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South Florida Community,
New York & Connecticut
(305) 936 - 1002

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy

Dr. Erica Wells Cerrato

Dr. Raquel F. Concepcion

Dr. Bridget Davidson

Dr. Roseanne Lesack

Meet the PCIT Team

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is an evidence-based treatment for children ages 2 to 7. PCIT has been successful in treating emotional and behavioral challenges in children, including:

How Does It Work?

Treatment is a caregiver-coaching mode, where the caregiver is taught to be the child’s play therapist, through guided coaching from a certified PCIT therapist, using a “bug-in-the-ear” communication system (i.e., wireless Bluetooth headsets). Therefore, the therapy can be provided via telehealth or in person. PCIT consists of two phases: Child-Directed Interaction CDI) and Parent-Directed Interaction (PDI).

During the first phase (CDI), children are encouraged to lead play sessions, and the caregiver is supported by the therapist to provide understanding, comfort, and support for the child. The caregiver is guided to use play therapy skills to support their child, strengthen the caregiver-child relationship, and build attachment. With the therapist’s coaching the caregiver, the child:

  • Builds developmentally appropriate independence
  • Grows their coping skills and impulse control
  • Learns appropriate social and play skills
  • Strengthens their communication skills

The second phase (PDI) focuses on equipping caregivers with the skill set to manage their child’s behaviors confidently and consistently. The therapist coaches the caregivers through live coaching via telehealth and provides instructions for implementing effective instructions, follow-through, and boundaries on behavior.

Positive outcomes to expect from PCIT:

  • Encourages independence in children.
  • Improved public behavior
  • Improved compliance and less defiance
  • Increased self-esteem and social behaviors in the child
  • Increases a child’s ability to manage frustration.
  • Improves child’s attention skills.
  • Less parenting frustration, more confidence
  • Less frequency, severity, and duration of tantrums, aggression, and destructive behavior
  • Reduced attention-seeking behaviors, such as whining
  • Safety and security for both caregiver(s) and child
  • Strengthens child’s social skills.

PCIT-CALM is a specialized treatment that includes live, real-time coaching in which the therapist guides the parent to respond most effectively to their child’s anxious behaviors. The CALM Program is a modification of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). The CALM Program (Coaching Approach Behavior and Leading by Modeling), developed at CUCARD by Jonathan Comer, Ph.D., Anthony Puliafico, Ph.D., and Anne Marie Albano, Ph.D., is an evidence-based cognitive-behavioral treatment used to address anxiety disorders in young children ages 2-7.

The PCIT-CALM Program addresses the needs of young children presenting with:

  • Separation anxiety
  • Social anxiety
  • Generalized anxiety
  • Specific phobias 

Treatment goals include: 

  • Providing caregivers with direct and specific skills for encouraging their child’s brave behavior and decreasing their child’s anxious behavior
  • Using positive reinforcements
  • Providing opportunities for children to practice coping with anxiety-provoking situations in a gradual, supportive manner
  • Decreasing child and caregiver distress during anxiety-provoking situations
  • Strengthening a positive, mutually rewarding caregiver-child relationship
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Parent-Child Interaction Training

Teacher-Child Interaction Training

For more information, you can visit the official website: PCIT.org

We also offer presentations and consultations to schools on how to implement TCIT in their classrooms.

Contact us today for more information or to schedule an appointment at info@mailppa.com or 305-936-1002.

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