Clear Minded Counseling
Elly Keller, MA, LPC-MH, NCC
Owner & Licensed Clinical Therapist
Parent-Child Interaction Therapy through Telehealth
Have concerns about doing PCIT over telehealth? You are not alone.
Here are answers to the most commonly expressed parent/caregiver concerns:
It's helpful to remember that the core of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is the direct interaction between the parent and child—that's where the "magic" really happens. During our sessions, your child will receive your full, undivided attention, which is something they truly value, and something that helps them stay engaged and focused during session.
During the session, the therapist will guide you through an
earpiece, ensuring your child isn't distracted by or even hears
the therapist. Since you'll be directly providing the intervention
to your child through real-time play, the therapist will have
minimal direct interaction with your child during the session.
We'll start each session with an initial check-in. After that, the
therapist's camera will be turned off during the coding and
coaching phases. This helps minimize any potential distractions
from the screen of the device being used for the session.
The therapists on our team have extensive experience delivering PCIT via telehealth and are well-equipped with tips, tricks, and strategies to help manage any obstacles that might arise.
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I don't think they will be able to sit and pay attention. I don't think they will stay in the room/at the table. I think they will get too distracted by the device.
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Does PCIT really work over telehealth?
A common concern parents have is whether PCIT done over the internet/through telehealth is as effective as PCIT done in the office. While this method of delivery was new to us when the COVID-19 pandemic began, we have been surprised with how effective it has been. On top of our clinical experiences, there are now research articles showing it is as effective, with some studies showing it is even more effective than in office therapy.
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One researcher put it this way, "By treating families in their
own homes, telehealth strategies can also enhance the
relevance of treatment,” Comer said. "It’s one thing to work
with families in the clinic setting, but when we coach
families in their own natural spaces, we often find treatment
gains ‘stick' better.”
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Want to see the data for yourself? The graph to the right
shows that internet based PCIT had a higher percentage of
patients rated as Much Improved and Very Much Improved.
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Or as Jen says, "The advantage of telehealth is that kids are
often in the environment where the concerns are happening, as opposed to a "doctor's" office or other setting where they're more inclined to be on their "best" behavior.
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I'm worried about the technical pieces of it (internet connectivity, use of devices and headsets).
Once your child's intake paperwork is complete, we'll send you an email introducing you to your therapist. This email will also contain detailed information about the equipment you'll need, instructions for joining the session, and tips for testing your setup beforehand. We even include videos to help you prepare your session area. If you find this overwhelming, please know that we can walk caregivers through each step of the setup over the phone during their first session.
Your initial session will be parent-only, which provides a
great opportunity to troubleshoot any technology issues
without the added distraction of managing your child.
While we appreciate that technology allows us to offer PCIT
to many more families than if we were only able to do
in-office sessions, it's true that technology issues are going
to arise at some point. Please be assured that our team has
extensive experience conducting internet-based PCIT and is
skilled at troubleshooting, making adjustments on the fly,
and adapting as needed.
