ADAPTING COGNITIVE PROCESSING THERAPY FOR CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE SURVIVORS

With the advent of managed care, there is an increasing need for short -term, empirically based treatments. This article presents a cognitive behavioral therapy protocol for the treatment of adult survivors of c hildhood sexual abuse, Cognitive Processing Therapy for Sexual Abuse ( CPT-SA). Based on information processing, developmental and self-traum a theories, this 26-session model combines group and individual therap y over a 17-week period. Clients are asked to write about the trauma, and explore adaptive, schema congruent, and discrepant beliefs that de veloped during and after the abuse. Focus is placed on beliefs related to safety, trust, power/control, self-esteem, and intimacy, with indi vidual modules for each of these areas. Initial pilot data (N = 15), c linical implications, and two client case studies are also discussed.