Child-Parent Relationship Therapy is a play-based treatment program for young children presenting with behavioral, emotional, social, and attachment concerns. At the heart of CPRT is the premise that a secure parent-child relationship is essential for children’s well-being. Parents learn skills to respond more effectively to their children’s emotional and behavioral concerns in a supportive group environment.

The goal of CPRT is to strengthen the quality of the parent-child attachment bond to reduce child behavior problems and stress in the parent-child relationship. CPRT was developed for children ages 3- 8 but has been adapted for toddlers and preadolescents.

In CPRT, parents are taught specific skills that focus on enhancing a secure attachment with their child and helping parents attune to and respond to their child’s underlying needs to address symptoms. Parents also learn to limit their child’s misbehavior effectively. In CPRT, parents implement the skills in weekly play sessions with their children and get feedback on their skills from a certified CPRT facilitator.