Cognitive processing therapy

Development of CPT began in 1988 with work by Patricia Resick. Initial randomized controlled trials for treatment of PTSD were conducted by Candice M. Monson. ==Phases of treatment==

The primary focus of the treatment is to help the client understand and reconceptualize their traumatic event in a way that reduces its ongoing negative effects on their current life. Decreasing avoidance of the trauma is crucial to this, since it is necessary for the client to examine and evaluate their meta-emotions and beliefs generated by the trauma. The first phase consists of education regarding PTSD, thoughts, and emotions. The therapist seeks to develop rapport with, and gain the co-operation of, the client by establishing a common understanding of the client's problems and outlining the cognitive theory of PTSD development and maintenance. The therapist asks the client to write an impact statement to establish a current baseline of the client's understanding of why the event occurred and the impact that it has had on their beliefs about themselves, others, and the world. This phase focuses on identifying automatic thoughts and increasing awareness of the relationship between a person's thoughts and feelings. A specific focus is on teaching the client to identify maladaptive beliefs ("stuck points") that interfere with recovery from traumatic experiences. The next phase involves formal processing of the trauma. safety, trust, power/control, esteem, and intimacy. Clients practice recognizing how their traumatic experiences resulted in over-generalized beliefs, as well as the impact of these beliefs on current functioning and quality of life. ==Therapy elements==

Four essential parts • Educating the patient about the specific post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and the way the treatment will help them. • Informing the patient about their thoughts and feelings. • Imparting lessons to the patient to help them develop skills to challenge or question their own thoughts. • Helping the patient to recognize changes in their beliefs that happened after going through the traumatic event. Structure of CPT individual sessions • Twelve 50–60 minute structured sessions • Sessions typically conducted once or twice weekly • Patients complete out-of-session practice assignments • 2 Formats: • CPT includes a brief written trauma account component, along with ongoing practice of cognitive techniques • CPT-C omits the written trauma account, and includes more practice of cognitive techniques Structure of CPT group sessions • Twelve 90–120 minute structured group sessions • Typically conducted by two clinicians • 8–10 patients per group • Patients complete out-of-session practice assignments • 3 Formats: • CPT includes a brief written trauma account component, along with ongoing practice of cognitive techniques. The details of the written accounts are not shared during sessions, but the emotional and cognitive reactions identified while writing the account are processed by the group. • CPT-C omits the written trauma account, and includes more practice of cognitive techniques. • Individual and Group Combined includes practice assignments and the written trauma account, which are processed in additional individual therapy sessions. ==See also==