PCIT Clinic
Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) Clinic
Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) in Nashville, TN
What is PCIT?
PCIT is a live-coached treatment for children ages 2 to 7 with tantrums, aggression, defiance, and big feelings that don't settle. You play with your child while a therapist coaches you in the moment; you leave with skills that work at home and community, not just in the office. CFTC's clinicians are PCIT-certified through PCIT International Association and treat families in Green Hills, Nashville.
Does this sound like your child?
Tantrums that feel too big, too long, or too frequent for their age
Hitting, throwing, or aggression at home, daycare or school
Ignores directions until you're yelling, and you hate that you're yelling
Calm-downs that leave everyone wrecked and exhausted
A teacher or pediatrician has raised concerns about behavior
How does PCIT work?
PCIT runs in two phases. The first builds positive relationship between parent and child: you learn skills that make your attention the most powerful reward in your child's world. With that, the daily battles can begin to shrink. The second phase teaches you to give directions your child follows, calmly and consistently. Throughout, the therapist coaches you live while you and your child play — you practice the skill the moment you learn it.
Children who benefit from PCIT struggle with regulation, listening, builds positive relationships between parent and child through parent training and live coaching to enhance attachment and provide a warm environment for learning and relearning. PCIT has some of the strongest research support of any child behavior treatment, with outcomes studied for decades. Read more about what PCIT is at PCIT International.
How long does treatment take?
A typical course runs 12 to 20 weeks. Progress depends on caregiver skill-building and your child's behavior gains — graduation comes when you feel confident handling the hard moments at home and in the community, not when a calendar says so. Before we're done, we want to ensure treatment gains will hold up outside the therapy room with generalization practice.
What it comes down to at CFTC:
In PCIT we learn skills that help parents edit how we are seeing, hearing, and loving children that may need a different kind of parenting than another child. PCIT is a great treatment for children who have tantrums, big feelings, aggression, difficulty calming down and other behaviors that are of concern to the parents or teacher. You and your child deserve to enjoy one so let’s give your child ‘their childhood back!’
Families who participated in PCIT at CFTC have shared this about their experience:
PCIT was “life changing for our family!”
“The CFTC PCIT Program is beyond excellent. We had seen another PCIT therapist but we needed multidisciplinary involvement AND excellent PCIT. Now, our family is able to enjoy one another and most days are positive!”
PCIT special time is “my favorite part of the day and I used to struggle to enjoy my kids!”
For the right family, PCIT is an excellent choice of treatment. PCIT is a wonderful treatment model for children and their parents to reinforce attachment, build trust and develop the skills surrounding both giving and receiving directions. PCIT allows for growth in both parent and child to build strong link of trust and respect for both parent and child. You can read more about the outcomes in PCIT here at on the PCIT International Website.
Check out this research on the efficacy of PCIT compared to alternative treatments.
PCIT Providers
ELEANOR EZELL, LCSW
PCIT Certified Therapist &
Global Trainer Candidate
ANDREW ROZSA, PHD
PCIT Certified Therapist &
WAT Trainer-in-Training
CHARLOTTE KEENEY, LCSW
PCIT Certified Therapist
ELIZABETH FAULKS, LCSW
PCIT Therapist Trainee
FAQ
Is my child too young for therapy?
No — PCIT was built for ages 2 to 7, and because you're the one learning the skills, even a 1-year-old benefits.
PCIT Toddler is an excellent adaptation for children ages 12 to 24 months!
Do both parents have to come?
Treatment works best when everyone who manages hard moments learns the skills, but we build the plan around your family's reality.
What if the behavior happens at school, not just home?
Treatment gains are generalized to other settings before graduation, and we consult with teachers when school is part of the picture.
Is this a parenting class or drop in therapy for my child?
No. A class tells you what to do; PCIT coaches you live, with your own child, until the skills are automatic.
Who is PCIT for?
Children ages 2 to 7 years old with big emotions and behaviors that need additional support
Parents must be ready to participate as the agent of change for their child
PCIT is easily tailored to meet the needs of the family and will be tailored to fit your family values.
At CFTC we level treatment up to meet you where you are, coach parents to develop new skills for the identifies problem behavior, and we make sure that treatment gains are generalized to the community before sending you on your way!
How long is treatment in PCIT?
A typical course of PCIT treatment will last 12-20 weeks.
Progress in treatment is depended on skill development for the caregivers and behavioral progress in your little one.
Providers
All PCIT Providers at Child and Family Therapy Collective are PCIT certified therapists, or are in training to be PCIT Therapists.
Other clinicians are cross trained in PCIT skills
Our clinicians use the gold standard PCIT treatment through PCIT International Association. PCIT International Association is a non-profit working to train therapists and disseminate efficacious treatment.
