While many people are somewhat familiar with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or have at least heard of it, far fewer people are familiar with cognitive processing therapy (CPT). Though, in essence, if you are familiar with CBT, you already know quite a bit about CPT! In today’s blog at Revibe Therapy in Winter Park, we discuss the basics of CPT, what it looks like, how it differs from CBT, and more. Keep reading to learn more and don’t hesitate to reach out to us at Revibe Therapy in Winter Park with any questions or to schedule your appointment.

What CPT Is

Diving right in, CPT can be thought of as a branch of CBT. CPT stands for Cognitive Processing Therapy and is a type of treatment aimed at helping those with trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). For those unfamiliar with CBT, CBT stands for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. CBT aims at helping clients gain perspective by recognizing negative, untrue that’s that don’t serve them and filtering them out to see a more clear and accurate picture of the situation. CPT takes a similar approach by helping clients establish a clear goal, recognize unhelpful/untrue thoughts and behaviors, and giving them the tools to paint a more accurate picture for themselves. However, CPT is almost exclusively used to treat those with PTSD and trauma.

CPT is very regularly used to treat military veterans and first responders, though not exclusively. The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs states that “CPT teaches you how to evaluate and change the upsetting thoughts you have had since your trauma. By changing your thoughts, you can change how you feel.”

To learn more about CPT and if CPT at Revibe Therapy in Winter Park is right for you, contact us today — we’re happy to help.

What You Can Expect From CPT

CPT treatments will differ from therapist to therapist, but there are a few commonalities that you can expect. Typically, there will be about 12 sessions total with one session a week every week for 12 weeks. Depending on the severity of your symptoms, how long you’ve lived with the trauma, and other factors, you may be asked to participate in more or fewer sessions.

In your CPT treatment at Revibe Therapy in Winter Park, you will work on identifying negative, false thoughts and behaviors that you may not even be aware of that are contributing to your trauma. You can expect to explore the traumatic event/s in a manner and a pace that is somewhat comfortable to you with guidance from the CPT therapist. You will learn to see the past situation and present situations with more clarity and understanding. Additionally, you will learn the tools to filter out the harmful untrue thoughts and see things more truthfully and realistically. While the behaviors and thoughts stemming from your trauma likely served you at the time, they are likely hindering you from living a more happy and fulfilling life.

How CPT Differs From CBT

CBT stands for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and shares many treatment aspects, methods, and philosophies with CPT, but has a less-narrow focus. CBT can be used to treat trauma and PTSD, but it is also used to treat conditions like depression, sleep disorders, OCD, Bipolar Disorder, and more. CPT’s focus is strictly trauma and PTSD. Aside from the scope of treatment, the two methods are fairly similar in practice. If you are interested in learning more about the differences between CPT and CBT, reach out to us at Revibe Therapy in Winter Park.

Defining PTSD and Trauma

At Revibe Therapy, we think that it is important to note that while PTSD and trauma are commonly associated with those who have served in the military, anyone can have PTSD or experience trauma. While you may feel that your situation or event wasn’t nearly as bad as someone else’s, it doesn’t make it any less impactful for you. Trauma can be from something as seemingly minor as a car accident or from experiencing an assault or the death of a loved one. Trauma is personal to the person who experiences it and is not minimized relative to traumatic events that other people have experienced that are perceived as “more severe.”

Revibe Therapy in Winter Park

Thanks for tuning in to today’s blog at Revibe Therapy in Winter Park to learn a little bit about CPT. If you or a loved one are interested in learning more and trying CPT at Revibe Therapy, be sure to get in touch with us today.