lowers parental stress.
PCIT has also been adapted and shown to be effective across diverse cultural backgrounds and family structures. Because it is grounded in behavioral science and attachment principles, it provides both relational warmth and structured behavior management in one integrated model.
PCIT is most commonly used with young children ages 2–7 who are experiencing disruptive or emotionally intense behaviors. It is frequently recommended for:
PCIT focuses on strengthening the parent-child relationship while teaching consistent, effective behavior management strategies. Because of this dual focus, it can be helpful when behavior concerns are linked to attention difficulties, emotional regulation challenges, or strained parent-child interactions.
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