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Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is a short-term, specialized behavior management program designed for young children experiencing behavioral and/or emotional difficulties and their families.
22/07/2025
We cannot thank our families enough for trusting us with their kids and sharing about our programs. KC PCIT believes in offering evidence based treatments to improve daily functioning of children, adolescents and their families. We can’t wait to work with you!
17/07/2025
With CBT tools, kids can grow stronger from the inside out.
Let’s help little minds build big skills—one thought at a time!
15/07/2025
With CBT tools, kids can grow stronger from the inside out. Let's help little minds build big skills - one thought at a time.
10/07/2025
Remember: chores are about progress, not perfection. Building these habits now lays the groundwork for life-long responsibility! 💪
08/07/2025
You don’t have to ban screens completely — but you can set gentle limits that work for your family. Think of it as teaching your child to enjoy a variety of activities, not just the digital ones. When boredom strikes, stay calm, stay connected, and help them shift into something creative or active. You’re not just managing screen time — you’re building lifelong self-regulation skills. 💛
04/07/2025
Happy 4th of July!
01/07/2025
Children may forget the details- but they remember how it felt to be seen, loved, and including. This holiday, let the connection be the STAR of the show.
26/06/2025
Kids don’t borrow our logic—they borrow our calm.
When their emotions run high (and loud and wild 😅), our steady presence helps them find their way back to center.
You don’t have to have all the answers—just a calm voice, a deep breath, and the reminder: “I’m here, and we’ll get through this together.”
Your calm is their safe place.
24/06/2025
19/06/2025
It's okay of your child to be unsure - that's where growth begins. With every splash, you're building a stronger and braver child!
17/06/2025
Confidence grows with every splash.
With gentle encouragement, a patient teacher, and practice, those fears often turn into joy.
15/06/2025
From all of us at KC PCIT, thank you Dads. We celebrate you!
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Jennifer Jackson-Rice, LSCSW, LCSW & Julie Gettings, LCSW, LSCSW are Licensed Specialist Clinical Social Workers with 20 years of experience working with children and families. They both received their training through years of work at Children's Mercy Hospital. Julie and Jennifer are both certified in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), an effective, evidence-based treatment.
WHAT IS PCIT?
PCIT is a short-term, specialized behavior management program designed for young children experiencing behavioral and/or emotional difficulties and their families. PCIT teaches caregivers to manage their child’s difficult behaviors, while increasing their positive behaviors. PCIT works with the child and caregiver together to improve behavior and reduce parenting stress.
PCIT consists of weekly sessions conducted in two treatment phases:
CHILD DIRECTED INTERACTION (CDI): Caregivers are taught the PRIDE skills: Praise, Reflect, Imitate, Describe and Enjoyment. These skills promote positive child behaviors and improves the quality of the parent-child relationship. In CDI, parents learn to follow their child’s lead in play and provide positive attention combined with active ignoring of misbehaviors. They learn the importance of avoiding commands, questions, criticism and sarcasm.
PARENT DIRECTED INTERACTION (PDI): Caregivers learn to use effective commands and consistent follow through. PDI focus includes praise for compliance and a timeout procedure for noncompliance. The PCIT therapist helps caregivers manage their child’s behaviors in many settings.
HOW DOES PCIT WORK?
PCIT is an exceptionally effective treatment backed by over 30 years of research. Live coaching is a hallmark of PCIT. The therapist observes the caregiver and child interactions through play, then provide coaching on the PCIT skills through a “bug-in-the-ear” system. The advantage of live coaching are skills are acquired more rapidly by caregivers, as they practice in the moment. Therapist provide caring support as caregivers gain confidence and master skills. Caregivers receive immediate feedback about strategies to manage the child’s challenging behaviors. At the conclusion of each therapy session, therapist and caregivers decide which skills to focus on during daily five minute home practice. Five minute daily home practice is important to PCIT treatment progress and caregivers mastery of skills.
WHO IS PCIT FOR?
Children ages 2 to 7 who display any or all of the following:
Parent-child relational problems
Refusal and defiance of adult requests
Easy loss of temper
Purposeful annoyance of others
Destruction of property
Difficulty staying seated
Difficulty playing quietly
Difficulty taking turns
Difficulty with mealtime behaviors and feeding difficulties
