Cognitive Processing Therapy & Trauma Treatment in Bergen County
Plenty of therapists in Bergen County describe themselves as trauma-informed. Considerably fewer deliver a trauma-focused protocol with fidelity. The difference matters: trauma-informed describes a stance, while Cognitive Processing Therapy is a specific twelve-session treatment with strong evidence for resolving PTSD rather than managing it.
Dr. Josephine Kim provides CPT and related trauma treatment from Englewood, NJ, for adolescents and adults across Bergen County, in person or by secure telehealth.
What CPT does that supportive therapy does not
Supportive therapy helps you cope with symptoms. CPT targets the beliefs formed during and after the traumatic event, the stuck points, which are what keep the nervous system treating a past danger as a present one. Typical stuck points sound like I should have seen it coming, or if I let my guard down it will happen again.
The work is not persuasion and not reassurance. It is structured Socratic questioning that you eventually take over yourself, using worksheets that examine the evidence for and against each belief. Most people find the change more convincing because they produced it.
The twelve-session arc
- Sessions 1 to 3: education about PTSD, writing an impact statement, and identifying stuck points
- Sessions 4 to 7: learning Socratic questioning and the patterns of thinking that maintain the stuck points
- Sessions 8 to 11: working through safety, trust, power and control, esteem, and intimacy
- Session 12: rewriting the impact statement and comparing it against the original
When CPT is not the first step
Trauma-focused work assumes a baseline of stability. If there is active suicidality, untreated substance dependence, or an unsafe current environment, those come first, and a first appointment will say so directly rather than starting a protocol that cannot be completed. Complex trauma with a long developmental history often needs a stabilization phase before the twelve sessions begin.
Adolescents and trauma
Teenagers in Bergen County are referred for trauma treatment after accidents, assaults, medical events, sudden loss, and exposure to violence. Presentation in adolescence often looks like irritability, school avoidance, risk-taking, or sleep disruption rather than the flashbacks people expect. Treatment adapts the protocol to developmental level and includes parents in a defined role.
Getting Here
From Bergen County to the Englewood office
In-person sessions are at 155 N Dean St, Suite 3B in downtown Englewood, a short drive from Tenafly, Englewood Cliffs, Teaneck, Leonia, and Fort Lee, and reachable from Hackensack, Paramus, and the Northern Valley via Route 4 or the Palisades Parkway. CPT is also delivered by secure video anywhere in New Jersey.
155 N Dean St, Suite 3B
Englewood, NJ 07631
Telehealth available
Secure video sessions anywhere in New Jersey
Common Questions
Bergen County questions
- Where can I find a CPT therapist in Bergen County?
- Dr. Josephine Kim delivers Cognitive Processing Therapy at 155 N Dean St, Suite 3B, Englewood, NJ, serving Bergen County, and by telehealth throughout New Jersey. CPT is a structured twelve-session protocol, so it is worth confirming that any clinician you consider has formal training in it.
- Do I have to describe the trauma in detail?
- Not necessarily. Current CPT protocols include a version without a written trauma account, and outcomes are comparable. The emphasis is on examining the conclusions you drew rather than on repeatedly reliving the event.
- How is CPT different from EMDR?
- Both are recognized trauma treatments. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation while processing trauma memories; CPT works through structured cognitive examination of trauma-related beliefs, with written worksheets between sessions. Choice usually comes down to fit, prior treatment history, and clinician training.
- Can CPT be done by telehealth?
- Yes. CPT has been studied and delivered by video with results comparable to in-person care, which makes it practical for clients across Bergen County who cannot commit to a weekly drive.
Serving Bergen County from Englewood
Dr. Kim is accepting new clients. A first consultation covers what you are experiencing, what you have already tried, and which approach is likely to fit.