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Two Day Introduction to Using a Cognitive Analytic Perspective - non ACAT - postponed to 2015
9th October 2014 to 10th October 2014

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WARNING! This event has passed.

Two Day Introduction to Using a Cognitive Analytic Perspective: drawing on the principles of Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT)

To enhance your role in working in Health, Social Care, Probation and Prison Settings

This event is offered by Karen Shannon Consultancy and Training Ltd

Please note that this course has been deferred to 2015.  For all enquiries and to register your interest please contact Marisol on 07754 117729 or Karen on 07912611176, alternatively email drkaren_shannon@me.com

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This course is for individuals or teams who work with clients experiencing distress & mental health difficulties in a variety of roles whose primary role is not the provision of psychological therapy.

Including (but not limited to):
Team or Service Management; Care-Coordination; Risk Assessment and Management; Support and Monitoring individuals & Families; Responsible Clinician and Approved Mental Health Roles

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This participative workshop will introduce key Cognitive Analytic concepts and their application to non-therapy work including assessment, case formulation, care planning and management and risk assessment and management.

Participants will be introduced to Cognitive Analytic concepts as a shared tool to aid recognition and revision of damaging relational patterns which repeat in restrictive, unhelpful and at times extreme and damaging (e.g. aggression/rejection towards others, forms of self-harm/neglect). On this skills-based course this repetition will be understood within the client-worker relationship and other relationships, including with themselves (self-care), in multi-professional teams and understanding and monitoring risk.  CAT’s understanding is that, unless revised, these internalised experiences are repeatedly re-enacted in current patterns of relating with self and others.

Participants will, through learning to draw out these repeating patterns and their relational origins, gain a Cognitive Analytic perspective that clearly describes and makes sense of these patterns, and what keeps clients and professionals stuck. Through shared recognition of these patterns (which manifest as thoughts, behaviours, emotions and symptoms) improved management and change is possible.

This rich understanding will enhance clinical conceptualisations by offering participants a framework in which to make sense of and

• help predict issues associated with poor motivation and engagement

• work with termination or discharge
• understand the at times difficult and anxiety provoking client dynamics “in the room”
• describe potential ruptures in the working relationship with hard-to-help clients and effects on teams and services, which unaddressed can result in stress within staff teams and rising economic costs to services

This two day introductory course will provide a relational understanding of your clients to enhance your usual role and practice, in the context of your everyday work.

Who is this workshop for?
Participants will be employed in Health, Social Care, Probation and Prison Settings, and have some familiarity with psychological approaches and interest in and aptitude for interpersonal and relational approaches.

• For those working within a team or ward based setting who are not providing therapy as part of their role
• Participants can attend individually or as a group of colleagues.  Elements of, or the entire course can be adapted and tailor made for in-house training

The course serves as a good foundation for developing some clinical skills and development of skills in reflective practice in teams.

What will I learn from the course?
An introduction to using Cognitive Analytic principles, concepts, and tools to provide a psychological and relational framework to think about and conceptualise clinical work in the following areas:

• Establishing a therapeutic alliance (establishing and maintaining relations)
• Negotiating and maintaining appropriate boundaries and contracts
• Assessment and formulation (working together to finding a focus and put it in a wider context); making sense of people's histories to aid in formulation
• Use of self to make sense of the transference and counter transference
• Management and containment
• Relational interventions/exits for direct and non-direct client work
• Transitions and endings

• Space to reflect and develop more of an observer perspective to your client work, and own responses (with clients, teams and system)
• Reflection on ourselves in relation to our work
• Understanding of the wider system and responses
• raise awareness of relational perspective in care planning, case management and risk assessment  and management

Course Trainers: 

Dr Karen Shannon and Dr Marisol Cavieres, Clinical Psychologists and CAT Practitioners, have been teaching CAT for many years in the UK and abroad.

Testimonials from the Two Day Introductory Workshop held in Liverpool in February 2014:

"It was pitched at the right level, I acknowledged I can do this (become involved in repeating the client's unhelpful patterns), and apply what I know and stand back and review"

"It was important to have a framework for all interactions, to help provide consistency in current and subsequent interactions with clients"

"Being able to do a formulation in simple terms, analysis and multiple practical exercises, with practical application relevant to each speciality"

"I learnt a great deal considering it was only a two day course"

Please do not book online for this course

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