Lisa & Jordan
Lisa came to Child and Family Center looking for help for her aggressive and non-compliant two-year-old son Jordan. She was tired, frustrated, and complaining that she didn’t know how to control his behaviors.
She was referred to the Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) The unique program works with the child, and also the caregiver. Therapists directly teach them skills that they use on a daily basis with their children, and provides a template for how to help their children deal with, and in turn decrease negative behaviors.
Right away, Lisa began to notice how her actions contributed to Jordan’s behaviors. For example, she realized that she constantly needed to be in control and have everything, including her child, act and be a certain way. She realized that by not allowing room for her to ignore Jordan’s negative behaviors instead of constantly addressing them and using words like no, don’t, and stop, that she would be able to shape and change them.
Lisa began using her learned skills right away. She learned how to tell him what TO do instead of what NOT to do through giving him simpler and more specific commands, as well as how to implement a proper time-out for non-compliance.
Slowly, as Lisa’s behaviors began to change, so did Jordan’s. Jordan has now learned that as soon as Lisa begins to count to five, his compliance is necessary or he will have to sit in a time-out. Lisa has learned to acknowledge Jordan’s positive behaviors instead of focusing on the negative.
Both have grown closer in their relationship. They struggled through the change, but with love and support they were able to accomplish the changes they were looking for. Lisa has gained skills that she can use for years to come and has gained confidence as a parent, and Jordan has learned to reduce his aggressive and non-compliant behaviors through PCIT’s skills of consistency, predictability, and follow through.