Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)
Parent–Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is an innovative and highly effective, dyadic (parents/caregivers are always seen together) approach that helps parents and caregivers strengthen their relationship with their child while improving behaviour, emotional regulation and confidence.
It is one of the most effective therapies for young children and their families, combining real-time coaching, relationship-building, and skills training to create lasting positive change at home.
PCIT is typically used with children aged 2–7 years, but its principles can be adapted for older children or specific emotional needs. It has a strong evidence base for challenging behaviours, anxiety, trauma recovery, emotion regulation difficulties, separation anxiety, and grief. Whether a child is struggling with frequent meltdowns, fearfulness, withdrawal, or emotional distress, PCIT helps parents support them with calm, confidence, and connection.
At Psychology Centre Newcastle, PCIT is delivered exclusively via telehealth, allowing families to participate from the comfort and familiarity of their own home. Research shows that PCIT delivered online is more effective compared to in-person sessions. Using a secure video platform, parents and children join sessions together while a therapist provides live, real-time coaching and feedback
through a discreet earpiece or device. This interactive approach allows parents to practise new strategies with their child immediately, supported every step of the way.
Families often find that completing PCIT from home makes it easier to apply new skills where they matter most: in everyday family life.
How PCIT Works
PCIT is a structured program delivered in two main phases:
1. Child-Directed Interaction (CDI)
The first phase focuses on strengthening the parent–child relationship. Parents learn how to:
Build warmth, trust, and emotional connection
Tune in to their child’s feelings and play cues
Use praise and positive attention to encourage cooperation
Help their child feel safe, understood, and valued
This phase is particularly powerful for children experiencing anxiety, grief, or emotional sensitivity, it helps restore a sense of security and confidence through connection.
2. Parent-Directed Interaction (PDI)
The second phase helps parents guide their child’s behaviour in calm, consistent, and effective ways. Parents learn how to:
Set clear expectations and boundaries
Use confident, gentle communication
Manage challenging behaviours without power struggles
Balance warmth with structure to support emotional growth
This phase empowers parents to respond with calm authority and teaches children that limits can coexist with love and understanding.
Adaptations for Emotional and Developmental Needs
PCIT has been successfully adapted for a range of presentations, including:
Anxiety and separation anxiety – helping parents support their child’s confidence through graded exposure and emotional coaching.
Grief and trauma – using connection, validation, and co-regulation to rebuild safety and trust after loss or distress.
Depression or emotional withdrawal – increasing positive interactions and play to restore joy and engagement.
ADHD and emotional dysregulation – strengthening attention, patience, and consistency within family interactions.
These adapted versions retain PCIT’s hands-on coaching model while adjusting the focus toward emotional safety, resilience, and expression rather than just behaviour management.
What to Expect
Sessions are collaborative, practical, and supportive. Parents and children participate together in each telehealth session, with the therapist observing and guiding interactions in real time. Therapy is always paced to suit the family’s comfort level. The focus is on building confidence and connection, helping parents feel capable and children feel secure. Families typically begin noticing improvements in behaviour, communication, and mood within the first few weeks.
The Benefits of PCIT
Families who participate in PCIT often notice meaningful changes across emotional, relational, and behavioural areas, such as:
Stronger connection and trust between parent and child
Reduced anxiety or emotional distress through improved emotional safety and co-regulation
Improved confidence and coping skills for both children and parents
Greater consistency and calm in family communication and routines
Fewer power struggles, tantrums, or emotional outbursts
Enhanced emotional expression and resilience after grief or trauma
More confidence for parents in responding to big emotions and setting healthy boundaries
PCIT helps families move from reactivity to connection, creating calmer homes, stronger relationships, and children who feel safe, understood, and capable of managing their feelings.
At Psychology Centre Newcastle, we believe that positive change begins with connection. PCIT gives parents and caregivers the tools to create calm, nurturing, and emotionally secure relationships, supported by live coaching and professional guidance.
