Resistant/defensive parents
Parents may feel incompetent, frustrated, helpless,
guilty, and embarrassed when seeking help
with a disruptive child, and these feelings may
manifest as resistance to treatment. Repeated expressions
of skepticism about treatment techniques
and failure to use or practice the skills on a regular
basis may be expressions of this resistance. The
PCIT therapist will acknowledge the feelings that
underlie parental resistance and reassure parents
that the difficult child behaviors are not their “fault.”
The therapist may further reassure the parents that
many children with similar problems have totally
changed these behaviors when parents begin using
the special skills that they are learning. Along with
this, the therapist may point to the changes their
child has shown during the course of a single
coaching session as evidence of the parent’s ability
to use the skills effectively. At the same time, the
therapist will point to the need for daily practice for
the changes to last and will convey understanding
of the difficulty of finding 5 minutes each day. The
therapist will help the parents to problem-solve
barriers to homework completion and will be
supportive of the parents’ efforts in the face of the
very real stressors in the parents’ lives.