Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

What if I Feel Overwhelmed? If, based on the evaluation results, Cognitive Processing Therapy is recommended for you, and you choose to participate, know that you are making a wise choice to heal from your past. Please also know that you are always in control of the pace of our work together; you can take a step back or change direction at any time-this is your therapy!

Why Dwell in the Past? Many trauma survivors are understandably hesitant to participate in counseling, and quite frankly would prefer to avoid thinking about it. If you can identify with this, you might be asking, “Why dwell in the past?” and seek ways to “get over it” or even numb the feelings, shut out the memories, and keep busy or distracted.  Avoidance is a strategy that may have been effective at one time; however, it has a tendency to break down over time.  This is because our brains need to process through and make sense of our experiences; if we keep pushing those thoughts and feelings away, they will have a way of sneaking up in our dreams/nightmares or intrude on us during the day.  So, avoidance actually maintains the other symptoms of posttraumatic stress.  Cognitive Processing Therapy can help lead you forward to the other side of trauma, where you have some closure and peace in your mind, and you realize your strength and resilience.

Will I have to re-live my past? What if I can’t remember it anyway? While you will be reflecting on your traumatic experiences, and this is unavoidably difficult, again, you are going at your own pace, and the focus is on processing the way that you think and reflect on those experiences, rather than re-living your past.  In other words, you will be learning to reflect on what happened to you with a more objective and realistic perspective that involves self-compassion, which in turn accelerates healing.  You don’t need to remember or re-live every detail to benefit from Cognitive Processing Therapy.

How does Cognitive Processing Therapy Begin? Cognitive Processing Therapy begins with education about trauma and the ways it can affect a sense of safety in the world, the ability to trust ourselves and others, self-esteem, intimacy, and a sense of power or control.

What is the process of Cognitive Processing Therapy like? Just like it sounds, Cognitive Processing Therapy focuses on the cognitions, or thoughts, you might have developed because of trauma. Here, you learn how to take a close look to see which of these thoughts are helpful and which ones may need to be adjusted because they are not accurate, and are not serving you well.  For example, many people feel “stuck” after a trauma with feelings of shame, guilt, or self-blame.  We can take a logical approach to see what thoughts might be driving these feelings, and learn some techniques for analyzing and challenging unhelpful thought patterns.

Is Cognitive Processing Therapy the only treatment for PTSD? No. You have other evidence-based options for PTSD, such as EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), and Prolonged Exposure Therapy.  There are many different therapy approaches offered at Columbia Psychology Healing Center LLC.  You are encouraged to read more about what each individual provider offers here.  We are also happy to refer you to others in the community who might be helpful to you.