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? Does your child have difficulty making or keeping friends?

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 your 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, 3, 4, 5, and 6-years-old. Parents often tell us 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. Some kids will benefit from an additional emotional literacy module, or from the PEERS program, added to the main intervention program if they struggle to care about others' emotions and distress, or if they need extra support in learning effective friendship skills.

How Does Internet Delivered PCIT Work?

PCIT is an exceptionally effective intervention backed by over 40 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 the PCIT program is completed, 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. 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.

PEERS for Preschoolers (for children ages 4, 5, and 6 years)

We are thrilled to offer PEERS for Preschoolers, a neuroaffirming approach to supporting friendship skills for kids with autism or ADHD. PEERS is one of the only friendship skills programs for children with autism supported by randomized controlled trials. If a child has behavioral challenges or social anxiety and struggles to make or keep friends, we recommend a child completes PCIT, PCIT-ASD, or PCIT-CALM prior to enrolling in PEERS for Preschoolers.

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 want to complete a sliding scale application. Our sliding scale ranges from $70 to $162 per session based on household income and family size. Our providers are in network with Cigna, Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Optum, and United Healthcare PPO plans. For families with other insurance 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. Tennesseans with Tenncare, Bluecare, Wellpoint, Amerigroup, or United Healthcare Community plans may self-refer their child for PCIT therapy using their insurance at Omni with this link: https://theomnifamily.com/outpatient-referral-form/.

Good Faith Estimates for Persons Paying Out of Pocket

Who Do We Give a Good Faith Estimate To?

  • If we are out of your insurance network, AND you are choosing not to submit claims for out-of-network reimbursement yourself
  • If we are in-network and you direct us not to bill appointments to insurance
  • If you are uninsured

Your Rights

When insurance will not be billed for appointments, you have the right to receive a "Good Faith Estimate" explaining how much your medical care will cost you out-of-pocket. Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don't have insurance – or who are not using insurance – an estimate of the bill for medical items and services. You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services.

  • Make sure your health care provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least 1 business day before your medical service or item. You can ask your provider at eCC, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service.
  • Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.
  • According to the law, we have to tell you that, "if you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill". HOWEVER, we go above and beyond what the law requires. At eCC, we work to be transparent and clear about pricing upfront. You are always welcome to reach out if a fee is unexpected even if it is much less than $400. Transparency and trust are important in therapy, so please bring any questions about billing quickly to your provider's attention.

For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call our office at 615-640-0333.

Child in rain puddle