Busting the Myth: PCIT is Only for Bad Kids
If you’ve heard of Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), chances are you’ve heard that PCIT is for the “bad” kids. The kids that are the troublemakers in class, who don’t listen to anyone, have extreme temper tantrums, and the list goes on and on. While, yes, PCIT is suitable for kids that are experiencing those things, PCIT is suitable for many more kids that just those with extreme behavioral issues.
PCIT is suitable for kids that need help increasing attention, or have ADHD, building their confidence, or easing their anxiety. It’s also suitable for families who simply want to increase their child’s compliance when they ask them to do something. Since parents work directly with their kid during the session, the kids are building feelings of safety and security as well as increasing their healthy attachment to their parents. This attachment can go a long way.
Each family is a team. When one part of the team is working really hard and the other isn’t doing much, the team as a whole has more difficulty succeeding. When everyone on the team is working toward a common goal, chances are, the team will be more successful. PCIT is taking a team approach to your family. By all caregivers and children putting in the work, you are able to learn to work together and communicate effectively in a way that feels good for all those involved.
PCIT teaches kids and their parents how to better get along with each other and the world around them. I’m a firm believer in what Dr. Jessica Stephens is quoted saying, “There is no such thing as a “bad kid”--just angry, hurt, tired, scared, confused, impulsive ones expressing their feelings and needs the only way they know how. We owe it to every single one of them to always remember that.” So, maybe there aren’t really any bad kids to begin with.