Overview
When trying to find a therapist for your child it can feel like you’re swimming in a sea of websites and information but unsure what to look for. Perhaps your pediatrician or a teacher at school has recommended a certain type of therapy such as PCIT or SPACE. Or perhaps you just know something doesn’t feel right and you need someone you trust to help.
The therapists at Integrated Behavioral Health are trained in the leading evidence-based therapies for childhood difficulties. However, there is no one-size fits all approach to therapy. Our therapists meet with families and determine what is most important to you including your family’s values, culture, and background.
Additionally, it is our belief that children are not raised in silos. They are constantly interacting with other people at school, in extracurricular activities, and at home. To the extent that it is appropriate, we include parents in as much of the therapy process as possible. Dr. Courtney often shares an analogy one of her professors from graduate school used to use:
“Imagine a fish in a dirty fishbowl. If you took the fish out of the bowl and cleaned its scales but put it back in dirty water, the fish would get dirty again.”
We believe the same is true for children. We can’t expect them to make changes all on their own without the support from their most trusted adults. In addition to including parents as part of the therapy process, we collaborate with teachers, medical professionals, physical therapists, occupational therapists, or any other provider on your child’s team. We take a “whole child” approach to therapy and address concerns from all directions.
Types of Therapy
Are you searching for a PCIT therapist? Maybe your pediatrician has recommended you find a PCIT therapist, or you have completed an evaluation and PCIT is one of the recommendations. Or maybe you have come across this type of therapy for the first time! Maybe your child has been diagnosed with ADHD, or you suspect they have ADHD, and you do not want to start medication. Maybe they are already on medication, and you are trying to learn additional tools and strategies to help with difficult behaviors. However you arrived, let me tell you more about PCIT.
A quick Google search would reveal over 42,000,000 results when searching for Parent-Child Interaction Therapy. PCIT is an evidence-based treatment for children with emotional and behavioral difficulties. It is usually aimed at children 2-7 years old. It is one of the front-line therapies for kids with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). The therapy involves strengthening the positive caregiver-child relationship, delivering clear, direct commands, and using effective strategies for child noncompliance. This therapy has been successful in addressing a wide variety of concerns including aggression, destruction of property, noncompliance/defiance, hyperactivity/inattention, emotional dysregulation, difficulties with attachment, feeding concerns, electronics usage, and anxiety.
