Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)

What is Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)?

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is a specialized form of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) designed to help individuals who have experienced trauma. It focuses on addressing how trauma affects a person’s thinking patterns and helps them process traumatic memories in a healthier way.

How Does CPT Work?

The goal of CPT is to challenge and change unhelpful beliefs and assumptions related to the trauma. It typically involves the following stages:

  • Recognizing and acknowledging the trauma and its impact on your thoughts and behaviors.
  • Identifying automatic negative thoughts or distortions.
  • Challenging these thoughts and learning how to develop more balanced, constructive beliefs.
  • Gradually processing the trauma, reducing the emotional intensity associated with it.

Who Can Benefit from CPT?

CPT is particularly effective for individuals suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but it can also be beneficial for anyone who has experienced significant trauma. CPT is typically used to treat veterans, survivors of abuse, assault, or accidents, and others who struggle with trauma-related symptoms such as flashbacks, anxiety, depression, or feelings of helplessness.

What to Expect During CPT Sessions

Sessions usually involve a combination of discussing the traumatic event, identifying distorted thinking, and completing homework assignments designed to help you apply the concepts of CPT to everyday life. CPT is typically structured over 12 sessions, but this can vary depending on individual needs.

Benefits of CPT

By focusing on the relationship between trauma and thoughts, CPT can help:

  • Reduce the symptoms of PTSD.
  • Improve emotional regulation.
  • Promote healthier thought patterns and behaviors.
  • Enhance the overall quality of life.

Is CPT Right for You?

If you or someone you love has experienced trauma and are struggling with negative emotions or disruptive behaviors, CPT may be an effective treatment option. Consulting with a qualified therapist can help determine if CPT is the best approach for your healing journey.

Therapists in Brighton & Hove

Browse our verified therapists — many work across a range of approaches and may be able to help.

Alan Sparkes Hove

Alan Sparkes

Psychotherapist & Counsellor

I am a qualified UKCP registered Psychotherapist. I aim to help people heal and integrate. I’m a parent, a skateboarder, a basketball player and I’ve done a lot of therapy.I don't do psychic amputation. I believe you can't cut off a part of yourself you don’t like or that causes you pain - and that you will run into more problems if you try. I do believe you can reach into your heart and soul through therapy and establish a healing relationship that will give you the resources you need to live well and fully.  

BACPRegisteredUKCPAccredited
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Andy Wolage Brighton

Andy Wolage

Therapeutic Counsellor

Sometimes life is really hard. Everything feels like too much. We can get overwhelmed with guilt for not coping, shame for having failed in the past and sometimes we can end up not really liking ourselves very much. We might self medicate with substances or other behaviours which we know don't really help, but they seem better than nothing. But they just perpetuate the cycle. I can offer you a safe, non-judgemental and confidential space to organise and reframe those overwhelming feelings and see the wood for the trees. I can help you understand yourself better and to begin to look in the mirror and like what you see. 

NCPSRegistered
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Sharon Twomey Brighton

Sharon Twomey

Psychotherapeutic counsellor

I’m Sharon, a qualified psychotherapeutic counsellor offering short and long term therapy across Brighton and Hove both in person and online. My work is trauma-informed and rooted in compassion, supporting adults facing challenges such as anxiety, depression, grief, addiction, stress, and relational difficulties.My approach is deeply empathic and nurturing, blending warmth with thoughtful challenge. I offer a confidential space where you can feel held with care as you reflect, engage with difficult emotions, and begin the journey toward meaningful and lasting change.

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Claire Baker Brighton

Claire Baker

Humanistic Psychotherapeutic Counsellor

At Clarity Counselling you will be warmly welcomed by me, Claire Baker, a fully qualified, insured and BACP-registered Psychotherapeutic Counsellor. If you are aged 18+ and are interested in starting therapy, I offer a half price, 50-minute introductory session which gives us an opportunity to meet, discuss what brings you to counselling and see how we feel about working together, with no obligation for you to commit to further sessions if you do not wish. Please visit: www.claritycounselling.co.uk for more details.

BACPAccredited
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Gabrielle Lake Mitchell Brighton

Gabrielle Lake Mitchell

Integrative Counsellor

Thinking about starting counselling and looking for a counsellor, can feel daunting. So I warmly welcome you to my profile and hope that you get in touch to see if I am the right counsellor for you. There are many reasons why people seek counselling. Perhaps you are feeling lonely or disconnected from the people around you? Perhaps you would like to talk to someone about making changes in your life? Maybe you are feeling stuck, anxious or depressed, and would like a little extra support to help you through a difficult time? Perhaps you can't quite put your finger on what is wrong, and would like somewhere to express yourself and make sense of your thoughts and feelings?Whatever brings you to counselling, I will endeavour to offer you a confidential and safe space, where you can talk and explore all of your thoughts and feelings, and express them freely without judgement or opinion. Counselling can be useful in helping you to gain insight and a fresh perspective. It can help you to gain understanding about yourself and others, or help to make sense of a problematic situation. It can help you move towards acceptance, emotional freedom and healthy psychological growth.

BACPRegistered
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Cerrie Lantrua Brighton

Cerrie Lantrua

Counsellor

Clients often tell me how much they value having a space where they feel understood, where they don’t have to explain their neurodivergence or justify their experiences.I am neurodivergent myself, and I’m open about that. It’s not something I see as a limitation, but as something that shapes how I understand, relate, and connect. Alongside my training and experience, this gives me a way of seeing things that often helps clients feel recognised in ways they may not have experienced before.I’m naturally creative and tend to think outside the box, which allows me to consider different perspectives and gently step into what it might be like to be you, not from a place of judgement, but from a genuine willingness to understand.At the same time, I don’t assume your experience is the same as anyone else’s. No two people are the same. A big part of what I offer is taking the time to learn what you need, how you experience things, and what support feels right for you.You are the expert on yourself. My role isn’t to tell you what to do or who to be, but to walk alongside you as you begin to understand yourself more fully.I aim to create a space where you feel safe enough to be real. Where you don’t have to mask, filter, or find the “right” way to say things. A space where you can feel seen, heard, and genuinely understood. 

BACPRegistered
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