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Wiltshire One Year CAT Foundation Course - POSTPONED
13th January 2017 to 31st December 2017

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Please note that this course has been postponed.  Further information and revised dates will be available later in the year.

Course Information

Please see How to Apply below for further information.

Introduction

Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) is a time-limited psychotherapy, which is a fundamentally relational model in theory and practice.  CAT involves developing an active collaborative therapeutic relationship with the patient, and is applicable to working within a broad range of settings within NHS and other settings.

This new course will start in January 2017 and is designed in accordance with ACAT principles for the new one year Foundation Course, organised by ACAT in conjunction with the Wiltshire Foundation Course.  It is suitable for mental health professionals, including High Intensity IAPT Therapists and other professions with prior training in psychological therapies.  It will equip trainees with CAT skills and competencies for working with patients in mental health treatment settings.

Aims of Course

The CAT Foundation Course aims to deliver high quality training in order to provide trainees with a clear understanding of CAT theory and an ability to apply it confidently and competently within the context of an empathic therapeutic relationship with patients who may have personality disorder traits, or present with problems in relationships alongside other symptoms and difficulties.

The training seeks to apply the key CAT principles of collaboration and to create a learning environment where trainees' current ability can be extended and developed in order to maximise their potential for growth as therapists.  This draws on ideas within child development and education known as the “Zone of Proximal Development" (Vygotsky).

All CAT training aims to conduct itself with an awareness of the importance of the respect for difference in society, whether this is in terms of e.g. race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, class, disability, ethnic or cultural difference.  This is not simply because it is a moral imperative to address the complex issues of equal opportunities, but also in order that a lively and open atmosphere can be promoted within ACAT.  All trainees will be expected to approach their learning, as well as their fellow trainees, course contributors and clients from this perspective.

Award

On successful completion of the certificate course, candidates will be awarded the One Year Foundation Level Certificate in Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT). 

It is hoped that, on completion of the course, some candidates will go on to complete further CAT training leading to CAT Therapist/Practitioner status that then opens up the potential for CAT supervisor training and CAT psychotherapist training.  This one year course does not train applicants to be accredited CAT Therapists/Practitioners but it offers a foundation year credit towards the further training and clinical experience necessary for accreditation as an ACAT accredited CAT Therapist/Practitioner.

Outline of CAT Foundation Training

There are four major components to the course:

1. Teaching and Skills Workshops

In total there will be eleven training days throughout the year and will consist of a combination of lectures, presentations, seminar reading and discussions, small groups and experiential work focussing on personal exploration and the development of CAT skills and their clinical application.  These will be facilitated by the course trainers, and invited guest trainers.  The afternoon session also includes a process group with an external facilitator.

All teaching days take place on a Friday from 10 am to 6 pm - dates to be confirmed. 

Overview of Training Themes

Overview of CAT model and the therapeutic alliance;  CAT as a focused and relational model;  Reformulation – prose and diagrammatic;  chronically endured pain;  working with feelings and unmet need in the room;  RRs, RR re-enactments, alliance and use of self;  separation, loss and endings;  developing the observing eye:  facilitating recognition and revision;  the dialogical self in CAT;  evidence based practice;  endings revisited – in the course and in therapy.

2. Supervised Clinical Work

Trainees will be required to complete a minimum of 4 supervised cases.  Two cases will be at least 16 sessions in duration.  Insofar as it is possible, trainees will be encouraged to accumulate a range of clinical experience in terms of pathology, gender, age, ethnicity and socio-economic group.

Trainees will be responsible for arranging their own clinical placements, which will need to be approved by the course directors.  Cases must be supervised by an ACAT accredited CAT Supervisor.  Supervision is weekly other than for annual leave.  Time will be allocated with, on average, a minimum 15 minutes weekly per client, but with flexibility in the allocation according to patient and trainee need.  Supervised practice runs in tandem with the training days to allow application to practice.  CAT training supervision aims to be group supervision where possible to allow learning opportunities across cases and therapist style.  Groups would ideally be three trainees, carrying two cases at a time allowing 30 minute discussion time per trainee per week.

Reports of the trainees’ clinical practice and use of supervision will be a required at 6 monthly intervals.  Submission of the second and final supervision appraisal may be slightly delayed (in negotiation with the course directors) to avoid having two appraisals close together.

3. Written Work

Trainees will be required to demonstrate their understanding and practice of CAT with two pieces of written work, showing evidence of self-reflection and clinical application.

• One essay between 2,500 and 3,000 words in length
• One case-study, 4,000 words in length.

4. Personal Development

The Foundation Course requirement is that trainees will be expected to complete a Brief Reformulation experience, (minimum 3 hours).  It will be an opportunity to reflect on the use of self in relation to a clinical case or scenario that they have been involved in.  This session would usually be conducted on a one to one basis by a CAT Psychotherapist or Practitioner independent of the course, with the aim of making connections between trainees’ own procedures and reciprocal roles and those of the patient, as a way of exploring the enactment taking place.  This session will be confidential and not shared with course supervisors or trainers other than the fact that it has been completed.

