Cognitive Processing Therapy for Patients With Trauma
Coping With & Moving Forward From Traumatic Events
Some events are so stressful or traumatic that they stick with us even when the event itself is over. The human brain is a powerful thing—very imaginative and capable of reliving events both good and bad. Traumatic events can linger for months or years after the initial event, no matter how hard we try to forget them. This is called post-traumatic stress disorder, and while it is a difficult condition to live with, it is not an untreatable one.
If you or a loved one are experiencing symptoms of PTSD, it is important that you seek help from an experienced professional. At Tina A. Watson & Associates, LLC, we provide PTSD and trauma therapy in the Atlanta area. Dr. Watson is an experienced clinical psychologist certified in cognitive processing therapy for trauma and PTSD. Contact us today for an initial consultation.
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.