ElmCore Journal of Educational Psychology October, 2014 | Page 3

What is PCIT? During Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), parents learn play therapy skills to enhance their parent-child relationship. Parents also learn to manage child behavior through behavioral principles. Therapists will work with your family until your child’s home behaviors improve. PC IT consists of two parts: Relationship Enhancement Parents are “coached” on how to decrease the negative aspects of their relationship with their child and how to develop consistently positive and supportive patterns of communication Discipline In the Discipline component of the program, parents are “coached” on use of effective discipline and child management skills. In both components of the program, parents are given the opportunity to practice their new skills during the training session until mastery is reached and the child’s behavior has improved PCIT is a well-researched program for children with behavior problems. For more information about PCIT, go to the PCIT International website at www.pcit.org About AUPSC The AUPSC is a clinic provided by the Department of Psychology at Auburn University. Graduate students in doctoral training for clinical psychology provide services under the supervision of licensed clinical psychologists, who are faculty members in the Department of Psychology. For more information about the AUPSC, you can visit our website or call 334-844-4889 The AUPSC ensures confidentiality and operates under the ethical guidelines of the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA). 2