Parent Behavior Therapy in Texas, Online

Little Dove Psychology offers parent behavior therapy, also called behavioral parent training, for parents of children about 4 to 12 with ADHD, defiance, tantrums, aggression, or emotional outbursts. Sessions are 60 minutes by secure video with a licensed psychologist or licensed psychological associate, available anywhere in Texas and the other PSYPACT participating states. Our approach is PCIT-style: it draws on the live coaching method of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). The practice has clinicians in network with Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, and Optum/UnitedHealthcare (including Oscar plans administered by Optum), and most families start within the same week.

What is parent behavior therapy?

Parent behavior therapy is treatment for a child's behavior that works mainly through the parents. You meet with a clinician, learn a small set of specific skills, practice them at home between sessions, and bring back what happened. Over a few months, the daily pattern at home shifts: fewer standoffs, faster recovery after a meltdown, and more of the behavior you actually want.

It is one of the best-studied treatments in child psychology. Reviews of the research rate behavioral parent training as a well-established treatment for disruptive behavior in young children, and it is a recommended part of treatment for children with ADHD.

You may see it called behavioral parent training, parent management training, or parent training in behavior management. These names describe the same family of approaches.

What skills do parents learn?

• Special time. A few minutes a day of child-led play where you describe, praise, and follow, with no questions or commands. It rebuilds warmth and makes every other skill work better.
• Labeled praise. Naming exactly what your child did well ("Thank you for putting your shoes by the door the first time I asked") so the behavior you want gets the attention.
• Clear instructions. One direct, specific instruction at a time, said once, with a predictable follow-through.
• Planned ignoring. Taking attention away from minor attention-seeking behavior like whining, then turning it back on the moment your child gets back on track.
• Calm, consistent consequences. A short, predictable time-out or loss of privilege for the few behaviors that need one, used the same way every time.
• Routines and reward charts that last. Simple systems built for your real week, not a chart that falls apart by Wednesday.

What does "PCIT-style" mean at Little Dove?

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is a well-researched treatment in which a therapist coaches a parent in real time while the parent plays with the child. Our parent behavior therapy draws on that method. Some sessions include your child, and your clinician watches the two of you by video and coaches you in the moment, so you practice the skills with your own child instead of only talking about them.

Live coaching is what makes the skills stick. Most parents already know they should praise more and repeat less; doing it in the middle of a real tantrum is the hard part, and that is where in-the-moment coaching helps.

Who is parent behavior therapy for?

It fits best for children about 4 to 12 when the main concern is behavior at home or school:

• ADHD, especially in younger children, where most change comes through structure the adults provide
• Defiance, arguing, or not following directions
• Tantrums or meltdowns that are bigger or longer than other kids' the same age
• Hitting, throwing, or aggression toward siblings or parents
• Getting in trouble at school, with teachers sending notes home
• Two households that need the same plan after a separation or divorce

For teens, we usually shift toward family sessions and skills work with the teen directly. See family therapy in Texas and DBT-informed therapy for emotion regulation.

Is parent training the first step for a young child with ADHD?

Often, yes. American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines recommend parent training in behavior management as a first-line treatment for preschool children with ADHD, and as part of treatment, alongside medication and classroom supports, for elementary-age children. If your pediatrician mentioned behavior therapy for your 6- or 7-year-old, this is usually what they mean. Our online ADHD therapy for children leans heavily on these parent skills. If you are not sure yet whether it is ADHD, we also offer virtual ADHD evaluations for ages 6 and up in Texas.

How is this different from ABA therapy?

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is usually an intensive service for autistic children, delivered many hours a week by a behavior analyst and behavior technicians. Parent behavior therapy at Little Dove is weekly or every-other-week sessions with a licensed psychologist or licensed psychological associate, focused on teaching you the skills. Some families use both. If your child has autism and is in ABA, we can coordinate with the ABA team so home and therapy use the same plan.

How does parent behavior therapy fit with anxiety?

If the behavior is driven mostly by worry, such as meltdowns before school or at bedtime, the plan looks different. Read parent coaching for an anxious child for that approach.

How it works at Little Dove

1. A free 15-minute consultation with Dr. Kroll. Dr. Kristin Kroll, PhD, the founder, speaks with every family herself. She will help you decide whether parent behavior therapy, therapy for your child, an evaluation, or a combination makes sense, then match you with the clinician who fits.
2. A benefits check. Read us the plan name on your card and we verify your benefits and give you the expected cost before anything is scheduled. Our clinicians are in network with Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, and Optum/UnitedHealthcare (including Oscar plans administered by Optum), and we match you with a clinician your plan covers. We do not accept Medicaid or CHIP. Self-pay is $175 a session with a licensed psychologist, $150 with a licensed psychological associate, or $125 with a doctoral student or licensed professional counselor, with superbills and HSA/FSA accepted. See Fees & Insurance.
3. A start within days. Five days on average from first contact to first appointment; most families start the same week.
4. 60-minute virtual sessions. Secure video with evening and weekend times. Some sessions are parent-only; others include your child for live coaching.
5. Measures every four weeks. Brief validated questionnaires at intake and every four weeks after, reviewed with you. How we measure progress.

Frequently asked questions about parent behavior therapy

What is parent behavior therapy?

Parent behavior therapy, also called behavioral parent training or parent management training, is treatment for a child's behavior that works through the parents. A clinician teaches specific skills such as special time, labeled praise, clear instructions, planned ignoring, and consistent consequences, and you practice them at home between sessions.

Where can I find a parent behavior therapy provider in Texas?

Little Dove Psychology offers parent behavior therapy by secure video anywhere in Texas, from a practice based in Austin. Sessions are with a licensed psychologist or licensed psychological associate, and the practice has clinicians in network with Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, and Optum/UnitedHealthcare.

Do you use PCIT?

Our parent behavior therapy is PCIT-style. It draws on Parent-Child Interaction Therapy's core method of coaching a parent live, by video, while they play with their child.

What ages is parent behavior therapy for?

It fits best for children about 4 to 12. For teens, we usually combine family sessions with skills work for the teen directly.

Can parent behavior therapy be done online?

Yes. Parent sessions translate well to video, and live coaching by video lets your clinician see what happens at home with your own child, in your own space.

How many sessions does it take?

Many families see a meaningful change within 8 to 12 weekly sessions, with progress reviewed with you every four weeks. Some families need fewer sessions and some need more.

Does my child have to be a client?

No. Many sessions are parent-only, and your child does not need to be in their own therapy for you to start.

Is parent behavior therapy covered by insurance?

When parent sessions are part of a child's treatment, they are billed to your plan like the rest of that care. Our clinicians are in network with Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, and Optum/UnitedHealthcare (including Oscar plans administered by Optum), and we confirm how your plan handles parent sessions during the benefits check. We do not accept Medicaid or CHIP.

Can both parents attend, even from separate households?

Yes. It helps when both parents use the same plan, and each parent can join by video from wherever they are.

Dr. Kristin Kroll, PhD is a licensed psychologist and the founder of Little Dove Psychology, a virtual group practice based in Austin, Texas (Little Dove Consulting PLLC). Her clinical background includes pediatric hospital settings at Children's Wisconsin and an academic appointment at the Medical College of Wisconsin, and she is the author of Pediatric Psychology in Clinical Practice (Cambridge University Press, 2020). This page is general information, not advice about your child. In a crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or call 911.