Cognitive Processing Therapy Online
After a trauma, the hardest part is often the story your mind keeps telling: “It was my fault,” “I can’t trust anyone,” “The world isn’t safe.” Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is a structured, evidence-based treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that helps you examine those beliefs and loosen their grip. Select clinicians at Psychological Healing are trained in CPT and offer Cognitive Processing Therapy online by secure video in the states where they’re licensed; ask when you book. We’re in-network with many major insurance plans.
What Is Cognitive Processing Therapy?
CPT is a form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) developed specifically for PTSD. First developed for sexual assault survivors, it has since been tested with veterans, first responders, survivors of childhood abuse, and many other groups.
After trauma, people often get “stuck” in beliefs that block recovery, about the event itself (“I should have stopped it”) or about safety, trust, power, esteem, and intimacy (“No one can be trusted”). CPT teaches you to notice these stuck points, test them against the facts, and reach more balanced conclusions, so the guilt, shame, fear, and anger that fuel PTSD often ease.
CPT is one of the most strongly supported treatments for PTSD:
- The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense (VA/DoD) Clinical Practice Guideline for PTSD (2023) recommends CPT as a first-line treatment, along with Prolonged Exposure (PE) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).
- The American Psychological Association (APA) Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of PTSD strongly recommends CPT.
How CPT Works, Session by Session
CPT is usually delivered in about 12 weekly sessions of 50 to 60 minutes, moving through three stages.
1. Understanding PTSD and your stuck points (sessions 1–3). You learn how PTSD develops and write an impact statement, a short account of why you think the trauma happened and how it changed the way you see yourself, others, and the world. It becomes a map of your stuck points.
2. Processing the trauma (sessions 4–7). You examine beliefs about the event, especially self-blame and “what if” thinking, using structured questions and worksheets. Some people also write a detailed trauma account; CPT without it works about as well for many people.
3. Rebuilding the five key areas (sessions 8–12). You work through safety, trust, power and control, esteem, and intimacy, then write a new impact statement and compare it with your first.
Between sessions you’ll complete short practice assignments, usually 10 to 20 minutes a day, a big part of why CPT works.
What Are Stuck Points?
A stuck point is a belief that keeps PTSD going. Stuck points are usually rigid, extreme, and focused on blame or danger. Some examples:
- “If I had been paying attention, it wouldn’t have happened.”
- “I should have been able to save them.”
- “If I let my guard down, something bad will happen.”
- “I’m weak because this still affects me.”
CPT doesn’t ask you to “think positive.” It helps you weigh the evidence fairly and replace a distorted belief with an accurate one, such as “I made the best decision I could with the information I had.”
Can CPT Be Done Online?
Yes. CPT has some of the strongest research of any telehealth trauma treatment: randomized trials, many with veterans, found CPT by video works about as well as in person.
Doing CPT at home also removes travel time, time off work, and waiting rooms. Learn more about how our teletherapy sessions work.
Who Can Benefit from CPT?
CPT can help adults with PTSD from many kinds of trauma, including:
- Sexual assault or abuse
- Combat and military trauma
- Line-of-duty trauma for police, firefighters, paramedics, and dispatchers (see our first responder therapy page)
- Car accidents, disasters, and medical trauma
- Childhood abuse or neglect
- Traumatic loss of a loved one
CPT is especially helpful when guilt, shame, or self-blame is central. Read more about our trauma and PTSD therapy and broader trauma-focused treatment.
CPT vs. Prolonged Exposure vs. EMDR
All three are first-line treatments for PTSD, and our clinicians are trained in each. Here’s how they differ:
| Cognitive Processing Therapy | Prolonged Exposure | EMDR | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main focus | Changing stuck beliefs about the trauma | Gradually facing trauma memories and avoided situations | Reprocessing memories with bilateral stimulation |
| Retelling the trauma | Optional written account | Yes, repeatedly, out loud | Limited |
| Practice between sessions | Daily worksheets | Daily recordings and real-life exposure | Light |
| Typical length | About 12 sessions | About 8–15 sessions | Varies; often 6–12 for a single trauma |
If guilt and self-blame are central, CPT is often a strong fit; if avoidance runs your life, Prolonged Exposure may be; if you’d rather not talk through the trauma in detail, consider EMDR. Your clinician will help you decide.
Insurance Coverage for CPT
CPT is billed as standard outpatient psychotherapy, so plans that cover outpatient mental health care usually cover it, including by telehealth, subject to your deductible and cost-sharing.
We’re in-network with many plans, including:
- Aetna
- Optum and UnitedHealthcare
- Oscar, through the UnitedHealthcare network
- Anthem, accepted depending on the clinician and state
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Ambetter, in Washington only
We do not accept Medicare or Medicare Advantage plans.
Where We Offer Online CPT
Psychological Healing has 40 clinicians, offering in-person sessions in 20 states and video sessions in 44 states. Our CPT-trained clinicians offer it by secure video in the states where they’re licensed. Find your state, among others:
You need to be physically located in a state where your clinician is licensed at the time of each session.
How to Get Started
- Reach out. Contact us.
- Verify insurance. We’ll confirm your coverage and expected cost.
- Complete an assessment. Your clinician confirms CPT is a good fit.
- Begin CPT. You’ll start with education about PTSD and your first practice assignment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many sessions of Cognitive Processing Therapy will I need? Most people complete CPT in about 12 weekly sessions; some finish early and others need a few more.
Do I have to retell my trauma in CPT? Not necessarily. Standard CPT can include a written account of the trauma, but CPT without the written account is also effective for many people. You and your clinician will decide together.
Is Cognitive Processing Therapy covered by insurance? In most cases, yes, as standard psychotherapy. Some of our clinicians also accept Anthem, depending on the clinician and state.
Is CPT hard? CPT asks you to think about painful experiences and to practice between sessions, so it takes effort. It’s also structured and paced, and most people find the hardest feelings ease as treatment goes on.
If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or call 911.
Clinically reviewed by Karan Singh, Ph.D.
Last reviewed October 16, 2026