From Dread to Discovery: How CPT and Courtney Guided A Veterans Healing Journey

However, through the compassionate guidance of Courtney Bell (LCPC), and they embarked on a path of healing and self-discovery. 

This narrative underscores the power of Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and the resilience of the human spirit, offering a testament to the profound impact of the Marion VA Health Care System on the lives of Veterans. Read on to explore their inspiring journey from a life shadowed by trauma to one illuminated by strength and resilience.

What is Cognitive Processing Therapy and How Does it Work?

CPT is a specific type of cognitive behavioral therapy that has been effective in reducing symptoms of PTSD. CPT is generally delivered over 12 sessions and helps patients learn how to challenge and modify unhelpful beliefs related to the trauma. In doing so, the patient creates a new understanding and conceptualization of the traumatic event so that it reduces its ongoing negative effects on their current life.

The Struggle

Their life was a cacophony of chaos. They teetered on the edge of intolerance, their nerves frayed by hypervigilance. Every stranger felt like a threat, every sound a potential danger. Grocery shopping, a seemingly mundane task, transformed into a labyrinth of panic. The aftermath of events left them grappling with avoidant behaviors, sleep disturbances, and disordered eating. Existential dread clung to them like a shroud, questioning the very ground beneath their feet.

“I was almost completely intolerant of other people. I was paranoid and painfully hypervigilant because your head isn't on a three-hundred and sixty degree swivel so you can't see, hear, smell all at all times. Trying to do so to keep myself safe and actually accomplish what I was out to do, like simple grocery shopping led to complete system overwhelm. Major anxiety before, during and after any event, with panic attacks, disordered eating, and sleep disturbances of all kinds; and depending on how the event went, sometimes avoidant behaviors from hours up to three days after. 

  I had an all-encompassing sense of existential dread. Inevitably something would go wrong; Who? What? When? Where? How? Oh my God! What then? It was like the very ground I stood upon was never quite steady and stable. None of these things are fun to live with individually, but when they started building up like Lincoln Logs and I realized I'd built a "Mansion of Dread" in my mind where I was going to live out the rest of my days...I had to make a change. I needed a map and compass.” 

As a Veteran seeking solace from the shadows of trauma, they found themselves ensnared in a web of fear, anxiety, and disconnection. The Marion VA Health Care System became their refuge, and within its walls, they encountered a beacon of hope: Courtney, a compassionate and skilled Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor.

The Turning Point

Enter CPT (Cognitive Processing Therapy) and Courtney. Like a map and compass, they guided them through uncharted emotional terrain. Therapy was no easy voyage—it was a tempest of emotions. Yet, with each session, the walls of their “Mansion of Dread” crumbled. Courtney’s unwavering support and expertise chipped away at the barriers that held them captive.

“Therapy was freeing, enlightening, painful, and scary at times but bit by bit the barriers to freedom and back to myself started to get smaller. When it was painful it helped to remember that it was old pain, unrealized and unprocessed. I could stop therapy when it got hard, but that wouldn't stop the pain from stalking me forever and soldiers are no strangers to courage and stamina. I began to feel lighter in mood, attitude, and heart. My center of gravity was shifting from my trauma to me. I could suddenly see and recognize myself. "Hello, old friend. I've missed you!”

 

How Their Life Has Changed Due to Therapy

“My life took a deep breath and calmed down. Repeating the worksheets got tedious but the process stuck and has become more of an automatic checklist now. I've stopped catastrophizing every situation. I've learned how to assertively communicate boundaries and that trust isn't a black/white, yes/no thing. These changed my life!

I recognize now how much society gaslights survivors. There is more than enough victim blaming/shaming out there. I never blame anyone else, but because of those external voices, I felt like I must have done something wrong, even if it was just trusting the wrong people. The fact is that my trust wasn't misplaced, it was abused by them. Shame on them; not on me or you.”

Unmasking the Pain

Therapy was a mirror reflecting their past pain—unrealized, unprocessed. But they pressed forward. Soldiers know courage; they understand stamina. They glimpsed lightness—a shift in mood, attitude, and heart. Their center of gravity tilted away from trauma and toward self-discovery. Suddenly, they saw themselves anew—a survivor, not just a sufferer.

 “Courtney’s guidance was my map and her cheers over every success were my fuel. I sure feel like a winner now! She guided me through some pretty rough waters with such compassion and was the coolest cheerleader of all-time! I needed these so much. She told me I was worthy of self-compassion when nobody's ever said that before. I had never realized how toxic my self-talk was. That alone was life altering for me. She helped me realize there was a better life waiting for me if I stuck with her for just a little while. I can't say enough about my therapist who literally changed my life and what my future looks like.” 

Courtney, with her empathy and skill, unraveled the knots of their mind. She didn’t shy away from the painful threads; instead, she wove them into a tapestry of resilience. Through therapy, they learned that healing isn’t about erasing scars; it’s about transforming them into stories of strength.

The Healing Journey

Today, they stand on steadier ground, their dread replaced by curiosity. The Marion VA Health Care System, through Courtney’s guidance, gave them more than therapy—it gave them a compass to navigate their own healing. And as they look in the mirror, they see no longer a reflection of their past trauma. 

“I did the work. With Courtney's help I identified my problematic thoughts and patterns and worked every day to shift those. I reminded myself that a shift is a change and will lead to more positive shifts in thoughts and changes in behavior. Baby steps may be frustrating, but they accumulate!

I also did some basic trauma research to identify some things because it's hard to articulate when I didn't really have a vocabulary for it. I opened up to a good friend and this helped me feel a lot less alone in this whole process as well. The number one thing I did was not quit and keep working on it.”

And in this newfound self-image, they find not just acceptance, but also a sense of peace and an eagerness to face whatever comes next. This is the power of healing, the gift of therapy, and the promise of the Marion VA Health Care System.

If you feel our program would benefit you, please reach out to any of your VA providers. If you are a MST survivor, you can consult with you VA provider to place a MST consult or a PCT consult. We can evaluate and discuss the best therapy option for you.