Cognitive Processing Therapy

[whiteraven]

I’m sure your therapist told you but I thought I would mention it if not. We haven’t started using it yet.

Wow, thanks. No, he didn't tell me, but he's kind of new at this.

 

[hithere]

@hithere I wanted to thank you for sharing this information. It helped me be prepared to discuss this with my therapist when he brought it up Monday.



Thanks so much, @Faith Andrews! I am so glad there are other folks here who have done or are doing this.

My therapist and I discussed this in detail on Monday (probably more discussion about it to come, though). He is friends and wrote a book with one of the founders of CPT and will be able to consult her whenever he needs to re: any issues that arise. Since he's relatively new at this, we are walking through it together, but I'm really grateful for that.

I did the first set of worksheets this week and I think I'm probably going to like it, since I have a really hard time even bringing up trauma (because I mostly don't believe it qualifies - he tells me differently). Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing how this progresses.

Did you do the ABC Worksheets? I found those MOST helpful-- Have written the Impact Statement yet?

@whiteraven I had an appointment yesterday. There is an app you can use on your mobile phone to help you and your therapist with this. It also will remind you of appointments.

I’m sure your therapist told you but I thought I would mention it if not. We haven’t started using it yet.

How exactly does this app work with the therapist and client? Do they both use it and see what the other is doing on the app?

 

[New]

@hithere I believe you can use it together if they are registered but I think it is up to you. I’m not positive since we haven’t gotten that far. I do know you should only use it if you are going to a therapist and not as a self help tool.

Hopefully I made sense.

 

[whiteraven]

Did you do the ABC Worksheets? I found those MOST helpful-- Have written the Impact Statement yet?

No, not there yet.

How exactly does this app work with the therapist and client? Do they both use it and see what the other is doing on the app?

I downloaded the app and looked at it briefly. It appears to be a supplement to what you do in therapy. But I could be wrong.

 

[hithere]

No, not there yet.



I downloaded the app and looked at it briefly. It appears to be a supplement to what you do in therapy. But I could be wrong.

I think ABC Sheets is session #2.

 

[Lionheart]

I have endured severe, prolonged traumas as both a child and an adult and I am disabled with Complex-PTSD.

Anyways, my first 12 weeks of therapy was a program called CPT-SA (Cognitive Processing Therapy for Sexual Abuse) and it was very helpful. Especially to help me separate my thinking from my feelings and to process the thoughts and feelings about the trauma(s).

However, the therapist seemed to think it was the "be all, end all" of therapy and I needed much more therapy than 12 weeks of CPT and so at the end, I took on another therapist. I ended up doing a lot of different therapy treatment approaches, such a CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) as well as a lot of emotional work, exposure therapy, individual and group therapy, journaling etc., etc.

As a matter of fact, I have done almost 20 years of therapy now and I could have quit long ago, but I choose to continue to help me navigate daily life struggles, (that may or may not be trauma related). This is called the maintenance phase of therapy. I have worked through the traumas that I needed to process, but still find therapy helpful so I still go about once per month and talk about whatever is going on with me and my life.

I think CPT is a good place to start to work on trauma and I wish you the best with it, but don't rule out other modalities and types of therapy as they can all be helpful.