Our Treatments
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for Adults & Adolescents
What is Cognitive Processing Therapy?
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is a specialized form of cognitive behavioral therapy specifically designed to treat PTSD and trauma-related difficulties. Developed by Dr. Patricia Resick, CPT focuses on helping individuals examine and challenge the unhelpful thoughts and beliefs that often develop following traumatic experiences. The treatment addresses how trauma can disrupt normal beliefs about safety, trust, power, control, esteem, and intimacy.
CPT teaches individuals to identify and modify “stuck points”—problematic beliefs about the trauma, oneself, and the world that prevent natural recovery. Through writing exercises and cognitive techniques, clients learn to differentiate between thoughts and facts, challenge unhelpful thinking patterns, and develop more balanced, realistic perspectives about their experiences and their future.
CPT has strong research support and is recommended as a first-line treatment for PTSD. The treatment typically involves 12 sessions and can be conducted individually or in groups. CPT is particularly effective for individuals who struggle with self-blame, guilt, shame, or negative beliefs about themselves or others following traumatic experiences. The approach helps clients develop a more balanced understanding of their trauma while building skills for managing difficult emotions.
Is Cognitive Processing Therapy Right For Me?
Research comparing cognitive processing therapy and prolonged exposure shows both are highly effective trauma treatments, with CPT being particularly well-suited for individuals whose trauma recovery is complicated by problematic beliefs and self-blame. CPT is ideal for clients who are more comfortable with a cognitive, writing-based approach to trauma processing rather than detailed memory recounting.
This approach is particularly effective for individuals who struggle with guilt, shame, anger, or negative beliefs about themselves following traumatic experiences. Through systematic examination of trauma-related thoughts and beliefs, clients learn to develop more realistic, helpful ways of thinking about their experiences and their capacity for recovery and growth. CPT is especially beneficial for professionals and high-achievers whose perfectionism or need for control has been disrupted by traumatic experiences.