5 - (SYM 4) Adapting Cognitive Processing Therapy to the Treatment of Betrayal Trauma Symptoms Following Discovery of Sexual Infidelity

In the aftermath of discovering sexual infidelities by a significant other, hurt partners often experience a range of symptoms that match posttraumatic stress. These symptoms include emotional distress, feeling isolated, negative thoughts and beliefs about oneself, intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance, difficulty concentrating, irregular sleep, appetite disturbances, and avoidance of trauma-related external reminders (Bergner & Bridges, 2002; Lonergan et al., 2019; Schneider, 2000). This presentation of symptoms has been described in the literature as betrayal trauma (Warrach & Josephs, 2021). Despite significant and debilitating symptoms for a problem that is a common presentation in psychotherapy, there is an absence of any empirically supported treatment models to help alleviate betrayal trauma sequelae. To address this deficit, Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) was adapted to alleviate symptoms of trauma and challenge maladaptive beliefs believed to be perpetuating trauma symptomology. This treatment was selected based on research suggesting that addressing maladaptive core beliefs was a key treatment strategy for promoting posttraumatic growth after intimate betrayal trauma (Lasser et al., 2017). Treatment was divided into three phases: crisis, trauma healing, and vision for self. CPT interventions occurred during the trauma healing phase of treatment. A case study of individual hurt partners (n = 2) has provided qualitative evidence of reduction of betrayal trauma symptoms. The results highlight the efficacy of adapting CPT in treating betrayal trauma symptoms. This unique adaptation of a well-known cognitive evidenced-based treatment would empower more clinicians to effectively treat a very common source of acute distress within individuals and couples.