For Parents
Have the terrible twos never stopped or gotten worse after your child turned 2.5? Do you have a young child with more frequent, long, or intense temper tantrums and behavior problems than you would expect for the child's age? Does your child seem to get a thrill out of purposely annoying others, get in trouble regularly at preschool, or react with defiance and aggression to adult requests and limits?
Do you have a child so anxious that you are dreading daycare or school drop offs because your child has to be pried off of you? Is simply walking into a different room in your house alone nearly impossible since your child is so clingy? Is your child struggling to adjust to a big transition like parents' divorce, birth of a sibling, a parent's deployment, or a move? Are you looking for ways to improve your relationship with a foster or adopted child while also addressing their difficult behaviors? Has your child experienced a recent death in the family or survived significant trauma? Do you worry about how to manage your child's difficult behaviors or worry about what their behavior will be like when they are a teen if it is this difficult, now?
If you have answered yes to any of the above questions, give yourself a shout out for finding someone who is ready to help.
What is Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)?
PCIT is a short-term, effective treatment for children with emotional and behavioral problems ages 2.5 years to 7 years. Parents often tell me everyone has different advice and figuring out what to do is confusing. PCIT teaches caregivers thoroughly researched ways to increase their child's positive behaviors and manage their child's difficult behaviors. This program typically improves the child's behavior and reduce parenting stress. PCIT consists of weekly sessions. Many kids graduate with behavior in the normal range within 15 weeks. However, PCIT is not time limited and children are ready to graduate when their behavior is within the normal range. For children 7 and 8-years-old, I offer an adaptation of PCIT for older children.
How Does internet delivered PCIT Work?
PCIT is an exceptionally effective intervention backed by over 30 years of research. Research completed before the COVID 19 pandemic indicated PCIT is equally or even more effective when provided via webcam in the child's home. The therapist observes the caregiver and child together via webcam and provides live coaching of the PCIT skills through a headset or a bluetooth earbud in the caregiver’s ear. No more wondering how apply the recommendations in real life, because caregivers are coached right in the home. We've found many parents feel proud of the ways their own use of the specialized therapy and behavior management skills have transformed the child's (and family's) life by the time their child graduates from the program. Because caregivers continue to provide the therapeutic skills after treatment is over, the results tend to stick around, too.
Advantages of Live Coaching:
- Skills are acquired rapidly by caregivers, as they practice in the moment with the PCIT therapist's live support.
- Therapists provide caring support as caregivers gain confidence and become proficient with the PCIT therapy skills.
- Therapists provide immediate feedback about strategies to manage the child's challenging behaviors.
Learn more about telehealth
PCIT-CALM
This adaptation of PCIT was created and researched to help highly anxious children with and without behavior problems ages 3 years to 8 years 11 months. Anxiety is a normal human emotion; however, some children's anxiety has gotten so out of control it interferes with their lives at home, school, or with peers. For highly anxious children, PCIT-CALM equips parents with therapeutic skills that reduce the child's anxiety over time and increase brave behaviors in the safe (but feared) situations.
Do You Work with Families like Mine? Will My Family Feel Safe in Your Office?
Behavioral and emotional problems are experienced by children growing up in all kinds of families. We are so glad you are here and that you want emotional and behavioral health for your child! eCounseling Connection welcomes families of all cultures, all ethnic backgrounds, all levels of melanin, all faiths, single parents, divorced parents, LGBTQI parents, and blended families. Telehealth makes it possible for one of our PCIT providers to join you in the comfort of your home via video conferencing. Each of our providers considers it a privilege to be invited into your home to collaborate together in supporting your child’s behavioral and emotional health. As guests in your home and your child’s life, we join you each visit with cultural humility and respect for you and each of your loved ones.
What Does Treatment Cost?
We offer a sliding scale based on income and family size to patients paying out of pocket who are willing to complete a sliding scale application. Our sliding scale ranges from $60 to $150 per session. At least one provider at eCounseling Connection is in network with Cigna, Aetna, and Blue Cross Blue Shield. For families with other insurances networks, if you plan to pay upfront and submit receipts for reimbursement to your insurance company towards your out-of-network benefits, we can provide you with a superbill. A superbill is the type of receipt necessary for reimbursement or partial reimbursement from insurance companies. Please note, the sliding scale option is not available if you need receipts for your out-of-network insurance company.
