Trauma Training

Cognitive Processing Therapy – or CPT, as it is often referred to – is a cognitive behavioural treatment that was developed in the 1980s. It aims to help patients dealing with PTSD by reducing symptoms related to a variety of traumatic events.

These experiences may include child abuse, combat, rape and natural disasters.

CPT is endorsed by the U.S. Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defence, as well as the International Society of Traumatic Stress Studies, as a best practice for the treatment of PTSD.

Our trauma training is designed to teach CPT to a range of healthcare professionals who may be faced with complex trauma cases. This includes Clinical Psychologists, mental health practitioners, social workers and community workers.

The workshops are delivered by practitioners from PsychPD, clinicians with years of hands-on experience using CPT with real clients.

Building your comprehensive knowledge of CPT and how to apply it practically, from theory through to day-to-day practice.

Here is a detailed breakdown of each session and its inclusions.

Session One

• Structuring sessions
• Symptoms and rationale, types of emotions, selecting the Worst Trauma, Stuck Points Handout, and overview of treatment
• Assigning impact statement
• Video clip re theory.

Session Two

• Reading and processing the impact statement
• Introducing the ABC worksheets
• Participants fill out ABC worksheets

Session Three

• Reviewing ABC worksheets
• Introducing Socratic questioning
• Role-Playing Processing ABC worksheets
• CPT + A (With Written Account compared to CPT)
• Participant practice for day two ABC worksheet

Session Four

• Assign the ExploringChallenging Questions Worksheet
• Role-play
• Video

Session Five

• Review the Exploring Questions Worksheet
• Assign Patterns of Thinking Worksheets

Session Six

• Review the Patterns of Thinking
• Introduce the Alternative Thought Worksheet (ATW)
• Role-play
• Video

Session Seven

• Safety
• Role-play ATW completion
• Video

Session Eight

• Trust

Session Nine

Power and control

Session Ten

• Esteem
• Assign compliments, receiving compliments and pleasant event scheduling
• Video

Session 11

• Intimacy

Session 12

• Final impact statement
• Review and goals
• Video

Following the initial training, clinicians can pursue CPT Provider Status and CPT Quality-Rated Provider Status. The requirements for each are outlined below.

• Registered mental health professional with psychotherapy in scope of practice (psychologist, social worker with a degree, AASW membership, or equivalent, considered case by case)
• Completion of CPTweb
• Attendance at a live two day CPT training with a treatment developer or approved CPT Trainer
• 20 hours of sanctioned group CPT consultation or 7.5 hours of individual CPT supervision
• Initiation of at least four individual CPT cases or two CPT groups (or combination), with successful completion of two individual cases, two groups, or one group and one individual case
• Use of a standardised instrument to track weekly PTSD symptom progress across all cases
• Submission of redacted case notes, PCL scores, and sample worksheets or stuck point logs if requested

Therapists will have CPT Provider status for three-year increments, which will require documentation of the above four to seven clinical requirements within each renewal period.

• Meet all standard CPT Provider requirements (see above)
• Submit two randomly selected patient sessions (via audio or video recording) for review of adherence and minimal competency
• Provide the standardised score measure used for each submitted client
• Secure signed patient consent forms for the release of objective data and session recordings prior to submission

Quality-Rated CPT Provider status is granted in three-year increments.