I specialize in evidence based trauma treatments. If you’re ready to get started, contact me to determine if we’re a good fit.

Cognitive Processing Therapy

You just want to move on... but instead, you're stuck replaying the past, questioning every decision, and blaming yourself.

Cognitive Processing Therapy

-

Cognitive Processing Therapy -

What is CPT?

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is an evidence-based treatment designed to help people who feel stuck in the aftermath of trauma. Instead of just talking about what happened, CPT helps you retrain your brain to process memories differently—so they stop controlling your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

Who is CPT For?

If you find yourself haunted by guilt, shame, or self-blame, CPT can help. Do you notice that you say things to yourself that make you feel like shit about what happened? Do you run scenarios in your head, trying to change the outcome? If you have endless coulda, shoulda, wouldas or find yourself Monday morning quarterbacking your own trauma, CPT can help you break out of that cycle. This therapy is especially useful for men who are stuck replaying what happened, questioning what they should have done differently, or feeling like they’re somehow at fault for what they went through. If you find yourself haunted by guilt, shame, or self-blame, CPT can help. This therapy is especially useful for men who keep replaying what happened, questioning what they should have done differently, or feeling like they’re somehow at fault for what they went through.

What to Expect in CPT

CPT is a structured, time-limited treatment (typically 12 sessions). You’ll learn how to:

  • Identify and challenge distorted trauma-related thoughts.

  • Shift from blame and regret to a more balanced perspective.

  • Regain control over how your past affects your present.

Why CPT Works

Trauma warps your thinking. CPT gives you the tools to see things clearly again—so you stop being stuck in endless “what ifs” and start moving forward.

Why Previous Therapy May Not Have Helped

If you’ve tried therapy before and walked away feeling like nothing changed, you’re not alone. Many men come to me after spending months—or even years—talking about their trauma without seeing real progress. That’s because not all therapy is designed to treat trauma. Traditional talk therapy can be helpful for support and insight, but it doesn’t always provide the structured, evidence-based tools needed to actually reprocess trauma and break the cycle of guilt, avoidance, and overthinking. If therapy in the past felt like venting without direction or if you left every session feeling just as stuck, it’s not because you “did it wrong” or “can’t be helped”—you just might need an approach that’s built to actually work for trauma.

Some reasons why therapy might not have worked for you in the past:

  • Not all therapy is designed to treat trauma. Many men who come to me have spent months—or even years—talking about what happened without seeing real progress. That’s because traditional talk therapy often focuses on insight and emotional expression, but trauma needs structure, skills, and targeted processing to actually rewire the brain. If your past therapy felt like venting with no clear direction, it’s not because you “did it wrong” or “can’t be helped”—you just might need an approach designed specifically to treat trauma, not just discuss it.

  • Therapy only works when you feel like the person across from you gets it. If you’ve ever sat in a session feeling like your therapist didn’t really understand your experience, avoided tough conversations, or just nodded along without giving clear guidance—you’re not alone. Many men struggle with therapists who are either too passive or too focused on emotional deep dives without offering practical solutions. A strong therapist isn’t just there to listen; they should be able to challenge you, guide you, and actually help you make progress.

  • Trauma therapy isn’t about showing up and just talking—it needs a plan. If your past therapy felt aimless, like you were having the same conversations over and over with no real change, it’s likely because there wasn’t a structured approach. Evidence-based trauma treatments like CPT, PE, and NET follow a clear roadmap designed to help you move forward. Therapy should have a defined purpose, measurable progress, and an end goal—because real healing isn’t about staying in therapy forever; it’s about learning the skills to handle life on your own terms.

Not sure where to begin?

Let’s connect, and together we will determine your best next step.