Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
Trauma can rewrite what you believe about yourself. Those beliefs can be rewritten again.
Maybe you blame yourself for what happened. Maybe you’ve decided the world isn’t safe, or that you can’t trust your own judgment. Conclusions like these often form in the middle of trauma, and they can stick.
Cognitive processing therapy (CPT) is a structured, evidence-based treatment for PTSD. It focuses on the beliefs trauma left behind, called stuck points, and helps you examine and update them, usually over about 12 sessions.
It’s practical and collaborative, with clear goals, so you can see your progress as you go.
Telehealth for NY, FL, MI residents
“Why do I still blame myself?”
Because trauma can leave behind beliefs that feel true, even when they aren’t.
CPT may help if you notice:
Thoughts like “It was my fault” or “I should have stopped it”
Feeling like the world is dangerous or people can’t be trusted
Avoiding reminders, places, or feelings
Being constantly on guard or easily startled
Guilt, shame, or anger that won’t let up
Wanting clear tools and a structured plan
These beliefs formed to make sense of something senseless. They can change.
HOW CPT WORKS
How you make sense of it shapes how you feel.
After trauma, the mind tries to explain what happened, and it often lands on conclusions that keep you stuck, like self-blame or a sense that nowhere is safe. Those beliefs then shape your emotions, your body’s reactions, and what you avoid.
CPT helps you identify these stuck points and look at them with curiosity and compassion, using guided questions and simple worksheets. As your beliefs become more balanced, the emotions tied to the trauma can soften and settle.
New understanding takes root when it’s grounded in safety.
Telehealth for NY, FL, MI residents
WHAT IT CAN HELP WITH
A focused approach to what trauma leaves behind.
CPT is one of the most strongly recommended treatments for PTSD in clinical guidelines from the American Psychological Association and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. It can also ease the guilt, shame, and depression that often follow trauma.
WHAT THE PROCESS LOOKS LIKE
Understand it. Examine it. Move forward.
CPT follows a clear, step-by-step structure, usually across about 12 weekly sessions, and we pace it so you stay grounded.
PHASE 1
Understanding Your Stuck Points
We learn how PTSD works, and you write a short impact statement about how the trauma has shaped what you believe about yourself, others, and the world.
PHASE 2
Examining the Beliefs
Using guided questions and worksheets, we look closely at stuck points about the trauma itself, like self-blame, and update the ones that don’t hold up.
PHASE 3
Rebuilding Across Five Areas
We work through five areas trauma often affects: safety, trust, power and control, esteem, and intimacy, then plan for staying well.
Often combined with: EMDR Therapy · Somatic Therapy · Mindfulness-Based CBT
New to therapy, or not sure which approach fits? Explore my holistic approach →
AN INTEGRATIVE APPROACH
Whole-person care, every step of the way.
One method may guide our work, but it’s never the only one. Your past lives in your mind, body, and relationships. I combine evidence-based and mind-body approaches to help you work through the past and move forward with more support, clarity and confidence.
WHAT A SESSION FEELS LIKE
Structured, collaborative, and clear.
Sessions take place by secure telehealth. Each one has a clear focus, and between sessions you’ll complete short worksheets that help you catch and question stuck points on your own. You’ll always know where we are in the process and why.
You’re an active partner in your own healing.
WHAT CHANGES AS THE WORK UNFOLDS
The trauma loses its grip on the present.
Less self-blame, guilt, and shame
Fewer intrusive thoughts and reactions to reminders
Feeling safer in the world
Practical tools you can use for the rest of your life
Doing things you’d been avoiding
A more balanced, compassionate view of yourself
Telehealth for NY, FL, MI residents
MEET YOUR THERAPIST
Lisa Kent, LCSW
CCTP-II · EMDR-C
I use cognitive processing therapy as one part of an integrated approach. We work through the beliefs trauma left behind in a structured, paced way, so you stay in control of the process, and I bring in somatic tools when your body needs support along the way.
QUESTIONS, ANSWERED
CPT FAQs
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CPT is a specific form of trauma-focused cognitive therapy designed for PTSD. Rather than teaching general coping skills, it zeroes in on the beliefs you formed about why the trauma happened and what it means about you, other people, and the world.
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Not in detail unless you choose to. CPT focuses mainly on what you’ve come to believe because of the trauma, not on retelling it. Some people add a written account of the event, but CPT works without it, and we decide together what feels right.
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CPT is usually about 12 weekly sessions, though we can adjust the pace to fit you. With complex trauma, we may spend time building stability first, and many people continue with other approaches afterward.
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Both are leading treatments for PTSD. CPT works through thoughts and beliefs using structured conversation and worksheets, while EMDR uses bilateral stimulation, like eye movements or taps, to help the brain reprocess memories. Some people benefit from both, and we can talk through which fits you best.
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Yes. Between sessions you’ll complete short worksheets that help you notice and question stuck points. Practicing outside of sessions is a big part of why CPT works, and we always review it together.
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As stuck points loosen, many people notice less hypervigilance, better sleep, and a calmer stress response. When symptoms are held strongly in the body, I often pair CPT with somatic therapy so your body gets support too.
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It’s a free, no-pressure 15-minute video call. We’ll talk briefly about what’s bringing you to therapy and what you’re hoping for, I’ll answer your questions about how I work, fees, and out-of-network reimbursement, and together we’ll decide whether we’re a good fit. You don’t need to prepare anything, and there’s no obligation to book.
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Sessions are $200 per hour of work together. I am in-network with BCBS and BCN plans for Michigan residents. For New York and Florida residents, I partner with Mentaya to help you use your out-of-network benefits. Depending on your plan, up to 80% of your session cost can be reimbursed, and all of your claims are handled for you. You can check your benefits here (opens in a new window), or we can review them together during your free consultation.
HEALING THROUGH RECONNECTION
What happened doesn’t have to define what comes next.
Healing reaches every part of you: your mind, your body, your relationships, and your sense of meaning. You deserve care that sees all of it.
Telehealth for NY, FL, MI residents
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Read more from Ouro House
Essays on the beliefs trauma leaves behind, and how to rewrite them.
