CBT Treatment for PTSD

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is the gold standard treatment for PTSD, with a wealth of research supporting it as the most effective treatment for the disorder. Most individuals with PTSD no longer meet the criteria for the disorder after as few as 12 sessions of trauma-focused CBT. The American Psychological Association also recently determined that licensed psychologists (as opposed to social workers and marriage and family therapists) are the most expert providers of care for PTSD. Several CBT treatments for PTSD exist:

Prolonged Exposure

Prolonged exposure is a treatment that helps people no longer experience the anxiety and distress associated with the trauma by helping people repeatedly expose themselves to memories of the trauma. This treatment has been the subject of numerous scientific studies and has been found to significantly reduce the re-experiencing symptoms, anxiety arousal, and avoidance of feared stimuli that go along with PTSD. Prolonged exposure makes use of homework assignments designed to help people habituate to thoughts of the trauma until people no longer become upset by them. Often, this happens by the third exposure session, which represents a huge advancement in psychotherapy techniques.

Cognitive Processing Therapy

This therapy identifies thoughts about the trauma as the primary target of treatment. People who develop PTSD often go on to develop maladaptive assumptions that maintain their trauma response. Cognitive processing therapy identifies these maladaptive patterns in thinking and helps people restructure them, allowing them to make meaning out of the trauma that results in less anxiety and greater confidence. Also considered a gold standard treatment for PTSD, the research in support of CPT suggests it is as effective as prolonged exposure in reducing PTSD symptoms.

Seeking Safety

Many people experience intense emotional dysregulation following a trauma. This means their emotions are easily triggered, are of overwhelming intensity, and are slow in returning to normal. Seeking safety teaches people ways of coping with these intense emotions through methods such as mindfulness training and emotion regulation skills. Many people find Seeking Safety to be a good way of building coping skills prior to engaging in a more trauma-focused therapy such as prolonged exposure or cognitive processing therapy.

EMDR: Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing

EMDR has gained widespread attention over the years for its use of eye movements during trauma processing sessions. While some individuals report symptom relief from EMDR, recent updates from the American Psychological Association (APA) have shifted its standing. In the 2025 PTSD treatment guidelines, the APA moved EMDR from a first-line to a second-line treatment, citing inconsistent research outcomes and limited data on certain long-term effects.

The treatment may still be helpful for some, but it doesn’t offer the same level of reliability or efficiency as trauma-focused CBT approaches like prolonged exposure and cognitive processing therapy, both of which remain gold-standard treatments. EMDR also tends to be more time-intensive and emotionally demanding, which may not be ideal for all clients. At Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Los Angeles, we focus exclusively on treatments with the strongest clinical support—and for that reason, we do not offer EMDR therapy.

At Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Los Angeles, we are experts in the field of evidence-based treatment for PTSD. Call or email today to schedule an appointment.