History and structure of Cognitive Processing Therapy.
Cognitive Processing Therapy(CPS) is a manualized talk therapy used to diagnose the effects and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression. Psychologists developed this intervention in the 1930s, first experimenting on sexual assault victims. Before the development of CPS, psychoanalysis evaluated behaviorism, which was dormant and did not offer tangible solutions to victims. Cognitive Processing Therapy was developed and studied under the notion that behavior can be measured, modeled, and changed. This therapy model has since gained momentum and has been used in many cases, including war veterans, torture survivors, refugees, and other traumatized populations (Asmundson et al., 2019). Cognitive Processing Therapy as a psychological treatment method has been instrumental in identifying and challenging unhealthy thoughts. This method is used to help people acquire alternative thinking patterns and behaviors that elevate how they feel.
In the 1950s an american psychologist Albert Ellis developed the first behavioral therapy theory called Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy. This theory was based on the idea that a person’s emotional distress is directly linked to their thoughts which relate to an impactful event rather than the actual event happening in real-time. Since then, there has been massive progress accomplished concerning CPS as it was realized that there is a pattern of trauma victims relating negatively to themselves, others, and the future. Cognitive Processing therapy was therefore born from the connection between thoughts and feelings (Chard et al., 2021). This intervention can be utilized through two methods: individual or group therapy sessions.
Cognitive Processing Therapy allows the victims to learn, identify and express their thoughts and how they make them feel. This therapy method helps the victims identify the thoughts that make them feel bad and learn how to focus on more positive thoughts, improving their mood exponentially. CPS had thus developed to help trauma victims to focus on the current moment and disregard the past when a traumatic incident happened (Held et al., 2020). This helps boost a victim’s mood, and they are more perspective about their current situations.
Evidence that Cognitive Processing Therapy works
As trauma-focused psychotherapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy has been reported to be effective as the trauma victims diagnosed achieve better thought and behavior patterns. Evidence-based research has been extensively explored. The results state that most patients who have undergone psychotherapy have better thoughts and feelings regarding themselves, others, and the daily scenarios they encounter. It is recorded that after participating in Cognitive Processing Therapy, patients have a better organization of their thoughts that aid in making sense of the world. Traumatic events are responsible for informing victims’ perspectives of interpreting new information and predicting outcomes of new experiences. As trauma informs the victim’s current belief system, Cognitive Processing Therapy aids in altering these existent beliefs and informs the formulation of new, more positive ones (Holmes et al., 2019)
War veterans and torture victims who have undergone Cognitive Processing Therapy report improved thoughts and feelings after participating in therapy. Victims of natural disasters, sexual assault, unexpected loss of a loved one, and war veterans are among the patients that have enjoyed the effectiveness of Cognitive Processing Therapy. People living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder have reported that the symptoms of their mental illnesses dissolve after a few weeks of participating in Cognitive Processing Therapy (Schulz et al., 2020). Re-experiencing traumatic events is said to be one of the major causes of traumatic stress disorder. Trauma victims are also regarded to avoid or numb experiences directly or indirectly related to the specific traumatic event they encountered. Cognitive Processing Therapy helps victims to take charge of their thoughts and experience the current moment in the most positive way possible.
The development of Cognitive Processing Therapy as a treatment method over the years is based on its success in dealing with trauma victims. Anxiety and depression patients have also been incorporated into the treatment methods of Cognitive Processing Therapy, making it even more complex and effective (Voelkel et al., 2019).
Populations for which Cognitive Processing Therapy is beneficial
War veterans, sexual assault victims, natural disaster victims, and individuals who have unexpectedly lost a loved one are the main populations that benefit significantly from Cognitive Processing Therapy. War veterans are reported to be more traumatized by the experiences they encounter in war. Incidents of losing comrades during combat and the sight of lost lives are impactful triggers that go on to inform the thoughts and feelings of war veterans. Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans have mainly informed the development of the twelve weekly sessions of Cognitive Processing Therapy. It is recorded that encounters such as a close encounter with death dearly affect a soldier’s perspective of themselves and the world (Resick et al., 2022). Soldiers who have experienced the loss of life or permanent injuries to themselves or their comrades are reported to be more depressed and anxious about their physical health. The replay of these incidents in a war veteran’s mind makes them make poor life decisions, a symptom of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Sexual assault victims are reported to be extremely stressed and mostly blame themselves or others for their traumatic experiences. Therefore, this trauma informs most of their decisions, making it very hard for them to lead a normal life. Rape victims, before the diagnosis of Cognitive Processing Therapy, are said to be reluctant to pursue experiences that might put them in a situation that could lead to reliving the traumatic experience. Over-generalizing beliefs regarding oneself or the world, in general, can distort a victim’s perspective of the world (Chard, 2018). Cognitive Processing Therapy aids the victims in looking at circumstances without being informed by the traumatic incident they encounter but by the current situation at hand.
