Cognitive Process Therapy (CPT) is a type of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy that is effective at treating PTSD and trauma. CPT is a short-form therapy that is usually administered over 12 sessions.
The goal of CPT is to address the maladaptive thoughts and emotions linked to the trauma. For example, many people who have survived a trauma feel like what happened to them was their fault. Others feel like the world is a bad place where more bad things will keep happening to them. Both are understandable reactions, but can lead to anxiety, depression, isolation, and self-harm if not addressed.
These types of thoughts can be hard to root out using normal CBT, since they are in many ways based on real experiences: the trauma was real, and so those thoughts and emotions feel valid and reasonable.
Cognitive Processing Therapy is an empathetic but proven way to address these maladaptive thoughts and emotions and construct a healthy, stable world view and personal identity once again. It has been proven to reduce rates of comorbid anxiety and depression as well as improve overall PTSD symptoms.
What to Expect with CPT
CPT is given over a period of 12 sessions, usually 60 to 90 minutes, although that can vary. The first few sessions will be focused on psychoeducation, or teaching you about trauma, PTSD, and the treatment you’ll be receiving. Understanding why you feel the way you do and how therapy can help is an important theory of CPT.
From there, your trauma therapist will help you explore how the trauma affected your worldview, your view of yourself, and your mindset. They might also have you identify thoughts that are a barrier to recovery; for example, “It’s all my fault,” or “There’s no point, because the world will just hurt me again.”
These thoughts can cause other trauma treatments (like CBT, EMDR, or ACT) to come to a screeching halt. The goal of CPT is to remove these barriers so recovery can be had.
CPT also commonly has homework assignments, usually written or verbal journal prompts, to help clients think and process their experience outside of the therapy room and in a more natural setting.
5 Themes of Cognitive Processing Therapy
Researchers like to summarize five ways that trauma affects how we see ourselves and the world around us. CPT will help you understand when trauma is speaking and what you truly believe. It will do so by focusing on five areas:
- Safety: Your ability to protect yourself and others.
- Trust: Your judgment and/or the judgment and intentions of others.
- Control: Your ability to control your own life or positively influence the lives of your loved ones.
- Esteem: Your positive self-regard and ability to look at the world in a realistic, if not optimistic, way.
- Intimacy: Your ability to connect with, be understood by, and accepted by others without fear of them hurting you.
By addressing these five core tenets of our experience, CPT seeks to unravel the maladaptive effects of trauma on our lives.
Is CPT Better than EMDR?
CPT is not better than EMDR, and it is not worse. They are two separate treatments for PTSD. One may be a better solution for you based on your individual experience, symptoms, and treatment goals. EMDR is a processing treatment designed to help you process the difficult, painful memories of trauma. CPT focuses on the thoughts and emotions surrounding the trauma. Both have their place and many people find it helpful to use both types of therapy.
Who Should Use Cognitive Processing Therapy?
Cognitive Processing Therapy is for those who have been diagnosed with PTSD or c-PTSD. It is specifically a trauma treatment, and you are unlikely to get anything out of it unless you’ve experienced a trauma. For those without trauma, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a good option. It focuses on similar aspects but takes a more general approach, so it can be personalized to fit your unique needs and mental health issues.
Who should Not Use Cognitive Processing Therapy?
Cognitive processing therapy is not recommended for those who have not experienced trauma. It has also been found to be not as effective in treating people with comorbid substance abuse disorders, Bipolar Disorder, or suicidal ideation. In these cases, Prolonged Exposure Therapy is recommended over CPT.
Talk to your therapist about what type of trauma treatment is right for you.
Find a Trauma Therapist Near You
To find a trauma therapist near you, reach out to Lifebulb Counseling. We have virtual and in-person trauma therapists who specialize in CPT and trauma treatments. We accept most major insurances and have little to no wait times.
Don’t wait; start your healing process today with Cognitive Processing Therapy.
