Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is an evidence-based therapy designed to help people who have experienced trauma, such as accidents, abuse, or other distressing events. CPT focuses on how a person perceives a traumatic event, how these experiences can affect thoughts, beliefs, and emotions, and helps individuals process these experiences in a structured way.
CPT is a type of talk therapy designed to help people recover from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and related conditions. It is a short-term therapy (usually 12 therapy sessions), but can vary depending on each individual's experiences and need. Through CPT, a person will identify and change unhelpful beliefs they may have developed after a traumatic experience—especially thoughts that keep them feeling stuck, unsafe, or guilty.
Core concepts of CPT
- Education about PTSD and Trauma - Understanding how traumatic experiences affect thoughts, emotions, and behavior is the first step to healing.
- Identifying “Stuck Points” - Traumatic events can create rigid, unhelpful beliefs—often about safety, trust, control, self-worth, or relationships.
- Challenging and Restructuring Unhelpful Beliefs - Thoughts directly influence feelings and behaviors.
- Addressing Trauma Themes - Trauma often impacts the key life areas of safety, trust, power/control, esteem, and intimacy.
- Encouraging Emotional Processing and Forward Movement - Avoiding thoughts and feelings about the trauma prevents healing. Facing them in a safe, structured way allows the brain to reprocess the memory.
What does CPT help?
- Childhood physical, emotional, or sexual abuse
- Past domestic violence or intimate partner violence
- Other interpersonal violence or abuse
- Sexual assault
- Traumatic childbirth (birth trauma)
- Intensive care unit (ICU) experiences
- Combat and military-related trauma
- Serious car, motorcycle, or other transportation accidents
- Natural disasters (hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, wildfires)
- Witnessing or learning about someone else's trauma
- Witnessing community or mass violence
- Seeing someone seriously injured or killed
- Learning about the violent or accidental death of a loved one
- Experiences of racial trauma or hate crimes
- Generational or historical trauma
Displacement due to war or persecution
CPT is especially helpful for individuals experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, or persistent distress following a traumatic event. It is structured, collaborative, and focused on helping people regain control and confidence in their lives.
If you or someone you know would benefit from CPT, please contact me today. I would be happy to speak with you about how I may be able to help.