Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)

A powerful, evidence-based trauma therapy that helps you challenge the beliefs trauma left behind — so you can finally feel clear, steady, and in control again.
Virtual appointments for adults in California, Texas, Florida, South Carolina, Utah, Idaho, Maine, and Vermont.

What is CPT?

CPT is a trauma therapy that helps you understand — and rewrite — the beliefs that trauma forced you to adopt.

Trauma isn’t just what happened.
It’s the meaning you had to make to survive it.

Beliefs like:

  • “It was my fault.”

  • “I should’ve done something different.”

  • “I can’t trust anyone.”

  • “I’m unsafe.”

  • “I’m too much.”

  • “I’m not enough.”

  • “I have to stay in control.”

  • “People will leave.”

  • “I’m the problem.”

These beliefs don’t feel like beliefs.
They feel like facts.

CPT helps you slow down long enough to examine those beliefs, challenge them, and replace them with thoughts that are actually true — not trauma true.

Why Trauma Creates “Stuck Points”

When something traumatic happens, your brain tries to make sense of it fast.

Too fast.

It reaches for the simplest explanation — often one that blames you, shames you, or keeps you hyper-vigilant so you never get hurt again.

These trauma-based beliefs become:

  • automatic

  • rigid

  • emotionally loaded

  • deeply convincing

  • and incredibly hard to change on your own

CPT helps you find these beliefs, name them, question them, and loosen their grip so that trauma stops dictating how you see yourself, your relationships, and the world.

How CPT Works

CPT is structured but flexible.
Direct but compassionate.
Challenging but grounding.

Here’s what it actually does:

  • Teaches you to recognize trauma-driven thinking patterns

  • Helps you identify the beliefs that keep you stuck

  • Gives you tools to challenge those beliefs

  • Helps you separate what happened from what you learned to believe about it

  • Reduces shame, blame, guilt, fear, and self-protection patterns

  • Helps you rebuild trust in yourself and others

CPT isn’t about forcing positivity.
It’s about reclaiming clarity and truth.

What CPT Feels Like in Session

CPT is collaborative.
We move at your pace.
Nothing is pushed or forced.

Here’s what it looks like:

✔️ We identify your “stuck points” — the beliefs trauma installed in you.
✔️ We explore how those beliefs affect your emotions, reactions, and relationships.
✔️ You learn how to see your thoughts clearly without believing all of them.
✔️ We break down the connection between the memory and the meaning you made.
✔️ You practice new ways of thinking that feel more accurate, grounded, and compassionate.
✔️ Your body shifts as your mind shifts — emotional charge decreases, reactions soften, shame dissolves.

CPT is not about reliving trauma.
It’s about understanding why it still hurts — and changing the story at the level of meaning.

What CPT Helps With

CPT is incredibly effective for:

  • PTSD

  • Childhood trauma

  • Sexual trauma

  • Emotional abuse

  • Relationship trauma

  • Attachment wounds

  • High-stress careers

  • Military and first responders

  • Guilt and shame

  • Overthinking

  • Emotional reactivity

  • Self-blame

  • Difficulty trusting

  • Feeling “stuck”

  • Negative self-beliefs

  • Anxiety and avoidance patterns

If trauma affects the way you think, feel, react, or relate to others — CPT can help.

What to Expect During CPT Treatment

CPT follows a clear, supportive flow:

Phase 1 — Understanding Your Trauma Story

We explore what happened and how it shaped your beliefs about yourself, others, and the world.

Phase 2 — Identifying Stuck Points

We uncover the patterns and beliefs that keep you feeling stuck, scared, guilty, or reactive.

Phase 3 — Challenging Trauma-Based Beliefs

This is the heart of CPT.
We work through worksheets, journaling prompts, and guided questions that help you see the difference between trauma-thinking and truth-thinking.

Phase 4 — Replacing Old Beliefs With New Ones

You start developing thoughts that reflect reality, self-compassion, and safety — not survival mode.

Phase 5 — Integration & Real-Life Application

You learn how to use your new thinking patterns in relationships, work, stress, and daily life.

CPT is structured enough to be effective — flexible enough to meet you where you are.

CPT vs EMDR

(What’s the Difference?)

Both CPT and EMDR are powerful, evidence-based trauma therapies.

The simplest distinction:

  • CPT changes the beliefs.

  • EMDR changes the emotional charge.

CPT helps you reexamine the meaning of the trauma.
EMDR helps your nervous system stop reacting to the trauma.

You don’t have to choose one.
Most clients benefit from a blend, and we decide together what fits best for you.

FAQs

Do I have to write out my trauma story?

You can share as much or as little as you feel comfortable with.
CPT does not require graphic detail.

Is CPT overwhelming?

No.
It’s direct, but we move at your pace.
You are in control at every step.

How long does CPT take to work?

Some people notice shifts in the first few sessions.
Full CPT typically lasts 12 sessions, but deeper trauma may take longer.

Does CPT work for complex trauma?

Yes — especially when combined with grounding and stabilization work.

Is CPT evidence-based?

Yes.
CPT is recommended by:

  • the VA

  • the APA

  • the Department of Defense

  • the National Center for PTSD

Can CPT help if I blame myself?

Absolutely.
CPT specializes in dismantling self-blame, guilt, and shame.It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Do I need to do homework?

Yes — worksheets and thought logs help make the changes stick.
They’re simple, structured, and doable.

Is CPT Right For You?

CPT is a strong fit if you:

  • feel stuck in old patterns

  • struggle with guilt, shame, or self-blame

  • overthink everything

  • react emotionally without knowing why

  • have trauma that still affects how you see yourself

  • feel confused about what’s “real” versus what’s “trauma”

  • want clarity, understanding, and control over your thoughts again

If trauma changed the way you think — CPT helps you reclaim your mind.

If you’re ready to get clarity, reclaim control, and stop letting trauma define your story, CPT can help.

Available virtually for adults in:
California, Texas, Florida, South Carolina, Utah, Maine, and Vermont.

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