Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) -

WHAT IS POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD)?

It’s not about what’s wrong with you, it’s about what happened to you

What is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder?

What happened to you does NOT have to define you. If you have experienced trauma in your life and it is affecting you months or even years later, please know that you are not alone, and there is hope and help for you! You deserve to put the shame, anger, guilt, and fear behind you once and for all, and learn how to appreciate and access the inner strength and resilience I know you have. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, or “PTSD,” can happen if you have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, the sudden loss of someone very close to you, a serious accident, a terrorist act, war/combat, abuse, rape or other violent personal assault. PTSD is classified as an anxiety disorder, but people with this diagnosis do NOT have to carry this label for the rest of their lives-with the right help, you can recover and no longer have it. Some people with PTSD reach out for help because they are having nightmares, flashbacks, or intrusive memories of what happened to them. Others are troubled by problems with concentration, anger, feeling “on edge,” or problems sleeping. PTSD can affect the ability to connect or feel close to other people, and it can lead to avoiding many situations and activities. If any of this sounds like it might describe you, please give us a call at 573-818-7010, schedule an appointment, or send us a message using the form below. You don’t have to live like this, and I am honored to be a part of your journey.

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WHAT IS COGNITIVE PROCESSING THERAPY (CPT)?

You CAN Transform Suffering into Strength

Dr. Emily has experience counseling trauma survivors since 2009 with Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), an evidence-based treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Several randomized clinical trials and effectiveness studies have provided evidence for CPT significantly reducing symptoms of PTSD and depression among survivors of various trauma including combat, sexual assault, child abuse, and domestic violence. You can read more about it here or click here for a brief video explaining CPT.

What’s the First Step?

What’s the First Step? The first thing we are likely to do is a psychological evaluation to determine whether or not you have Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, and to pinpoint what specific symptoms are most important for us to address. This evaluation process will help you learn more about yourself and in what ways your trauma may be impacting your current functioning. Then, with the data and specific treatment recommendations we have gathered from the evaluation, we can embark on the most effective therapy together.

What if I Feel Overwhelmed?

Why Dwell in the Past?

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?

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?

What is the process of Cognitive Processing Therapy like?

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?

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.

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WHAT IS POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD)?

WHAT IS COGNITIVE PROCESSING THERAPY (CPT)?

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