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Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD |
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The Medical University of South Carolina has developed a website entitled CPTWeb, funded by the United States Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, that provides free instruction on how to implement cognitive processing therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). CPT is an empirically supported treatment for this disorder (although it is not the only one) and a number of trials we have discussed in earlier PBB posts have demonstrated its efficacy and effectiveness in treating the disorder.
Here is some basic information about the site:
- There is no charge for using this program
- The entire course requires 9-hours, but clinicians can learn the material at their own pace
- Patricia Resick, who developed CPT, played an integral role in the development of CPTWeb
- The material is focused primarily on military populations, however, it should generalize well to civilian clients as well
- Clinicians who complete the online course can receive 9 contact hours of continuing education from the Medical University of South Carolina
- Although this course is designed for veterans, its concepts and its approach can be applied to victims of sexual and physical violence
The course consists of a number of modules covering different components of CPT and each module includes:
- Video introduction to the technique
- Pre- and post-tests of knowledge of the treatment component
- Overview of module's learning objectives
- Description of the technique of the treatment component
- Step-by-step instructions for how to implement the technique and sample scripts for introducing the technique to clients
- Multiple video demonstrations of the technique
- Suggested practice assignments for clients
- Discussions of common obstacles to implementing the technique in "real world" practice
The URL for the online course is http://cpt.musc.edu/index
Cognitive Processing Therapy
Trauma often causes people to struggle with their memories and thoughts about the event. You may have a hard time making sense of what happened. You may find yourself getting "stuck" in your thoughts about the trauma and how it affects your life. This feeling of being unable to make sense of the trauma can make you want to avoid thinking about or dealing with your memories.
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) helps you by giving you a new way to handle these distressing thoughts and to gain an understanding of these events. By using the skills learned in this therapy, you can learn why recovery from traumatic events has been hard for you. CPT helps you learn how going through a trauma changed the way you look at the world, yourself, and others. The way we think and look at things directly affects how we feel and act.
CPT has four main parts:
- Learning about PTSD symptoms. CPT begins with education about your specific PTSD symptoms and how the treatment can help. The therapy plan will be reviewed and the reasons for each part of the therapy will be explained. You will be able to ask questions and to know exactly what you are going to be doing in this therapy. You will also learn why these skills may help.
- Becoming aware of thoughts and feelings. Next, CPT focuses on helping you become more aware of your thoughts and feelings. When bad things happen, we want to make sense of why they happened. An example would be a Veteran who thinks to himself or herself, "I should have known that this would happen." Sometimes we get stuck on these thoughts. In CPT you will learn how to pay attention to your thoughts about the trauma and how they make you feel. You'll then be asked to step back and think about how your trauma is affecting you now. This will help you think about your trauma in a different way than you did before. It can be done either by writing or by talking to your therapist about it.
- Learning skills. After you become more aware of your thoughts and feelings, you will learn skills to help you question or challenge your thoughts. You will do this with the help of worksheets. You will be able to use these skills to decide the way YOU want to think and feel about your trauma. These skills can also help you deal with other problems in your day-to-day life.
- Understanding changes in beliefs. Finally, you will learn about the common changes in beliefs that occur after going through trauma. Many people have problems understanding how to live in the world after trauma. Your beliefs about safety, trust, control, self-esteem, other people, and relationships can change after trauma. In CPT you will get to talk about your beliefs in these different areas. You will learn to find a better balance between the beliefs you had before and after your trauma.
I have completed this online course and have been able to incorporate it into my practice with trauma victims. This course is highly recommended! Rhonda Stanford-Zahn, LCSWR: Director - Child Advocacy Initiative of Cayuga County |
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When a child tells you that they have been touch inappropriately, the first thing to do is to BELIEVE THEM! The child must summon enormous courage to disclose abuse. They must trust you if they told you this very painful truth and they are looking to you for help. The second thing to do is to assure them that it is not their fault. Child abusers often convince their victims that they are somehow responsible for their own abuse. They may also threaten to harm the child or other family members if the child “tells”. You can begin the healing process by telling the child that abuse is wrong and that it is not their fault.
Now comes the hard part. It is very important that you do not ask the child too many questions. This event could become a criminal investigation and you do not want to interfere in any way. You do not want to be accused of putting any ideas in the child’s mind by asking leading questions. Just get the “minimal facts” – enough to confirm your suspicion that abuse has occurred – and then call for professional help. If the child has disclosed that he/she has been abused by a family member, call the New York Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-342-3720. If you feel that the child is in danger, call the police. If the child is bleeding or bruised, go the hospital.
Although you may be tempted to talk with the child about the events, it is best to practice “reflective listening”. Reflective listening is a supportive yet neutral approach to receiving the child’s information without offering your own opinion, suggestions or conclusions. In this way, you cannot be accused of planting ideas in the child’s mind that may later “pollute” their testimony or statement. For instance, if the child says: “Uncle Joe told me that I’m his girlfriend”, you would respond by saying: “So, he told you that you are his girlfriend?” Another example – if the child says: “He lied to me”, you might say “It sounds like you are upset”. You are neither agreeing nor disagreeing with the child. You may reinforce to the child that abuse is not their fault and that that are very brave to tell.
Child abuse is a horrible crime that occurs too often. Children are both victims and witnesses to this crime. Their statements and testimony are often the only evidence that we have to convict an abuser. You, as the person to whom a child has disclosed, can do your part to insure a strong investigation by being careful not to compromise a child’s statement to authorities by asking too many questions.
The Child Advocacy Initiative of Cayuga County houses the SAVAR (Sexual Assault Victims Advocacy Resource) program and will offer a victim immediate advocacy and mental health support. These are the professionals who know how to help the child (and non-offending family members) to deal with the issues of abuse. These advocates and therapists are trained to support and assist an abuse victim without any risk of damaging an investigation.
A final note: If you have been the individual to whom a child has disclosed abuse, you may want to speak with someone about how to cope with the event. Please feel free to call us and we can help. The SAVAR Hotline number is 252-2112, or you can call 253-9795 and ask for assistance.
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As you may have noticed, our site is proud to display the artwork of children and adults who celebrate children. At our site on 26 Seminary Avenue, we have a "rotating" art exhibit by artists of all ages. If you are an artist, or an art teacher, who would like to show your work at our center work for six months, please contact us. If you, your school or class lends us their artwork, we will host an "artist reception" to kick off the exhibit. Your work will also be featured on our website.
We believe that art is a vehicle for self expression and for healing. Everyone is an artist at heart and the process of creating allows kids of all ages to show their thoughts and feelings without words (that are often hard to find). Below are links to sites focused on art therapy.
Our logo (below) was designed by Jamie Pearce, a Senior at Union Springs High School, class of 2008.
http://www.artprojectsforkids.org/
http://www.healingthroughcreativity.org/
http://www.arttherapyblog.com/
http://www.artkidsrule.com/
http://www.art-therapy.us/
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Why a Multidisciplinary Team Approach? |
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The investigation of child abuse is a team effort. Law enforcement officers, prosecutors, mental health and medical personnel, Child Protective Services, advocates and other community agencies make up the multidisciplinary team that address every aspect of a child abuse case. Our center serves as the central meeting place where team members gather to begin the investigative process and to insure that the victim and non-offending family members get appropriate care.
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