Children's Services

Promoting empowerment and emotional wellness for children, adolescents, and their families.

Services

Appointments

To make an appointment, or to find out how we can help you, call us at 563-382-3649. For hearing/speech impaired access, call 711, or 800-735-2942.

Play Therapy Rooms

Play therapy supports healthy brain development. It allows children and adolescents to safely explore fears and roles, while strengthening healthy relationships with peers and caregivers. 

Yellow Room 

The Yellow Room is a relaxing area known as the “calm room.” There will be comfy, therapeutic seating, and shelves of books to choose from. In these books are a variety of topics for adolescents to use in therapy.

Purple Room 

The Purple Room will include arts and crafts supplies and musical objects. Some children find traditional talk therapy difficult. Arts and crafts offer a friendly alternative. It allows clients to express creativity and explore their experiences, while reducing anxiety. 

Green Room

The Green Room, also known as the PCIT room (Parent-Child Interaction Therapy), includes board games, doll houses, sand tray, a puppet theatre, and building blocks. PCIT builds positive parent-child interactions, strategies, and increases communication, while boosting parental confidence. This room can be dually used as a typical play therapy room. 

Blue Room

The Blue Room is designed for children who have experienced complex stress or traumatic exposures. The room consists of specialized equipment that help the child regulate their bodies and their emotions to process their traumatic experiences. 

PCIT (Parent-Child Interactive Therapy)

PCIT is a short-term, specialized behavior management program designed for young children experiencing behavioral and/or emotional difficulties and their families. PCIT teaches caregivers to manage their child’s difficult behaviors, while increasing their positive behaviors. PCIT works with the child and caregiver together to improve behavior and reduce parenting stress.

What is PCIT?

PCIT consists of weekly sessions conducted in two treatment phases.

Child-Directed Interaction (CDI)

Caregivers are taught the PRIDE skills: Praise, Reflect, Imitate, Describe and Enjoyment. These skills promote positive child behaviors.

Parent-Directed Interaction (PDI)

Caregivers learn to use effective commands and discipline procedures. The PCIT therapist helps caregivers manage their child’s behaviors in many settings. 

How Does PCIT Work?

PCIT is an exceptionally effective treatment backed by over 30 years of research. Live coaching is a hallmark of PCIT. The therapist observes the caregiver and child together, then provide coaching on the PCIT skills. Caregivers and therapists work together to manage challenging child behaviors.

Advantages of Live Coaching:

  • Skills are acquired rapidly by caregivers, as they practice in the moment with therapist support.
  • Therapists provide caring support as caregivers gain confidence and master their skills.
  • Therapists provide immediate feedback about strategies to manage the child’s challenging behaviors.

Who is PCIT for?

Children ages 2 ½ to 6 who display any or all of the following:

  • Parent-child relational problems
  • Refusal and defiance of adult requests
  • Easy loss of temper
  • Purposeful annoyance of others
  • Destruction of property
  • Difficulty staying seated
  • Difficulty playing quietly
  • Difficulty taking turns

Who are appropriate caregivers for PCIT?

  • Biological parents
  • Foster parents
  • Adoptive parents
  • Legal guardian
  • Grandparents
  • Kinship caregivers

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