Parent-child therapy is when I meet with one or both parents and the child or teen to learn a set of skills together or change a problematic pattern of interaction. This is technically a type of family therapy, but I don’t like to use the phrase here because it is usually not necessary to include the whole family. Therapy following this model is usually a mixture of parent consultation (visits with only the parents) and parent-child sessions (where some degree of interaction or shared learning is expected). Sometimes it may feel more like “group consultation,” where I am essentially teaching both parent and child some techniques to implement at home. For some concerns, visits may involve some “coaching,” where I observe a live interaction and make some suggestions or changes. As with other types of therapy, using the techniques consistently at home between visits is key for success. Think of the visits as “adjustments” to your technique, and then the real work happens at home.