Empirically Supported Psychological Treatments: Cognitive Processing Therapy

Abstract

Cognitive processing therapy (CPT) has been recognized by recent clinical practice guidelines as one of the most effective treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This chapter provides a brief overview of the CPT session content, the underlying mechanisms of the therapy, a review of the empirically based literature outlining the treatment effectiveness, limitations of the therapy, and areas of future research. In addition, the authors discuss the utility of the various versions of CPT, including CPT+Account, group, individual, and combination. Further, the research supporting the effectiveness of CPT for treating PTSD related to a variety of traumas (e.g., combat, child abuse, and rape) and the significant impact CPT can have in areas of mental health related to PTSD (e.g., anger, guilt, social functioning) are described.