285 - Integrating Substance Use and Trauma Treatment: How Cognitive Processing Therapy Can Provide Relief for Those Suffering from Trauma and Addictions

Session Description: This session will focus on the co-occurring diagnoses many patients present with - specifically PTSD and substance use disorders - and how it is crucial to treat all conditions in treatment to allow for full healing and minimize chances of relapse or return to treatment. This session will specifically look at how trauma fuels addictions and if untreated, recovery is challenging. This session will examine the specific treatment for PTSD - Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) - and how working through PTSD utilizing CPT can significantly reduce symptoms and relationship to trauma, resulting in improvement in ability to abstain from substances. The principles of CPT will be discussed as well as interventions and how CPT interventions while in recovery from substance use disorders promote long term sobriety. Participants will gain skills in ways to assess for PTSD and interventions focused on addressing the underlying trauma that often fuels substance use disorders. If multiple aspects contributing to dysfunction in interpersonal functioning are addressed, the client has a better chance of maintaining recovery and reduces relapse rates.