COPE fees are set based on treatment specialties and standard rates for doctoral level clinicians. Although our rates vary depending on the clinician and the specific services you are requesting, generally speaking our individual therapy rates begin at $250. Lower fee slots do occasionally become available. We welcome you to contact us to discuss your specific treatment and financial needs. If we are unable to accommodate you, we are happy to provide you referrals to lower fee mental health centers. For specific group rates or rates on IMPROVE: Outpatient Substance Use Treatment Program, please contact us for more information.

Do you take insurance?

COPE is not affiliated with a particular insurance panel and is considered an out-of-network provider. However, Dr. Rubin is a Lyra provider and can see individuals with Lyra benefits. Please check with your insurance company to inquire into possible out-of-network benefits and rates for reimbursement. Upon request, COPE providers can provide a monthly statement documenting services received that can be used for possible reimbursement from your insurance company and/or healthcare spending accounts. Some questions that may be helpful to ask your insurance company: Do I have mental health benefits? Do I have out-of-network benefits? If so, what are the benefits? How would I obtain reimbursement for an out-of-network provider? How many sessions will be covered per calendar year? What is my deductible and has it been met?

How long does therapy last?

Treatment length varies greatly depending on your specific concerns. However, research has shown that significant improvements can be made within 12 weeks and sometimes less. Some concerns may require longer-term treatment and some individuals choose to continue coming to therapy even after initial treatment gains to maintain skills, prevent backsliding, and manage weekly stressors. Your therapist will work with you closely in the initial sessions to clarify your presenting concerns and an expected treatment duration.

How do I know if therapy will work?

Finding the right therapist mixed with the right treatment can sometimes feel like finding a unicorn for those looking to begin therapy. However, at COPE we try to make this process a reality with a number of talented, specialty trained clinicians who work with you to customize a course of treatment that suits your needs.

What can I expect from the first few therapy sessions?

The initial therapy sessions are a great time for your therapist to get to know you and for you to get to know your therapist. Both are equally important. Your therapist will use this time to ask you a variety of questions in many different domains to understand as much breadth and depth of your life as possible in order to develop a thorough treatment plan. It is important to develop a set of goals that will guide treatment during these initial sessions.

Recovering from PTSD: A Path to Healing and Hope

Recovering from PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) is a journey many people embark on after experiencing trauma. This journey can be challenging and requires understanding, support, and the right therapeutic interventions. Learn more about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), its benefits, and the importance of trauma-focused treatment.

What is PTSD?

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that arises after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. Such events may include natural disasters, serious accidents, terrorist attacks, war/combat, rape, or other violent personal assaults. PTSD can develop immediately after the event, or it might surface months or even years later. The disorder is characterized by a range of symptoms that can severely disrupt a person’s life.

Who Can Suffer from PTSD?

PTSD does not discriminate; it can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, or background. However, certain groups may be more at risk. These include:

Military Personnel and Veterans: Due to the high-stress and traumatic nature of combat.
First Responders: Police officers, firefighters, and paramedics often encounter traumatic scenes.
Survivors of Abuse: Those who have experienced physical, sexual, or emotional abuse.
Accident Victims: Individuals involved in severe accidents or life-threatening situations.
Witnesses to Traumatic Events: Even witnessing an event can lead to PTSD.

Symptoms and Signs of PTSD

PTSD manifests through various symptoms, which can be grouped into four main categories:

Intrusive Memories: This includes flashbacks, nightmares, and severe emotional distress or physical reactions to reminders of the trauma.
Avoidance: Efforts to avoid thinking about or discussing the traumatic event, and avoiding places, activities, or people that remind one of the trauma.
Negative Changes in Thinking and Mood: This might involve feelings of hopelessness, memory problems, difficulty maintaining close relationships, and feeling detached from family and friends.
Changes in Physical and Emotional Reactions: This can include being easily startled, feeling tense or on edge, having difficulty sleeping, and experiencing angry outbursts or aggressive behavior.

