Family Interaction Program: Parent-Child Interaction Therapy

PCIT Team Director Co-ordinator Team Members Dr Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck Rae Thomas Team Members Angela Anthonysamy Michelle Hanisch Kate McCarthy Mark Scholes Anne Stuksrud

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) Who is it For? Children with externalsing behaviours Aggression Noncompliance Tantruming Opposition Developed for caregivers with high stress, low frustration tolerance, and who use inappropriate discipline strategies Biological parents Grandparents Foster carers

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) What Happens? Use of one-way mirror In-vivo coaching Two phases (not time limited) Relationship Enhancement Phase Discipline Phase Research based Collection of data: questionnaires and videoed interactions Treatment vs. supported waitlist

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) Who Refers? Department of Child Safety: Mermaid and Beenleigh Offices Pediatricians Psychiatrists (of both parents and children) Psychologists Local schools Self referrals  word of mouth from other families

Goals of PCIT Strengthen parent-child relationship Education regarding effective behaviour management Increase positive interactions Increase positive communications Alter perceptions of child behaviour Make PCIT skills habitual Make PCIT skills generalisable

Relationship Enhancement Phase Goal Enhance the quality of the parent-child interaction by creating or strengthening a positive parent-child relationship

Relationship Enhancement Phase Specific Skills Praise the child Reflect the child’s statements Imitate the child’s play Describe the child’s behaviour Enthusiastic play Ignore inappropriate behaviour (unless dangerous or destructive) Avoid asking questions, giving commands and criticising

Relationship Enhancement Phase “The Shift” Comments and an understanding from the caregiver that it is how they behave and interact with their child that will promote behaviour change Becomes less mechanistic

Discipline Phase Goal Decrease inappropriate behaviours too harmful to be ignored by learning to direct the child’s behaviour when necessary using effective commands and specific consequences for noncompliance

Essential commands only Discipline Phase Specific Skills Be specific with commands Every command stated positively Developmentally appropriate Individual rather than compound Respectful and polite Essential commands only Choices when appropriate Tone of voice neutral

Outside of the PCIT Program Intensive work for both therapists and families Individual sessions offered Crisis counselling Depression counselling Anger management issues Domestic violence assistance Follow up with families outside of “therapy time” Liaise with government and non-government agencies for additional support for families

Preliminary Outcomes

Preliminary Outcomes

Qualitative Interviews “I’m not frightened to go out places anymore…that terrified me…he’d be gone and you’d be running around pulling your hair out. I can leave my knives out in the kitchen or in the drawer…he doesn’t pick them up anymore, he doesn’t touch them…he seems happier, he doesn’t seem to be so moody.” “We had a very stressful family life before coming to this program, it has helped me manage R’s behaviour in a positive way rather than smacking and yelling and screaming at each other.”

Contact Details Parent-Child Interaction Therapy School of Applied Psychology Griffith University (07) 55 529 105