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Cognitive Processing Therapy

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Evidence Based Treatments for Trauma-Related Psychological Disorders

Abstract

Cognitive processing therapy (CPT) is an evidence-based, cognitive-behavioral treatment designed specifically to treat posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and comorbid symptoms. This chapter will first review the theoretical underpinnings of the intervention and then provide more details about the actual protocol including a clinical case description exemplifying the Socratic questions—the core treatment element of CPT. We will briefly summarize the expansive literature on treatment outcomes that expand beyond recovery from the primary symptoms of PTSD including studies that have shown benefits of the treatment with clients who suffer from comorbid psychiatric disorders and conditions. We then will review several special considerations and challenges in administering the protocol to specific groups of trauma survivors including a variety of studies that have been conducted in countries outside the United States (where CPT originated). Finally, we will conclude with an overview of the published randomized controlled clinical trials demonstrating the efficacy of the therapy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Women’s Health Sciences Division, National Center for PTSD, Boston, MA, USA

    Tara E. Galovski & Jennifer Schuster Wachen

  2. VA Medical Center, Research Service, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Kathleen M. Chard

  3. Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Candice M. Monson

Authors
  1. Tara E. Galovski
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  2. Jennifer Schuster Wachen
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  3. Kathleen M. Chard
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  4. Candice M. Monson
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tara E. Galovski .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

    Ulrich Schnyder

  2. Dissemination and Training Division, National Center for PTSD, Palo Alto, CA, USA

    Marylène Cloitre

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Galovski, T.E., Wachen, J.S., Chard, K.M., Monson, C.M. (2022). Cognitive Processing Therapy. In: Schnyder, U., Cloitre, M. (eds) Evidence Based Treatments for Trauma-Related Psychological Disorders. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97802-0_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97802-0_10

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-97802-0

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