How PTSD Affects Your Life

Living with PTSD can be debilitating. The constant state of heightened alertness and anxiety can make everyday activities difficult. Relationships may suffer as individuals with PTSD often withdraw from social interactions or become irritable and aggressive. Work and academic performance may decline due to concentration issues, and the risk of substance abuse increases as some may turn to drugs or alcohol to cope with their symptoms. Overall, the quality of life can diminish significantly, making it crucial to seek effective treatment.

Recovering from PTSD: An Overview of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

One of the most effective therapies for recovering from PTSD is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT is a structured, time-limited, and evidence-based therapy that focuses on identifying and challenging negative thought patterns and behaviors.

Recovering from PTSD: What is CBT?

CBT is grounded in the concept that our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected. By changing negative thought patterns, we can alter our emotional responses and behaviors. CBT for PTSD involves several key components:

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT): Helps patients process and reframe negative thoughts about the trauma.
Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE): Involves gradually confronting trauma-related memories, feelings, and situations.
Trauma-Focused CBT: Combines trauma-sensitive interventions with cognitive behavioral principles to help individuals process and cope with traumatic experiences.

Recovering from PTSD: How CBT Helps

CBT helps individuals with PTSD in several ways:

Reduction of Symptoms: By addressing and altering distressing thoughts and behaviors, CBT can significantly reduce PTSD symptoms.
Improved Coping Strategies: Patients learn effective coping mechanisms to handle stress and anxiety.
Enhanced Emotional Regulation: CBT aids in managing intense emotions that often accompany PTSD.
Better Quality of Life: With symptom reduction and improved coping, individuals can regain control over their lives.

Recovering from PTSD: Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is a specialized form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) designed specifically to treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Developed in the 1980s, CPT is rooted in the understanding that PTSD often stems from a disruption in the way a person processes traumatic events. This therapy focuses on helping individuals reframe and rationalize their thoughts about the trauma to alleviate the psychological impact.

Recovering from PTSD: How CPT Works

CPT typically unfolds over 12 sessions, though the exact duration can vary depending on individual needs. The therapy can be conducted in individual or group settings and follows a structured approach:

Education: The initial phase involves educating the patient about PTSD and the role of thoughts and beliefs in maintaining symptoms. Understanding the nature of PTSD and how it affects thinking patterns is crucial for setting the stage for deeper cognitive work.
Processing the Trauma: Patients are encouraged to write a detailed account of their traumatic experience, which serves as a foundation for therapy. This process helps in confronting and processing the trauma rather than avoiding it.
Identifying and Challenging Maladaptive Thoughts: This core phase involves identifying “stuck points,” which are dysfunctional beliefs related to the trauma that hinder recovery. Common stuck points include feelings of guilt, self-blame, and distorted beliefs about safety and trust.
Cognitive Restructuring: Patients learn to challenge and modify these maladaptive thoughts through guided questioning and evidence-based exercises. By critically examining their beliefs, patients begin to adopt healthier, more balanced perspectives.
Addressing Specific Issues: CPT also addresses specific themes such as power/control, esteem, intimacy, and safety. These themes are common areas where trauma survivors might develop distorted thinking patterns.

Recovering from PTSD: Effectiveness of CPT

Research has shown CPT to be highly effective in reducing PTSD symptoms. By helping patients reframe their traumatic experiences and their associated beliefs, CPT reduces the emotional distress tied to these thoughts and improves overall functioning. Patients often report a significant decrease in PTSD symptoms, anxiety, and depression, leading to improved quality of life.

Recovering from PTSD: Prolonged Exposure (PE)

Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy is another evidence-based treatment specifically designed for PTSD. It is based on the principle that repeatedly confronting trauma-related thoughts, feelings, and situations in a safe and controlled environment can reduce the power these memories have over a person’s life.

