Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is a form of cognitive behavioural therapy designed to treat the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). People with PTSD experience symptoms that impact all areas of their lives. These symptoms include;

● Re-living the traumatic event via intrusive thoughts, memories, and dreams,

● Avoiding all reminders of the event, such as memories, people, places, conversations associated with the event,

● Feeling wound up and on edge,

● Having negative feelings (such as fear, horror, anger, guilt, or shame), and

● Holding negative beliefs about themselves, others, and the world.

What is the goal of CPT?

CPT is based on the idea that traumatic events can cause some people to change the way they see themselves, others, and the world. Some people start to see themselves, others, and the world in negative, rigid, and distorted ways. They might see themselves as broken, weak, a failure, or responsible for the event occurring. Some people might believe that people are untrustworthy or dangerous. Others might believe that bad things happen because they deserved it or they failed to prevent it. These negative beliefs are called ‘stuck points’.

This way of seeing things, these stuck points, can cause people to feel difficult and overwhelming emotions. As a result, some people feel overwhelmed by anxiety, panic, anger, shame, and/or guilt. Moreover, they might also struggle to feel positive feelings for people they are close to or activities they used to enjoy.

In addition, stuck points can cause people to behave in ways that are unhelpful and unhealthy. People may find themselves thinking about the event even when they don’t want to. They become fixated on why the event occurred and if it could have been avoided. Some report going to extreme lengths to avoid thinking about the event, such as drinking too much alcohol, binge eating, or overworking. Others may withdraw from people they used to be close to.   

What does CPT treatment involve?

The primary goal of CPT is to help people get a more accurate and balanced perspective on the traumatic event, and its impact on their lives. CPT focuses on the following:

• CPT consists of 12 sessions, each lasting 50 minutes. The sessions are on a weekly, if not more frequent, basis. 
• At the start of every session, clients complete a questionnaire that measures the symptoms associated with PTSD. By monitoring symptoms each session, psychologists can track client progress and make sure the treatment is working effectively. 
• During the sessions, psychologists work with their clients to identify and challenge their negative and distorted beliefs. It does this by helping people to develop more rational and adaptive beliefs in five main areas; safety, trust, power/control, esteem, and intimacy.
• Between the sessions, clients complete daily worksheets. The worksheets help clients to process their thoughts and feelings about the traumatic event. They help clients to evaluate their distorted beliefs, and develop new perspectives on the event.  

Is CPT effective in treating PTSD?

Research has evaluated the effectiveness of CPT across many groups of people experiencing many types of traumatic events. It has found that people who receive the treatment report significant reductions in their symptoms of PTSD, depression, and alcohol misuse. For this reason, CPT is ‘strongly recommended’ as a treatment for PTSD in the Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Acute Stress Disorder, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, and Complex PTSD (2021). 

Further resources

The CPT Australia website offers information on PTSD and CPT as well as a list of accredited CPT practitioners across Australia. 

If you’d like to hear one person’s experience of undergoing CPT, we recommend the podcast series Ten Sessions by This American Life. The podcast follows journalist Jaime Lowe who underwent the treatment and recorded her experience. 

If you’d like to discuss undertaking CPT with one of our team of clinical psychologists, please get in touch with us at Headstrong Psychology via our website or on 0431 998 351.