Navigating Parenthood 

Do you love your children, but sometimes find it difficult to like them?  Do you feel like your children’s behaviors dictate your family life, and are you enjoying parenting less than you expected? Have you started to wonder if it isn’t just that parenting is hard, but that maybe things are harder in your family life than for others?  You are not alone. Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) and Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) are structured, evidence based treatments designed for families like yours, and a way to learn skills that will help you to build a happier, peaceful, and more connected home.

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT):

PCIT is an evidence-based therapy specifically designed to improve the quality of parent-child relationships. It targets young children (typically 2-7 years old) experiencing behavioral difficulties like tantrums, defiance, aggression, whining, and/or difficulties with attention.

Who can benefit: Parents struggling to manage their child's disruptive behavior and those seeking to build stronger connections with their children.

What to expect: PCIT utilizes a unique coaching approach. Parents engage in play sessions with their child in the comfort and familiarity of their own home. A therapist observes the interaction through a live video call, providing real-time coaching discreetly via your headphones. This coaching focuses on building positive interactions through techniques like praise, active listening, setting clear expectations, and safe discipline techniques.

Duration: PCIT typically lasts 12-20 weeks, with weekly, 1-hour sessions. Families “graduate” from PCIT when the therapist and parents feel that caregivers have become proficient in PCIT skills, and rate their child’s behavior within normal limits on a behavior rating scale. However, it is important to note that treatment length is variable based on each family’s specific needs.  

Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE):

Developed at the Yale Child Study Center by Dr. Eli Lebowitz, SPACE equips parents with skills to support children experiencing anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It focuses on helping parents navigate and reduce their child's anxieties without inadvertently reinforcing them.

Who can benefit: Parents with children who exhibit anxiety, worry, or OCD-related behaviors like rituals and compulsions.  SPACE is appropriate for families with children from kindergarten  to adolescent years (generally up to 15 years old) .

What to expect: SPACE utilizes a combination of education and skill-building techniques. Parents learn about childhood anxiety and OCD, explore the impact their responses might have, and develop strategies to manage their own anxieties. They practice skills like providing support without engaging in reassurance-seeking behaviors, promoting relaxation techniques, and setting clear boundaries.

Duration: SPACE involves weekly sessions, with each session lasting approximately one hour.  Caregivers attend the sessions, while the child may join intermittently.  SPACE treatment generally involves at least 12 weeks of sessions, though is based on factors including the severity of the child’s anxiety and the pace of change throughout sessions.