Recovering from PTSD: How PE Works

PE therapy typically involves around 8-15 sessions, where the therapist guides the patient through various components aimed at reducing avoidance behaviors and emotional distress:

Psychoeducation: Similar to CPT, the initial sessions of PE focus on educating the patient about PTSD and the rationale behind exposure therapy. Understanding the fear response and the avoidance behaviors that sustain PTSD is crucial for patient buy-in.
In Vivo Exposure: This component involves gradually confronting safe situations or places that the patient has been avoiding due to their association with the trauma. By systematically facing these triggers, patients learn that their fears are often disproportionate and that they can manage the anxiety that arises.
Imaginal Exposure: Patients repeatedly recount their traumatic experience in detail during therapy sessions. This is recorded, and patients are asked to listen to these recordings between sessions. The goal is to help patients process the trauma and reduce the emotional impact of these memories over time.
Emotional Processing: Throughout PE, patients are encouraged to process the emotions that arise during exposure exercises. Therapists help patients make sense of these emotions and integrate the traumatic memories into their broader life narrative.

Recovering from PTSD: Effectiveness of PE

Prolonged Exposure therapy has a strong empirical foundation, demonstrating significant reductions in PTSD symptoms. By directly confronting and processing trauma-related memories and fears, patients can diminish the grip these memories have on their daily lives. PE helps break the cycle of avoidance and teaches coping skills, leading to long-term improvements in emotional well-being and functioning.

Recovering from PTSD: Research Supporting CBT

Research consistently supports the effectiveness of trauma-focused CBT for PTSD, in line with the guidelines. Studies have demonstrated that CBT is more effective than a waitlist (Power et al., 2002), supportive therapy (Blanchard et al., 2003), and a self-help booklet (Ehlers et al., 2003). Various components of CBT, such as imaginal exposure, in vivo exposure, and cognitive restructuring, have been compared with mixed results.

In a randomized controlled trial (RCT) by Marks et al. (1998), exposure therapy (comprising five sessions of imaginal exposure and five sessions of in vivo exposure), cognitive restructuring, combined exposure therapy and cognitive restructuring, and relaxation were evaluated. Both exposure therapy and cognitive restructuring effectively reduced PTSD symptoms and were found to be superior to relaxation. However, combining exposure therapy and cognitive restructuring did not produce mutually enhancing effects.

In contrast, Bryant et al. (2008) compared imaginal exposure alone, in vivo exposure alone, a combination of imaginal and in vivo exposure, and a combination of imaginal, in vivo exposure, and cognitive restructuring. This study found that the treatment condition incorporating both exposure components and cognitive restructuring had the largest effect size and resulted in fewer patients retaining a PTSD diagnosis at a 6-month follow-up.

Regarding the loss of diagnosis, between 61% and 82.4% of participants treated with CBT no longer met the criteria for PTSD. Furthermore, 26% more participants who received CBT, compared to those on a waitlist or receiving supportive counseling, achieved a loss of PTSD diagnosis (Jonas et al., 2013).

Recovering from PTSD: The Importance of Trauma-Focused Treatment

Trauma-focused treatment, such as Trauma-Focused CBT, is crucial for effective PTSD recovery. This type of therapy specifically addresses the unique needs of trauma survivors. It helps them process and make sense of their experiences, reduces the emotional impact of the trauma, and teaches skills to manage future stressors. Trauma-focused therapies are tailored to be sensitive to the complex and often deeply personal nature of trauma, ensuring a compassionate and effective approach to healing.

Contact COPE Psychological Center

If you or a loved one are interested in recovering from PTSD, it’s important to reach out for professional help. The COPE Psychological Center specializes in trauma-focused treatments and offers a range of therapeutic interventions to support recovery. Don’t let PTSD control your life any longer. Contact COPE Psychological Center today and take the first step towards healing and reclaiming your life. Your journey to recovery starts now, and compassionate, expert help is available.