Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)

Introduction to CPT

Cognitive Processing Therapy — or CPT — is a type of talk therapy developed specifically to help people recover from trauma, PTSD, and the lasting emotional pain that can follow difficult experiences.

What is CPT?

When something traumatic happens, our minds often try to make sense of it in ways that get us stuck. We tell ourselves things like "it was my fault," "I should have done something," or "the world is completely unsafe." These thoughts — sometimes called "stuck points" — can quietly shape how we feel and how we live, even years later.

CPT helps you identify those stuck points, examine them with curiosity rather than judgment, and gradually replace them with more balanced, realistic ways of thinking. You don't have to relive every detail of what happened — the focus is on how trauma is affecting your life right now, and how to change that.

What to Expect:

CPT is a structured therapy completed in 12–16 sessions (roughly 3–4 months).

1. Learning about trauma & CPT — Understanding how trauma affects thoughts and feelings.

2. Finding your stuck points — Identifying beliefs around blame, safety, power, or trust.

3. Examining and challenging those beliefs — Using structured written exercises to look at beliefs from different angles.

4. Building a new perspective — Developing more balanced, compassionate ways of thinking.

CPT involves written practice assignments between sessions. The skills you build become yours to keep, long after therapy ends.

Is CPT Right for Me?

CPT has been proven to help the following survivors: PTSD · Trauma recovery · Sexual assault · Combat trauma · Childhood abuse · Grief & loss · Depression · Anxiety

CPT works especially well for those who appreciate having a clear roadmap and concrete tools. You don't need to feel "ready" to talk about everything that happened — CPT focuses more on how you've been thinking about the trauma than on recounting every detail.