Cognitive Processing Therapy for Patients With Trauma
Treatment Options
Cognitive processing therapy is the preferred treatment method for PTSD. In some cases of PTSD, a combination of cognitive processing therapy and medications may be recommended. However, cognitive processing therapy is always the core of the treatment as this will help the patient learn how to manage and decrease PTSD symptoms.
Cognitive processing therapy for PTSD involves discussing the traumatic events so that patients can process what happened, process feelings related to the trauma, and then modify distorted beliefs that have resulted. When involved in a traumatic event, the mind can create a distorted narrative that makes the situation so stressful that any attempt to revisit it is difficult. The main goal of cognitive processing therapy is to work through feelings associated with the trauma, and then identify and change distorted beliefs about the person, world, and others.