Parent-child interaction therapy

Domain V · Systemic, relational, group & community · Sheila Eyberg · 1970 · University of Florida, USA

What it is

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) was developed by Sheila Eyberg in the 1970s (University of Florida). It treats disruptive behaviour in children aged about 2–7. It treats the parent and child as a dyad, and the parent is the agent of change. The therapist sits behind a one-way mirror (or on…

Format

• Caregiver: at least one caregiver able to attend every session (two encouraged), with enough contact to practise at least 3 days a week.
• Phase sequence and typical session counts (UC Davis breakdown; PCIT International gives no fixed count):

Who practises it, and how they are trained or regulated

• CDI mastery (PCIT International 2011): in a 5-minute coded interaction, 10 labelled praises, 10 behavioural descriptions and 10 reflections, with 3 or fewer questions, commands and negative talk combined. Some trainers teach 0 questions, commands or criticisms.
• Version followed: standard clinic-based PCIT as defined by PCIT International, i.e. the 2011 PCIT Protocol (Eyberg & Funderburk) plus the DPICS-IV clinical manual (2013/2014), which certified therapists must use. The 2011 Protocol itself (sold by PCIT International) is not drawn on. Its structure and criteria are reconstructed from PCIT International's certification guidelines and time-out position statement, the UC…

Questions to explore with your client

• What drew you to it, and what are you hoping it will change?
• Is there physical contact? Was it explained beforehand, and do you feel free to say no or stop at any point?
• Does it involve any substance, plant preparation, remedy or supplement? Has your doctor or prescriber been told, especially about any medication you take?
• Does it involve fasting, a special diet or 'detox'? Have you discussed this with your doctor?
• Is it a group, retreat or community? How do they respond if someone wants to leave or raises a concern?
• Who runs it, and what training or registration do they hold?
• What actually happens in a session or meeting, and how often?
• What does it cost, and is there pressure to commit to more?
• How do you feel afterwards, in the hours and days that follow?
• Does it fit with, or clash with, the work we do here?

What practitioners of it watch for

• Siblings and screens in home practice.
• Flat affect in a depressed caregiver; see section 5.
• Parents who stop doing special time once PDI starts.
• A rising intonation, which turns the reflection into a question.
• Ending on a single good ECBI week. Look for stability across sessions.

When to involve someone else

• New or worsening physical symptoms, or advice to stop or change prescribed medication: involve the client's doctor or prescriber.
• Signs of coercion, isolation from family and friends, escalating costs or secrecy: discuss openly and consider safeguarding.
• A crisis or thoughts of suicide: follow your crisis protocol. In the US, call or text 988; in the UK and Ireland, Samaritans on 116 123.

Drawn automatically from the guide's own sections. Stay curious: neither endorse nor dismiss what the client values, and check anything that matters against the full guide and its sources. Not medical advice.