Parent-child therapy in Beverly Hills
Some of the hardest work in a family happens between one parent and one child. The relationship itself is what we treat here, whether your three-year-old is hitting at preschool or your fifteen-year-old answers every question with one word.
You are in the room for this work, because the change happens between the two of you. Dr. Gozde Gokozan is a certified PCIT therapist, and our clinicians also use play-based and attachment-based approaches with children of every age.
In person in Beverly Hills or online across California · In-network with Cigna and UnitedHealthcare
People come to us when
Parents usually arrive after months of trying everything they can think of, so we start with what is actually happening between you rather than with advice you have already read.
- Tantrums and meltdowns take over most of the day
- A young child is hitting, biting, or refusing almost every request
- Bedtime, mealtimes, and leaving the house end in a fight
- A preschool or pediatrician has raised concerns about behavior
- Bonding has never felt easy, after a hard birth, a NICU stay, or postpartum depression
- A teenager who used to talk now answers in one word
- Discipline has stopped working and nothing has replaced it
How we can help
Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), ages 2 to 7
PCIT is an evidence-based treatment for young children with difficult behavior, and Dr. Gokozan is a certified PCIT therapist. You and your child play together while the therapist watches and coaches you live through an earpiece, so you practice new responses in the moment instead of learning them in theory. The first phase rebuilds warmth and connection, and the second phase gives you a consistent approach to limits and follow-through. Most families finish in roughly 12 to 20 sessions, and progress is measured rather than guessed at.
Play therapy for younger children
Children under about ten work through play long before they can explain what is wrong, so sessions use toys, drawing, and stories to get at what is going on. Parents are included in a way that fits the child’s age, and we meet with you regularly about what we are seeing and what helps at home.
Attachment and bonding
Some parent-child relationships get off to a hard start because of a difficult birth, a NICU stay, a long separation, a serious illness, or postpartum depression that made those early months a blur. Connection can be rebuilt at any age, and that repair work is often what changes the behavior everyone else is focused on.
Parent guidance, without your child in the room
Sometimes the most useful sessions are with the parent alone, especially when you want to understand what is driving your child’s behavior, respond differently in the moment, or work through what your own upbringing brings up when your child pushes back.
Parents and teenagers
Adolescence asks a relationship to change while it is still running. We work with parents and teens on conflict that repeats, autonomy that feels risky to give, and repair after things have been said that neither of you can take back. The goal is a relationship that survives the years when your teen needs you differently.
Questions about development
Parents often want to know whether a behavior is typical for the age or worth a closer look, and that question deserves a real answer rather than reassurance. We can help you sort it out, and point you toward an evaluation when one makes sense.
How this work is different
In most child therapy the child is the client, and the parent is kept informed. Here the relationship between you is the client, which is why you are in the room and why so much of the work happens in the ordinary moments between sessions: the morning routine, the drive home, the argument that starts over something small.
That approach has strong research behind it for young children. PCIT in particular has been studied extensively for behavior problems in children aged two to seven, and it works because parents practice with live coaching rather than going home with a handout. Progress is tracked session by session, so you can see whether it is working instead of wondering.
With older children and teenagers the method changes while the principle stays the same. We pay attention to the pattern between the two of you, including what each of you does when the distance grows, and we work on the repair rather than on winning the argument.
Clinicians who focus on this
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Dr. Gozde Gokozan, PsyD, LMFT, LPCC
PCIT for parents and children ages 0-7
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Mo Mokgobu, MA, APCC
Parent-child dynamics and bonding
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Liz Doyle, MA, AMFT
Parent-adolescent bond
Common questions
What is PCIT?
Parent-Child Interaction Therapy is an evidence-based treatment for children aged 2 to 7 with challenging behavior. You and your child play together while the therapist coaches you live through an earpiece. It has two phases, one focused on connection and one on limits, and it typically takes 12 to 20 sessions.
Is anyone at Therapia actually PCIT certified?
Yes. Dr. Gozde Gokozan is a certified PCIT therapist. Certification requires supervised training in the protocol, which matters because PCIT delivered loosely tends not to produce the results the research describes.
Do I have to be in the room?
For PCIT and most parent-child work, yes. The coaching is the treatment, so your participation is what makes it work. We also offer parent-only sessions when that is the better starting point, and some families do both.
What if my child is older than seven?
PCIT is designed for ages 2 to 7, so for older children and teens we use play-based, attachment-based, and family approaches instead. The focus is still the relationship between you, adapted to your child’s age.
My teenager refuses to come. Can I start alone?
Yes, and many parents do. Working on your side of the pattern changes what happens at home, and teens often agree to come once therapy stops feeling like something being done to them.
Is this the same as therapy for my child?
No. This page is about the relationship between you and your child, with you in the room. If your child needs their own therapy and their own therapist, that is our child and teen therapy, and we can help you decide which fits.
Do you take insurance?
We are in-network with Cigna and UnitedHealthcare, and your cost is the same with every clinician in our practice. For other plans we provide superbills for out-of-network reimbursement.
What to expect
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A free 15-minute call.
You tell us what’s going on in your own words. We answer questions about how we work, insurance, and scheduling, and suggest the clinician who fits best.
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Your first session.
During the intake, get the fuller picture: what brought you here, what you’ve already tried, and what you want to be different.
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Ongoing therapy.
Most clients meet weekly at first. We check in regularly on what’s helping and adjust together.
The relationship can change, at any age
Start with a free 15-minute call. Tell us what is happening at home and we will suggest a starting point, including whether PCIT is the right fit for your child’s age.
9615 Brighton Way, Suite 219, Beverly Hills, CA 90210 · Online across California