Parent Child Interaction Therapy or PCIT is a type of play therapy for kids with disruptive and aggressive behaviors at school and home. What makes play therapy effective is that kids learn best through play!

The goal of play therapy is to give caregivers and teachers the skills to teach and positively reinforce what is and is not acceptable behavior for kids.  

What kind of kids benefit from PCIT?  

PCIT is appropriate for kids with behaviors such as difficulty listening, focusing, and sitting still as well as kids who get in trouble for talking too much, interrupting, or being impulsive. Children with ADHD benefit from this type of therapy. Other kids who benefit from play therapy are kids who struggle to deal with their big feelings, have frequent tantrums, have a hard time with transitions, and kids who have a hard time when plans change.  

Children with social or separation anxiety also benefit from play therapy. Research shows that 9% of preschoolers struggle with some type of anxiety (Egger & Angold, 2006). The Coaching Approach behavior and Leading by Modeling (CALM) Program is another form of play therapy focused on helping children exhibit brave behaviors at home and school.