Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)

← Trauma Therapy

Changing what trauma taught you to believe

Trauma doesn’t only leave painful memories. It can also change how you see yourself, other people, and the world. Cognitive Processing Therapy, developed by Dr. Patricia Resick, is an evidence-based treatment for PTSD that focuses on these changes.

Many survivors get caught in what CPT calls “stuck points,” beliefs that keep the pain going, such as:

• “It was my fault.”
• “I should have stopped it.”
• “I can’t trust anyone.”
• “The world is completely dangerous.”
• “I don’t deserve good things.”

How CPT works

In CPT, you and Missy work together to understand how PTSD works and to identify your stuck points. Using structured worksheets, you learn to look at these beliefs carefully and ask whether they are accurate and helpful. Along the way, CPT addresses the areas trauma most often affects: safety, trust, power and control, self-esteem, and intimacy. By changing your thoughts, you can change how you feel.

CPT is typically a 12-session therapy, with practice assignments between sessions.

For more information, visit the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD: https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand_tx/cognitive_processing.asp