Texas Tech University

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy Lab



Joaquin Borrego, Jr., Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Department of Psychology

Child Maltreatment:

  • Child physical abuse (CPA) treatment
  • Behavioral observations of physically abusive parent-child interactions
  • Clinical utility of 'treatment matching'
  • The consideration of ‘culture' in the context of child maltreatment assessment and intervention with ethnic minority populations
  • Identifying ‘mechanisms of change' in parent-child interactions and interventions

Child Behavior Problems:

  • Socially disruptive (externalizing) behaviors
    • Behavioral assessment and treatment
    • Risk for child physical abuse

Hispanic Populations:

  • The development, implementation, and evaluation of psychosocial treatments with Spanish-speaking and other ethnic minority populations
  • Examining the generalizability of empirically validated treatments with Spanish-speaking populations
  • Visit the Latino Mental Health Homepage

Behavioral Research Methodology:

  • Behavioral Assessment
    • Functional Assessments
    • Functional Diagnostic Categories
  • Treatment Matching
    • Treatment Adherence and Outcome
  • Effective Dissemination Practices
  • Clinical Behavior Analysis

Community Interventions with Underserved Populations:

  • Prevention of obesity
    • Specifically with ethnic minority populations
  • Social (ecological)
  • Behavioral Assessment
  • Behavior Therapy
    • Clinical Behavior Analysis
  • Behaviorally-Based Parent Training
    • Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)
  • Children with Disruptive Behavior Problems
  • Child Physical Abuse
  • Treatment Outcome Evaluation
  • Use of Empirically-Validated Treatments
  • Spanish-Speaking Populations
  • Community Interventions

