Behavioral parent training doesn't have to be cold or rigid, and is much more than star charts and rewards. It can be relational, warm, and practical, shifting underlying patterns and promoting change via everyday interactions. Dr. Rachel LaFleur and Dr. Sofia Goltsberg explain how bevioral parent training, inclusive of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), uses live coaching, attention, and calm boundaries to help families build new patterns, grow skills, manage conflict, reduce parental stress, and promote effecitve coparenting. They discuss who may benefit from behavioral parent training, how it can support children with challenges such as tantrums, anxiety, OCD, ADHD, and sleep issues, and why this approach can help parents feel more confident and less stuck. The conversation offers parents and clinicians a clearer, more compassionate view of behavioral therapy.

Resources:

• Dr. Goltsberg at Expand Psychology: https://expandpsychologyva.com/sofia-goltsberg
• Consultation with Dr. LaFleur: https://stonyrunpsych.com/professional-consultation/
• PCIT International: https://www.pcit.org/
• Facebook Group for Behavioral Parent Training Therapists (clinicians only): https://www.facebook.com/groups/bptconnect
• Sign-up for Basecamp (for Certified PCIT Therapists only) https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScOCvAvAKQUpK1VmIxvRfJEyPYO-1Cg97wKm2SZ4SaEcicx2w/viewform

02:48 — Why Parent Training Works
06:19 — Different Forms of Behavioral Parent Training
06:52 — PCIT and Live Coaching Explained
10:53 — How Behavioral Treatment Can Be Relationship-Centered
16:46 — Shaping the Environment, Not Blaming the Child
24:13 — Teaching Regulation Through Parent Responses
30:15 — What Teaching “Coping Skills” Looks Like in Behavioral Work
35:08 — Who Can Benefit From Behavioral Parent Training
43:19 — Parent Consistency is Fair, Emotionally Safe, and Effective
48:25 — The Role of Assessment and Diagnosis
51:41 — Key Takeaways for Families
55:24 — Training and Resources for Clinicians