Cognitive trauma therapy for formerly battered women with PTSD: Conceptual bases and treatment outlines Original Research Article

This article describes the conceptual bases and treatment outlines of Cognitive Trauma Therapy for Formerly Battered Women with PTSD (CTT-BW), a psychoeducational, multicomponent, cognitive-behavioral intervention aimed at alleviating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, guilt, shame, and negative self-esteem in formerly battered women. CTT-BW is derived from psychological learning principles, and emphasizes the role of irrational beliefs and evaluative language in posttraumatic stress. Assessment and assessment instrumentation used in CTT-BW are described. The main treatment components in CTT-BW include (1) exploration of partner abuse history and exposure to other trauma; (2) psychoeducation on PTSD; (3) negotiation of imaginal and in vivo exposure homework; (4) psychoeducation on maladaptive self-talk; (5) stress management and relaxation training; (6) cognitive therapy for trauma-related guilt (); (7) psychoeducation on assertiveness and responses to verbal aggression; (8) managing unwanted contacts with former partners; (9) learning to identify potential perpetrators and avoid revictimization; and (10) psychoeducation on positive coping strategies that focus on self-advocacy and self-empowerment (e.g., placing oneself first, decision-making that promotes self interest). Homework includes listening to audiotapes of the sessions, in-vivo and imaginal exposure to abuse-related reminders, playing a relaxation tape, and self-monitoring of negative self-talk. Initial evidence for the efficacy of CTT-BW is discussed, as are issues that need to be addressed before CTT-BW can be reliably implemented and evaluated by other clinicians.