Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT): An Empirically Supported Approach for Young Children and Their Caregivers
Traditional Workshop 18 - Parent-child Interaction Therapy (PCIT): An Empirically Supported Approach for Young Children and Their Caregivers
Sunday, June 28, 2026
8:30 AM - 11:30 AM PDT
Location: Sierra A, 5th Floor
Earn 3 Credit
Keywords: Children, Disruptive Behavior, PCIT (Parent Child Interaction Therapy) Level of Familiarity: Basic to moderate Recommended Readings: Calderone, A., Piccolo, A., Latella, D., De Luca, R., Corallo, F., Quartarone, A., Militi, A., Cucinotta, F., & Calabrò, R. S. (2025). Parent-Child Interaction Therapy for Disruptive Behavior: A Systematic Review of Effectiveness in Different Settings. Journal of clinical medicine, 14(3), 856. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14030856, Lieneman, C. C., Quetsch, L. B., Theodorou, L. L., Newton, K. A., & McNeil, C. B. (2020). Parent-Child Interaction Therapy: Current perspectives and future directions. Current Psychiatry Reports, 22(2), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-020-1130-8, Lyon, A. R., Pullmann, M. D., Whitaker, K., Ludwig, K., McCauley, E., & McNeil, C. B. (2023). Implementation of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy in community settings: A review of dissemination and implementation research. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 26(1), 114-134. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-022-00409-7 , ,
Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is a well-established, evidence-based treatment for young children with disruptive behavior disorders and their caregivers. Rooted in behavioral and social learning theory, PCIT is a dyadic intervention that focuses on improving the quality of the parent-child relationship while equipping caregivers with effective behavior management skills. A distinguishing feature of PCIT is the use of live coaching, in which therapists guide caregivers in real time as they interact with their child, allowing skills to be practiced and reinforced within the parent-child relationship. PCIT is delivered in two sequential phases. The first phase, Child-Directed Interaction (CDI), focuses on strengthening the parent-child relationship through the use of positive attention, strategic praise, and responsive play. The second phase, Parent-Directed Interaction (PDI), teaches caregivers to use clear instructions, consistent consequences, and structured discipline strategies to address challenging behaviors. Therapists use structured behavioral observation systems and competency criteria to guide treatment progression and ensure skill acquisition. Over four decades of research, including randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses, have demonstrated that PCIT leads to significant improvements in child behavior, parenting practices, and parent stress, with medium to large effect sizes reported across studies. Research has also shown that PCIT can be implemented effectively in a variety of clinical and community settings and across diverse populations. This workshop will provide an introduction to the PCIT model. Participants will review the theoretical foundations and empirical support for PCIT, observe demonstrations of live coaching strategies, and examine case examples illustrating the application of CDI and PDI skills in clinical practice. Practical considerations for implementing PCIT in diverse clinical contexts will also be discussed.
Outline: 8:30 – 8:40 am Welcome & Overview 8:40 – 9:00 am What is PCIT? 9:00 – 9:15 am Video Demonstrations & Discussion 9:15 – 9:30 am Evidence Base for PCIT 9:30 – 10:15 am Child-Directed Interaction (CDI) 10:15 – 10:25 am Break 10:25 – 10:40 am Managing Misbehavior During CDI 10:40 – 10:50 am Coaching in PCIT 10:50 – 11:10 am Parent-Directed Interaction (PDI) 11:10 – 11:25 am Extensions, Tailoring, & Adaptations 11:25 – 11:30 am Conclusions & Questions
Learning Objectives:
Describe the theoretical foundations and core components of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT).
Differentiate the goals and clinical strategies used in the Child-Directed Interaction (CDI) and Parent-Directed Interaction (PDI) phases of treatment.
Identify key elements of live coaching and discuss how these strategies support caregiver skill acquisition and child behavior change.
