Parent-Child Interaction Therapy

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy. Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), a program for young children and their families, is a strong evidence-based treatment repeatedly receiving the highest rankings in reviews of child mental health treatments (e.g., California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare, 2021; Prevention Services Clearinghouse, 2020). Originally developed in the 1970s for young children (2–7 years of age) with disruptive behavior problems, PCIT has since been successfully applied to other populations. As PCIT found significant positive outcomes of improved child behaviors, reduced parenting stress, and improved parent-child relationships, the application of PCIT to children at risk or exposed to trauma was studied. A module to expand this work with a greater focus on the bidirectionality of trauma, Trauma-Directed Interaction (TDI)™, is currently being evaluated. The recent pandemic and associated adverse mental health outcomes have increased the relevance of PCIT for children with trauma histories and their families. Cultural sensitivity and justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion considerations are being emphasized in current PCIT implementations. The use of PCIT via telehealth has allowed for greater dissemination of this treatment.