Natural Disaster victims and people who have unexpectedly lost a loved one are also regarded as symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The uncertainty of the future regarding the loss of life of the victim or a loved one can inform the victim’s thoughts, making them fearful of the outcome of their current situations. Cognitive processing Therapy helps this victim organize their thoughts and view life perspectively without fearing the unknown (Kaysen et al., 2018). Only on rare occasions does cognitive processing therapy not help war veterans or Sexual assault victims, as the trauma they encounter is complicated.
How Cognitive Processing Therapy is “trauma-informed.”
Individuals who have experienced traumatic events in their lives are prone to portray Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms. This include; being easily scared or frightened by incidences that relate to their traumatic experience, always being on guard or defensive regarding current matters that they relate to their traumatic experiences, self-destructive behavior such as excessive drinking and substance abuse or dangerous driving, trouble sleeping and concentrating as they are skeptical about the outcome of the current event, easily agitated and feelings of shame and guilt (Bohus et al., 2020)
Cognitive Processing Therapy helps individuals to identify and recognize negative thoughts that inform their feelings. Trauma victims that enroll in Cognitive Processing Therapy are educated about their thoughts and how the traumatic events they encountered inform their current moods and voice of action (Lenz et al., 2018). Identifying the symptoms from an individual perspective helps to isolate the thought that informs bad feelings; therefore, victims can change their thoughts to align with more positive experiences.
Severe anxiety, nightmares, and flashbacks are symptoms that characterize a victim who has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Therapists can identify these triggers and the experiences that inform their recurrence in the patient’s mind. Victims of traumatic incidents have trouble adjusting and coping with normal daily life. Cognitive Processing Therapy helps to identify the source of the horrible feelings, so the patient is more capable of controlling their thoughts and feelings. It is recorded that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms are likely to show approximately a month after the initial traumatic event. The trauma symptoms, however, vary from one patient to the other. Some patients take up to a year before experiencing the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms (Basharpoor, 2020).
Barriers to implementing Cognitive Processing Therapy
The main barrier that limits the implementation of Cognitive Processing Therapy is stigma from less knowledgeable members of society. Patients and victims that show symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder should be encouraged to seek mental health help. Environment-level stigma, self-internalized stigma, and perceived stigma from close friends and family members act as a stumbling block for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder patients seeking therapy. Cultural beliefs that individuals from a certain geographical location or race do not require Cognitive Process Therapy are ill-informed and out of order(Marques et al., 2019).
Victims with numerous psychosocial stressors and underlying complex psychological issues also have very little success with Cognitive Process Therapy (Hundt et al., 2020). CPT mainly focuses on highlighting various psychological traumas a victim has encountered, isolating them, and helping the victim refocus on positive thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Cognitive Process Therapy requires commitment from both the victim and the therapist to address the underlying issues and help the victim recover from the traumatic incidents after the process is over. A victim has to avail themself to the therapist every once a week for approximately fourteen weeks. Some victims may be unable to avail themselves of these sessions consistently, which may lead to unsuccessful therapeutic sessions.
Cognitive Processing Therapy charges vary according to geographical location and the therapist’s qualifications and experience. Some people living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder might be unable to afford these therapy sessions (Monson et al., 2018). This barrier exists among Trauma victims from poor backgrounds. Some institutions offering psychology credentials are also not well-equipped to train competent therapists. This translates to incomplete therapy sessions that do not help the trauma victims overcome their fears. The standards for Cognitive Process Therapy are very high, and all institutions responsible for training therapists should strive to achieve the gold standard.
References:
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