Personal CAT Therapy (16 sessions) is not a requirement of the CAT Foundation course although this is mandatory for further CAT training.  We would, however, encourage any trainee who wishes to arrange for personal therapy at this stage of their training.

As CAT is a relational approach, the way therapeutic work impinges on and requires the use of self and self-reflection is a core element of CAT supervision and will be explored in the experiential elements of the training days as well as reflected in the teaching style of the trainers.

Tutorials

Some tutorial advice about the essay and case study will be within the training group and in advance of assignments.  A course tutor will also be available remotely for trainees to discuss their written work should they wish.  Each trainee will be allocated 2 hours of tutorial time for the year.  The aim of the tutorials will be to offer guidance about the academic requirements of the course i.e. the case write-ups, presentations and essays.  It is also to enable each trainee to evaluate and reflect upon the learning from the teaching and clinical practice.

Assessment

Successful completion of the course will comprise of assessment and regular attendance (85%) at all aspects of the course, completion of four supervised CAT clinical cases (16 session or equivalent), two clinical appraisals, an essay on reformulation, a case study, and an experience of a CAT brief reformulation session (3 hours work with a CAT therapist to reflect upon own roles and procedures in relation to 'what I bring to my work role').

Venue

All teaching days and interviews will be held at the Friends Meeting House, 79 Eastcott Hill, Swindon, SN1 3JF.  It is walking distance from the mainline station, thus accessible to many parts of the country.

The Course Team

Course Directors:  Philippa Coid and Dr Marisol Cavieres:  experienced CAT trainers, supervisors and clinicians.

Philippa is a consultant CAT psychotherapist, and was previously the course director and principal trainer for the Berkshire CAT Practitioner Trainings (2009-2015).  She has recently retired from the NHS, and continues to work independently.

Marisol is a chartered clinical psychologist in independent practice.  She is a core trainer for the Catalyse Practitioner Training (2011-current), and was previously co-director for the ACAT accredited CAT Skills certificate course (2011-2015).

Costs

Initial application fee is £25.  If called for interview there will be an additional cost of £50 to fund the interview process.  The course fees are £2,500 per annum.  This fee will include the cost of training days, ACAT fees, marking fees and moderation fees.  Trainees will be responsible for meeting any costs in relation to supervision and for the personal development component of the course.  ACAT will administer all financial aspects of the course.  

Criteria for Application

Applicants will be expected to demonstrate that they are academically capable of undertaking post-graduate study, having either a first degree or equivalent qualification, or other evidence of academic capability.  They will already have (and will be asked to demonstrate) relevant experience of conducting psychological therapies with people in a mental health setting.  The course is designed to be accessible to High Intensity IAPT therapists and will also be suitable for people with a core mental health profession who can demonstrate a level of prior experience in delivering psychological therapies.

Applicants will need to have relevant psychiatric experience, or be able to arrange a suitable placement for themselves that is approved by the course directors.

Applicants will be expected to have some understanding of the basic principles of CAT and will probably have done this through attending an Introductory CAT workshop or in some other equivalent way.

Introductory Workshop

All successful applicants to the course will have attended or be expected to attend an introductory CAT workshop prior to commencing the course.  For applicants who need to meet this criteria, a one-day introductory workshop will take place at Friends Meeting House, 79 Eastcott Hill, Swindon, Wiltshire on Friday 9^th December 2016, run by Philippa Coid and Marisol Cavieres.  To book into this course please click on this link.

How to apply

An application form can be downloaded from the ACAT website - please scroll down this page to find the download
or request from Marisol Cavieres by emailing marisol.cavieres@gmail.com

Applicants will be required to submit a current CV, with two referees (one to be their current line manager), and provide an accompanying statement that encompasses:

• an account of their current therapeutic approach
• a personal statement indicating the reasons for choosing CAT training
• an account of why it is important for therapists to develop an understanding of their own emotional life.

Application Fee and How to Pay

£25 is payable with the initial application.

To pay the application fee online by credit or debit card:

1.  Register as a registered user on the ACAT website.  To register, click the Register link at the bottom of this page and then follow the instructions.  You can also register using the link on the website home page.  Registration is a free service.
2.  Then login to the website with your user name and password and then
3.  Click the payment link below:

Pay the Application Fee online here

If you prefer to pay by cheque please send your cheque for £25 made payable to ACAT to Susan Van Baars, ACAT, PO Box 6793, Dorchester DT1 9DL.  Please include your name, address, phone number and email address.

Please email your application to marisol.cavieres@gmail.com (postal address available on request).

If called for interview an additional £50 will be charged to cover the cost of the interview process.

Applications will be dealt with on receipt.  Short listed applicants will be invited for interview, and will then have a face-to-face interview with both course directors.  The closing date for Applications will be advised.

Further Information

Please contact:
Course Director:  Dr Marisol Cavieres
marisol.cavieres@gmail.com
01225 761195 / 07754117729

Interviews

The next Interview date will be advised.

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