*current or former graduate student

  • *Klinkebiel, C., & *Harris, N., & Borrego, Jr., J. (2014). Parenting and children's mental health in Mexican-American families. In Y. Caldera & E. Lindsey (Eds.), Mexican American children and families: Multidisciplinary perspectives (pp. 168-181). Routledge Publishers: New York.
  • Borrego, Jr., J., *Klinkebiel, C., & *Gibson, A. (2014). Parent-Child Interaction Therapy: An overview. In B. Allen & M. Kronenberg (Eds.), Treating traumatized children: A casebook of evidence-based therapies (pp. 165-182). New York: Guilford Press.
  • Wherry, J.N., Hunsaker, S., Conaway, I., & Pettigrew, H., Trejos-Castillo, E., Caldera, Y., Borrego, J., & *Cordero, L. (2014). Reliability and validity of the Spanish Form of the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children. Journal of Child and Adolescent Trauma, 7(1), 3-12.
  • *Pemberton, J. R., Borrego, J., Jr., & *Sherman, S. (2013). Differential attention as a mechanism of change in parent-child interaction therapy: Support from time-series analysis. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 35, 35-44.
  • *Pemberton, J. R., Kramer, T. L., Borrego, J., Jr., & Owen, R. R. (2013). Kids at the VA? A call for evidence-based parenting interventions for returning veterans. Psychological Services, 10, 194-202.
  • *Burrell, T.L. & Borrego, Jr., J. (2012). Improving the success of treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorders: Introduction. Cognitive & Behavioral Practice, 19, 389-391.
  • *Burrell, T.L. & Borrego, Jr., J. (2012). Parental involvement in ASD treatment: What is their role? Cognitive & Behavioral Practice, 19, 423-432.
  • Borrego, Jr., J. & *Klinkebiel, C. (2011). Cultural considerations in stepped care and e-health interventions. In W. O'Donohue & C. Draper (Eds.), Stepped care and e-health: Practical applications to behavioral disorders (pp. 283-305). New York: Springer.
  • *Spendlove, S.J., & Borrego, Jr., J. (2011). Sociocultural factors and the psychological well-being of Mexican-American students. A.E. Benavidez (Ed.), Hispanics in the Southwest: Issues of immigration, education, health and public policy. Arizona: Bilingual Review Press.
  • Anhalt, K. & Borrego, Jr., J. (2010). Cultural issues in PCIT. In C.B. McNeil & T. Hembree-Kigin (Eds.), Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (2nd ed.) (pp. 363-376). New York: Springer.
  • Boylan, M., Feng, D., Chyu, M., Esperat, C., Flores, D., Thu, D., Reed, D., Borrego, J., Billings, L., & Ochoa, C. (2010). Identification of overweight in young children: Is use of body mass index percentiles alone sufficient? Texas Public Health Journal, 62, 12-15.
  • Chu, M.-C., Feng, D., Esperat, C., Reed, D., Boylan, M., Borrego, J., Lynda, B., Flores, D., & Ochoa, C. (2010). Feasibility of martial arts exercise physical education program for children at risk for overweight. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 42(5), S249.
  • Borrego, Jr., J. (2010). Introduction to special series: Culturally responsive cognitive and behavioral practice with Latino families. Cognitive & Behavioral Practice, 17, 154-156.
  • *Barker, C.H., *Cook, K., & Borrego, Jr., J. (2010). Addressing cultural variables in parent training programs with Latino families. Cognitive & Behavioral Practice, 17, 157-166.
  • Borrego, Jr., J. & *Burrell, T.L. (2010). Using behavioral parent training to treat disruptive behavior disorders in young children: A how to approach using video components. Cognitive & Behavioral Practice, 17, 25- 34.
  • Borrego, Jr., J., Gutow, M. R., Reicher, S., & *Barker, C. H. (2008). Parent child interaction therapy with domestic violence populations. Journal of Family Violence 23, 495-505.
  • Reed, D., Feng, D., Chyu, M., Boylan, M., Borrego, J., Thompson, L., Esperat, C., Flores, D., Ochoa, C., Billings, L., & Noriega, O. (2008). Early lessons learned in the development of a childhood overweight presentation program in West Texas using community based participatory research. Texas Public Health Association Journal, 60, 4-8.
  • Borrego, Jr., J., *Ibanez, E.S., *Spendlove, S.J., & *Pemberton, J.R. (2007). Treatment acceptability among Mexican American parents. Behavior Therapy, 38, 218-227.
  • *Pemberton, J. R., & Borrego, J. (2007). Increasing acceptance of behavioral child management techniques: What do parents say? Child & Family Behavior Therapy, 29(2), 27-45.
  • *Ibanez, E.S., Borrego, Jr., J., *Pemberton, J.R., & Terao, S.Y. (2006). Cultural factors in child physical abuse decision-making: Identifying reporter characteristics influencing reporting tendencies. Child Abuse & Neglect, 30, 1365-1379.
  • *Pemberton, J.R., Borrego, Jr., J., & Cohen, L.M. (2006). Using interactive computer technology to enhance learning. Teaching of Psychology,33(2), 145-147.
  • Borrego, Jr., J., Anhalt, K., Terao, S. Y., Vargas E., & Urquiza, A.J. (2006). Parent-child interaction therapy with a Spanish-speaking family. Cognitive & Behavioral Practice, 13, 121-133.
  • Fireman, G.D., & Borrego, Jr., J. (2005). Child neglect. N.J. Salkind (Ed.), Encyclopedia of human development (pp. 249-251). Sage Publications: Thousand Oaks, CA.
  • *Pemberton, J.R., & Borrego, Jr., J. (2005). The relationship between treatment acceptability and familism. The International Journal of Behavioral Consulting and Therapy, 1(4), 329-337
  • Borrego, Jr., J., & Terao, S. Y. (2005). The consideration of culture factors in the context of child maltreatment. P.F. Talley (Ed.), Handbook for the treatment of abused and neglected children (pp. 343-357). Haworth Press.
  • Boothe, J., Borrego, J. Jr., Hill, C., & Anhalt, K. (2005). Treatment acceptability and treatment compliance in ethnic minority populations. In C.L. Frisby & C. Reynolds (Eds.), Comprehensive handbook of multicultural school psychology (pp. 945-972). John Wiley & Sons: New York.
  • Borrego, Jr., J., Timmer, S. G., Urquiza, A. J., & Follette, W.C. (2004). Physically abusive mothers' responses following episodes of child noncompliance and compliance. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 72(5), 897-903.
  • Boothe, J.L., & Borrego, Jr., J. (2004). Parents acceptance of behavioral interventions for children with behavior and communication problems. Child and Family Behavior Therapy, 26(2), 1-15.
  • Borrego, Jr., J., & Follette, W. C. (2003). Evaluating outcomes in health care settings. In L. Cohen, D. McChargue & F. Collins (Eds.), The health psychology handbook: Practical issues for the behavioral medicine specialist (pp. 525-536). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
  • Peterson, M., Borrego, J. Jr., Terao, S.Y., & Urquiza, A.J. (2003). Psychological maltreatment. In M. Peterson, M. Durfee, & K. Coulter (Eds.), Child abuse and neglect: Guidelines for identification, assessment, and case management (pp. 106-109). Sacramento, CA: Volcano Press, Inc.
  • Timmer, S. G., Borrego, Jr., J., & Urquiza, A. J. (2002). Antecedents of coercive interactions in physically abusive mother-child dyads. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 17(8), 836-853.
  • Terao, S. Y., Borrego, Jr., J., & Urquiza, A. J. (2001). A reporting and response model for culture and child maltreatment. Child Maltreatment, 6(2), 158-168.
  • Terao, S.Y., Borrego, Jr., J., & Urquiza, A.J. (2000). How do I differentiate culturally based practices from child maltreatment? In H. Dubowitz & D. DePanfilis (Eds.), The handbook on child protection (pp. 97-100). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  • Borrego, Jr., J., Urquiza, A.J., Rasmussen, R.A., & Zebell, N. (1999). Parent-Child Interaction Therapy with a family at high-risk for physical abuse. Child Maltreatment, 4(4), 331-342.
  • Urquiza, A. J. Wu, J., & Borrego, Jr., J. (1999). Foster care and the special needs of minority children. In P. A. Curtis, D. Grady, & J. Kendall (Eds.) The foster care crisis: Translating research into policy and practice (pp. 84-98). University of Nebraska Press.
  • Borrego, J., Jr., & Urquiza, A.J. (1998). Importance of therapist use of social reinforcement with parents as a model for parent-child relationships: An example with parent-child interaction therapy. Child & Family Behavior Therapy, 20(4), 27-54.

2001: University of Nevada, Reno

Ph.D., Clinical Psychology
Dissertation Adviser: William C. Follette, Ph.D.

1999: University of Nevada, Reno

M.A., Psychology
Thesis Adviser: William C. Follette, Ph.D.

1992: Texas Tech University

B.A., Psychology, Cum Laude