Dr. Patricia Resick is a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University Medical Center. Dr. Resick's specialty is in understanding and treating the effects of traumatic events, particularly Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. In 1988, she developed Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD, a brief evidence-based treatment and has overseen multiple clinical trials. CPT is considered a first line therapy for PTSD. The treatment manual for CPT has been translated into 12 languages and has been disseminated throughout the Department of Veterans Affairs in the US, Canada, Australia, and currently the Democratic Republic of Congo. Dr. Resick has written extensively on PTSD and is a co-author of the primary text in the field Cognitive Processing Therapy: A Comprehensive Manual.

Cognitive Processing Therapy, which is also referred to as CPT, is a cognitive-behavioral therapy (treatment that focuses on thoughts and feelings) for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, and related conditions. PTSD can develop when an individual experiences a traumatic event such as physical and sexual abuse or assault, accidents, threats, military combat, or being a witness to violence or death. CPT focuses on the connections between thoughts, feelings, behavior and bodily sensations. CPT is an evidenced-based therapy which means that it has been proven to be effective through rigorous scientific research.

CPT provides a way to understand why recovery from traumatic events is difficult and how symptoms of PTSD affect daily life. The focus is on identifying how traumatic experiences change thoughts and beliefs, and how thoughts influence current feelings and behaviors. An important part of the treatment is addressing ways of thinking that might keep individuals "stuck" and get in the way of recovery from symptoms of PTSD and other problems.

Twitter @PatriciaResick

For more information, click on CPTforPTSD.com.

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Disclaimer: The information shared in this podcast is not a substitute for getting help from a mental health professional.