Sometimes the hardest part of a traumatic experience isn’t only what happened—it’s what you came to believe about yourself, other people, or the world because of it.
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is an evidence-based, structured treatment for PTSD that helps people identify and work through thoughts and beliefs that may be keeping them stuck after trauma. At Wild Roots Counseling Services, CPT is offered as part of an individualized, trauma-informed approach to care.
What Is Cognitive Processing Therapy?
CPT is a structured form of cognitive behavioral therapy developed specifically for PTSD. It focuses on the ways trauma can change how we think about ourselves, other people, and the world.
After trauma, it’s common to develop beliefs such as “It was my fault,” “I should have done something differently,” “I can’t trust anyone,” or “I’m not safe.” Even when part of you recognizes that these beliefs may not be completely accurate, they can continue to influence your emotions, relationships, and everyday life.
CPT helps you learn how to identify these patterns, examine them in a new way, and develop more balanced and helpful ways of understanding what happened and what it means about you now.
What Can CPT Help With?
CPT was specifically developed to treat PTSD and can be helpful for people who continue to feel stuck in the aftermath of traumatic experiences. It may be particularly helpful when trauma has changed the way you think about yourself, other people, or the world around you.
- PTSD and trauma-related symptoms
- Childhood and interpersonal trauma
- Sexual trauma
- First responder and occupational trauma
- Medical trauma
- Birth and reproductive trauma
- Traumatic loss
- Guilt or self-blame related to what happened
- Difficulty trusting yourself or others
- Feeling unsafe even when the danger has passed
- Negative beliefs about yourself following trauma
What Does CPT Look Like?
CPT is a highly structured, step-by-step treatment that typically takes place over approximately 12 sessions. Rather than requiring you to repeatedly retell every detail of what happened, CPT focuses on understanding how the experience affected your thoughts and beliefs.
During treatment, you’ll learn to recognize thoughts that may be keeping you “stuck,” examine whether those thoughts tell the whole story, and develop more balanced ways of thinking about the experience. CPT also includes worksheets and practice between sessions to help you apply what you’re learning outside of therapy.
As treatment progresses, CPT explores areas that are commonly affected by trauma, including safety, trust, power and control, esteem, and intimacy.
CPT at Wild Roots Counseling Services
At Wild Roots Counseling Services, CPT is offered within a supportive, trauma-informed environment. While CPT follows a structured treatment model, therapy is still individualized to you. Your therapist will help you understand each step of the process, work through areas where you feel stuck, and support you as you practice new ways of thinking between sessions.
Our clinicians have training in Cognitive Processing Therapy and can incorporate CPT when it is appropriate for your symptoms, goals, and treatment needs. We’ll work collaboratively with you to determine whether CPT—or another trauma-focused approach such as EMDR—may be the best fit.
Is CPT Right for Me?
CPT may be a good fit if you’ve experienced trauma and notice that thoughts about what happened continue to affect how you feel about yourself, your safety, your relationships, or your ability to move forward.
You don’t need to decide on a treatment approach before reaching out. We can help you understand your options and determine whether CPT fits what you’re experiencing and what you hope to get from therapy.
Ready to Get Started?
Wild Roots Counseling Services provides Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) in Bismarck, North Dakota, with telehealth options available for clients located throughout North Dakota.
Ready when you are. Contact Wild Roots Counseling Services