Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT): An Overview.
Many people arrive here searching for Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) — a structured, trauma-focused psychological therapy originally developed for people experiencing post-traumatic stress. We don’t currently offer a course on CPT, but hope the following is interesting and helpful.
CPT is often appealing because it offers:
- A clear, manualised structure.
- A strong cognitive framework.
- An approach to trauma that does not require the client to relive or recount traumatic events in detail.
This page offers an overview of CPT, explains what makes it distinctive, and helps you think about whether it is something you might want to explore further.
What is Cognitive Processing Therapy?
Cognitive Processing Therapy is a form of trauma-focused cognitive therapy that focuses on how traumatic experiences have shaped a person’s beliefs, rather than on the traumatic memories themselves.
It was developed in the late 1980s by Patricia Resick and colleagues, initially for survivors of sexual assault, and later adapted for a wide range of traumatic experiences.
CPT is now widely used in services working with PTSD and is included in many clinical guidelines.
A central idea: trauma changes meaning, not just memory
At the heart of CPT is the idea that trauma often leads people to develop rigid, self-blaming, or threat-based beliefs about:
- Safety ("The world is completely dangerous").
- Trust ("You can never rely on anyone").
- Power and control ("I am helpless").
- Esteem ("I am weak / damaged / to blame").
- Intimacy (“Closeness is unsafe”).
CPT focuses on helping people notice, question, and revise these beliefs — sometimes called “stuck points” — so that life can become broader and less constrained by trauma-driven assumptions.
Importantly: CPT does not require trauma exposure
One of CPT’s major attractions is that it does not require the client to repeatedly recount or vividly relive the traumatic event.
Instead, therapy focuses on:
- The effects of trauma.
- How the person has made sense of what happened.
- How those meanings continue to shape emotions, behaviour, and relationships.
For many people — particularly those who are avoidant, overwhelmed, or fearful of exposure-based work — this feels safer and more acceptable.
It is worth noting, however, that many modern trauma-focused CBT approaches also work this way, even when they are not labelled as CPT.
Why CPT is often described as "structured" or "manualised"
CPT is strongly associated with a clear treatment manual:
- Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD
This appeals to many practitioners because:
- The therapy has a defined sequence.
- Worksheets and exercises are clearly laid out.
- Fidelity to the model is relatively easy to maintain.
This is similar to the appeal of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression, which many people think of when they are trying to recall “the mindfulness CBT book”.
Manualisation can be reassuring — especially in services that value consistency — though good clinicians also adapt sensitively to the person in front of them.
How CPT relates to trauma-focused CBT more broadly
CPT sits firmly within the CBT family, and many of its core elements will be familiar to clinicians trained in trauma-focused CBT, including:
- Identifying unhelpful beliefs.
- Examining evidence and alternative perspectives.
- Understanding the function of avoidance.
- Supporting gradual re-engagement with life.
In practice, the overlap is substantial. Many trauma-focused CBT approaches already address trauma without insisting on detailed exposure, especially where this would be counter-therapeutic.
For this reason, some clinicians experience CPT less as a radically different therapy, and more as a well-defined, trauma-specific application of cognitive therapy.
What CPT is particularly good at
CPT tends to be especially helpful where:
- Shame, guilt, or self-blame are prominent.
- Trauma has led to rigid global beliefs.
- Clients want a thinking-focused approach.
- Exposure-based work feels overwhelming or unacceptable.
It is often less focused on bodily regulation or emotional processing than some other trauma approaches, which may be a strength or a limitation depending on the person.
Learning more about CPT
People interested in CPT often explore:
- The core textbook and associated workbooks.
- Online lectures and training from established providers.
- Trauma-focused CBT courses that incorporate CPT-compatible methods.
If you are a practitioner, it can be helpful to see CPT not as a competing model, but as one clear route through trauma-focused cognitive work.
A note on related APT training
APT does not currently offer a course titled Cognitive Processing Therapy. However, our Trauma-Focused CBT course covers many of the same foundations, including:
- Working with trauma-related beliefs.
- Avoiding unnecessary re-traumatisation.
- Helping clients process meaning without forced exposure.
- Integrating cognition, emotion, behaviour, and safety.
The course is designed to be flexible, clinically realistic, and responsive to the complexity of real-world trauma work.
In summary
Cognitive Processing Therapy offers:
- A clear, structured cognitive approach to trauma.
- A way of working with PTSD without reliving trauma.
- A manualised framework that many clinicians find reassuring.
For many people, it represents not a departure from trauma-focused CBT, but a particularly well-named and well-packaged version of it.
If you are exploring CPT, it may be useful to ask not just “Is this the right model?” but also “What kind of trauma work feels safe, humane, and effective for this person?”
|
Reviews
APT prides itself on the feedback we receive about our courses. Below are just some of the great comments APT courses have received.
"I rarely get anything out of the training that I attend. I can honestly say this course has been an epiphany. I think this is essential training for anybody working in a mental health setting."
Emma Grundy
"The course delivered to my team over the three days was exceptional. The pace was well judged, the material presented was relevant and detailed and the style of the workshops was lively and collaborative. My team all remarked on how quickly the time went and how interesting and relevant the exercises were. The three days provided us with an enjoyable shared experience which was great for team morale as well as offering valuable skills."
Maxine Sacks
"The course was excellently presented, highly inclusive and obvious that the tutor had a thorough depth of knowledge on the subject area. I feel this course will be invaluable to the way I work and my ability to do my job to the best of my ability."
Charlotte Connolly
"This was the best course I have been on in the 15 years I have been in the trust. It was incredibly interesting, very well delivered, aimed at a really high level of understanding. The tutor was very positive and group were able to participate. Absolutely invaluable."
Chris Sharp
