top of page

Couples Therapy for PTSD

Trauma can affect every aspect of your life, especially your relationships. 
Cognitive Behavioral Conjoint Therapy (CBCT) is a highly effective, short-term treatment for couples where one or both partners has symptoms of PTSD. CBCT can be done with a romantic partner, a family member, or another significant person in your life. Over the course of 15 session, CBCT helps to both decrease symptoms of PTSD and improve relationship functioning at the same time. 

Tap into the power of social support 

PTSD treatment can seem intimidating at first. CBCT allows you to have a partner or family member by your side to provide you with social support. This form of therapy also helps you and your partner better understand the effects trauma has had on your lives and relationship. You will work together to reduce your PTSD symptoms and improve your relationship. 

Improve Your Mental Health & Your Relationship Simultaneously

Trauma can have a significant impact on the important relationships in your life. While individual forms of treatment are highly effective at treating PTSD, they don't always result in better relationships. Some clients find they still need to engage in couples therapy after completing PTSD treatment. CBCT allows you to address both your relationship difficulties and your mental health in a single, short-term treatment. 

Frequently Asked Questions
about CBCT

What is CBCT? 

 

CBCT is a short-term, evidence-based couples therapy focused on reducing individual PTSD symptoms and improving your relationship. CBCT was originally developed for romantic partners, and it can be successfully used for any relationship in which one or both people have symptoms of PTSD. You and your partner will go through the treatment together, working to simultaneously reduce individual symptoms of PTSD and improve your relationship. CBCT allows you to have the social support of your loved one to help you through PTSD treatment that might be difficult for you to tolerate on your own. At the same time, it also allows you and your partner to directly address the relationship issues that often go hand-in-hand with PTSD. 

 

Can I do CBCT treatment without a partner? 

 

 

CBCT is specifically designed to be done with a partner or family member. However, if you desire individual PTSD treatment, we offer several options for that, including Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Prolonged Exposure (PE). These individual treatments are highly effective in treating PTSD symptoms, but some people report that they do not improve relationship functioning to a large degree. As a result, some people find that they need couples therapy after completing individual PTSD treatment. CBCT, however, has been shown effective at reducing symptoms of PTSD and improving relationships at the same time. 

 

With whom can I do couples therapy for PTSD? 

 

CBCT was originally designed for spouses and romantic partners, but it can be used successfully for just about any significant relationship where one or both people have symptoms of PTSD that are affecting the relationship. It is common for romantic partners or spouses to do CBCT together, but CBCT can also be done with a child and parent or caregiver, two siblings, or any other significant relationship that has been impacted by the effects of trauma. 

 

Can I do CBCT if both my partner and I have PTSD?

 

Yes. CBCT is designed for couples where one or both partners have symptoms of PTSD.

 

How can CBCT help my partner and me? 

 

CBCT can help 

  • Address relationship difficulties resulting from PTSD

  • Reduce individual symptoms of PTSD

  • Improve overall relationship functioning and satisfaction

  • Improve communication between you and your partner

  • Facilitate a deeper understanding of trauma and the effect it has on your relationship

 

What can I expect during couples therapy for PTSD?

 

Over 15 therapy sessions with your loved one, you will 

  • Learn more about PTSD and common reactions to trauma 

  • Learn more about how trauma impacts your relationship

  • Build safety and trust

  • Enhance communication skills

  • Learn how avoidance maintains PTSD symptoms 

  • Learn strategies to overcome avoidance

  • Challenge unhelpful beliefs about safety, trust, power and control, and emotional and physical closeness

How long does CBCT last? 

 

CBCT takes place over 15 treatment sessions, and each session is scheduled for 75-80 minutes. You and your partner or family member will attend each session together. 

 

CBCT can also be effective in a group format, and we hope to offer CBCT groups in the future.

 

Will we have to do homework? 

 

Yes, both you and your partner will be asked to complete some tasks and worksheets outside of our sessions. This isn’t busywork, though, and each out-of-session assignment is designed to help you and your relationship get better. There are no grades and no right or wrong answers. We will review the assignments in detail in session, and I will explain the rationale for each one. Spending time practicing the skills you learn in session will help you and your relationship improve faster and maximize the effects of treatment. 

 

Will my loved one and I be able to handle CBCT?

 

Many people who come to CBCT therapy with this same concern are able to successfully complete treatment and make significant improvements. Talking about the effect trauma has had on your life and your relationship can be uncomfortable at first. These feelings are usually short-lived and tend to improve as you continue to engage in treatment. If you’re unsure whether CBCT is the right fit for you, I’d be happy to discuss all your treatment options so we can find the one that is best for you. 

 

Is couples therapy for PTSD a good choice for me? 

 

CBCT is a highly effective therapy for trauma-related symptoms, especially if you have noticed that your PTSD symptoms are having an impact on an important relationship in your life. That said, it is not a good fit for everyone. Fortunately, we offer several other treatment options for PTSD so we can find the right treatment for you. These treatment options include Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Prolonged Exposure (PE).

Are you ready to heal from the past and build a meaningful path forward? 

bottom of page