PCIT Training Opportunities

Until recently, PCIT has been taught and practiced largely within a small number of University-affiliated laboratories or centers, including the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Specific training protocols developed in these University PCIT centers typically include an intensive didactic component where trainees learn the theory base, receive an overview of the session-by-session PCIT protocol, observe demonstration sessions conducted by accomplished trainers and role-play techniques. Most importantly, however, the traditional University training approach includes approximately six months of post-didactic consultation via co-therapy. Trainees first join accomplished PCIT trainers behind the mirror and observe their practice, then trainees conduct sessions under the direct observation of the trainer for several full cases. In these co-therapy sessions, trainers may give direct real-time feedback to trainees or may take over coaching the parent in order to demonstrate a particular PCIT technique.

PCIT experts at OUHSC are currently investigating an alternative co-therapy PCIT training model using internet-based remote live consultation. In this approach, internet telemedicine technology is used to allow supervisors to observe sessions from a remote location many miles away, directly coach practitioners during the session, and take over the session to coach parents directly and demonstrate PCIT techniques, all in real-time. In a state such as Oklahoma, in which a large percentage of the population resides in rural areas, rurally based therapists have had limited or no access to the type of direct consultation utilized in the traditional PCIT training approach. However, with the incorporation of internet-based remote technology, advanced PCIT training may be feasible for therapists across the U.S.

Training Opportunities

Click on the dates below to open the registration form in a PDF format

Basic PCIT Training

This PCIT training program is designed for community-based therapists to learn to implement PCIT as an empirically-supported treatment for young children with disruptive behavior. The Initial PCIT training includes:

Didactice presentations on the theory and techniques of PCIT
Modeling of key parent and therapist skills
Role-plays of parent and therapists skills
In-vivo practice of skills with confederate children
Direct feedback from trainers

The first 5-day training covers the basics of PCIT, coaching strategies, and implementing the first phase of treatment, the Child Directed Interaction (CDI). The 2-day follow-up training reviews CDI and coaching, but focuses more heavily on the second phase of treatment, the Parent Directed Interaction (PDI). Training also includes discussion of adpatations of PCIT to different populations (Native American families, families exposed to domestic violence, children with prenatal substance exposure). Training size is limited to 12 participants, with three faculty trainers.

After the 5-day training and continuing for 6 months, all participants have weekly phone consultation calls with a PCIT trainer and up to 7 other trainees. In these phone calls, trainees are able to ask questions, get feedback on the PCIT cases they are seeing, discuss adaptations of PCIT, and learn from the experiences of other trainees.

October 26-30, 2009 with follow-up on January 7-8, 2010
April 12-16, 2010 with follow-up on June 17-18, 2010

Advanced PCIT

These 2-day trainings are offered twice per year on-site at OUHSC for practitioners early in their PCIT practice who want to expand their PCIT expertise or for experienced PCIT providers who want to update their PCIT skills to current best practices. The Advanced Training in PCIT includes:

Overview of recent PCIT research
Practice with the DPICS-III abbreviated coding system
Practice and feedback on CDI and PDI skills
Case discussion and tape review
Review of later stges of PCIT treatment
Adaptations of PCIT for special populations

Training is limited to 12 participants, with three faculty trainers.

July 22-23, 2009
December 3-4, 2009
July 23-24, 2010

Within-Agency Trainer Training

Within-Agency Trainer (WATer) training is designed to teach experienced PCIT therapists to provide training to other clinicians in their agency using a co-therapy model. Co-therapy involves seeing cases with a trainee therapist. Over the course of training, a trainee should see 4 completed cases with the trainer, at first observing and then taking on more responsibility. With this model, it is expected that new trainees will be fully trained in about a year, provided they are able to see PCIT cases consistently. Participation in the WATer training is by invitation only and is limited to 8 participants per training. If you are interested in being considered for the WATer training, please contact Darden White via email.

Agency requirement include allowing training cases to be seen by two therapists, allowing trainers and tranees extra time for supervision and training activities, and ensuring an adequate number of PCIT referrals.

May 18, 2009
September 23, 2009
May 17, 2010