Parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT) is a family and behavior-based treatment that strengthens the parent-child connection via personal interaction. Child-directed engagement in this modality may aid in the development of successful parenting practices, the decrease of behavioral difficulties, and the creation of a better family bond. PCIT is effective in reducing anxiety, non-compliant behaviors, and disruptive tendencies among children. I would therefore recommend the adoption of this treatment alongside with Child-Directed Interaction (CDI) and Probationers Recovering through Intervention and Drug Education (PRIDE) to enhance its effectiveness.
PCIT enlightened me on its firm ground and roots from the attachment and social learning theories and how the treatment can treat an affected child while improving parenting skills. PCIT challenges my overall understanding regarding how an independent consultant can better understand the child at the expense of her birth mother. I learned that PCIT could treat young children who have Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD).
The PCIT treatment approach is evidence-based and can apply to treating a wide variety of children’s problems. However, I would change treatment plans involving children undergoing specific medical conditions such as hallucination and delusions. I would further change the pre-treatment evaluation to discern the relationship between children and their parents. This metric dictates the treatment’s efficiency, such as; if the parent abuse drugs, the treatment plan may fail.
As a future counselor, I would integrate the PCIT treatment plan with Child-Directed Interaction (CDI) and Probationers Recovering through Intervention and Drug Education (PRIDE) techniques to wholly address my patient’s self-esteem issues. I would individually analyze the patient’s ailments and severity to discern the most practical treatment plan to adopt. I will apply my knowledge in counseling and guiding parents on effective methods to help their children overcome depression and anxiety. I will further guide drug-abusing parents on effective methods for dealing with their addiction to enhance the viability of PCIT treatment. I believe the treatment should take longer than 10-14 weeks to fully accommodate children with severe conditions.