Cognitive Processing Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

In fall 2022, Skyland Trail began offering additional therapeutic groups for adult clients with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) who meet identified clinical criteria. Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), a form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), helps clients address trauma-related symptoms like anxiety, depression, shame, avoidance, etc. so that they can more effectively engage in therapy.

The Skyland Trail adult and adolescent treatment programs are evidence-based trauma-informed programs, and many clients admit with a history of trauma. The CPT program is specifically for adults with a PTSD diagnosis who have “stuck points” following a traumatic event and are struggling to make progress in treatment due to related symptoms. The treatment team uses normed, evidence-based assessments at admission to identify adult clients who meet the clinical criteria and may benefit from CPT.

Adult clients assigned to CPT groups participate in two CPT groups weekly, in addition to their assigned core recovery community group. Clients are not required to describe their trauma explicitly but are instead asked to explore the ways their traumatic experiences have impacted their thoughts, behaviors, and emotions and have created barriers to pursuing the life they want to live. Working with our CPT-trained clinicians, clients learn skills to challenge unhealthy patterns and build new skills to help them move forward.