Cognitive-behavioral treatment has two components: cognitive restructuring and behavioral treatment. Cognitive restructuring is designed to change incorrect ways of thinking that cause distress, anxiety, or fear. For example, an unrealistic belief that the trauma events are highly likely to happen again is a faulty form of thinking that causes anxiety. Cognitive therapy strives to reduce anxiety by altering such beliefs.

Behavioral treatment is based on the principle that prolonged exposure to anxiety-evoking situations leads to habituation or a reduction in anxiety. For example, a phobic fear can be overcome by systematically confronting the situation that evokes fear. Intense fears often lead to avoidance of feared situations, which can result in significant social and occupational disability.