Habit reversal training (HRT)
By Team PCPA
Many of us engage in habitual behavior from time to time, like nail-biting, hair-twirling, finger tapping, and others. In children, this is often normal and not cause for concern, and in many cases remits on its own without intervention. However, if you or your child’s habitual behaviors are causing distress or functional impairment (e.g., bleeding or infected cuticles from nail-picking, losing hair due to pulling, teasing from peers), a treatment called habit reversal training (HRT) can help.
HRT is a behaviorally-based, empirically-supported treatment to reduce the frequency and severity of problematic habitual behaviors. During HRT, you and your/your child’s clinician will work through a series of steps to reduce unwanted habits. These steps include identifying and describing the habit(s) to target, increasing awareness of the habit(s) and associated warning signs, developing and practicing an incompatible response to use when the warning sign is detected, and developing a plan to maintain improvements. Sometimes this can take as few as a couple appointments to complete, but in other cases can require multiple appointments over several months depending on severity. Your clinician will help design the most acceptable treatment plan, teach the HRT steps during appointments, and provide a plan for home practice.
Pediatric psychotherapy, including HRT available out of our Chicago (Streeterville), Winnetka, Highland Park, Vernon Hills and Wheaton locations.
HRT is a behaviorally-based, empirically-supported treatment to reduce the frequency and severity of problematic habitual behaviors. During HRT, you and your/your child’s clinician will work through a series of steps to reduce unwanted habits. These steps include identifying and describing the habit(s) to target, increasing awareness of the habit(s) and associated warning signs, developing and practicing an incompatible response to use when the warning sign is detected, and developing a plan to maintain improvements. Sometimes this can take as few as a couple appointments to complete, but in other cases can require multiple appointments over several months depending on severity. Your clinician will help design the most acceptable treatment plan, teach the HRT steps during appointments, and provide a plan for home practice.
Pediatric psychotherapy, including HRT available out of our Chicago (Streeterville), Winnetka, Highland Park, Vernon Hills and Wheaton locations.
