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ACATnews: CAT in Ireland

Parker, I., 2003. ACATnews: CAT in Ireland. Reformulation, Autumn, p.9.

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ACATnews

CAT in Ireland

Ian Parker

CAT in Ireland was initiated at a dinner party given by Fierman Bennink Bolt and his wife Barbara Kohnstraum in 1999. Ian Parker, a Community Mental Health Nurse, had successfully completed the CAT module of the M.Sc. (Mental Health Studies) at Guy’s Hospital prior to moving to Ireland in 1998. Aisling White, a Senior Psychologist, was interested in developing services for patients diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. Fierman is a trainer on the CAT Inter Regional Advanced Psychotherapy Training (IRAPT) and had tried initiating CAT in Ireland ten years previously but had met with resistance from the established institutions. The food at Fierman’s dinner party was excellent and the dialogue produced a plan for two short talks at the psychiatric hospitals in North Dublin where Ian and Aisling worked.

The talks provoked some interest and a nine-month introductory CAT course was established, and approved by ACAT. Initially candidates were to be self-funding however one of the trainees was Angela Mohan, the Consultant Psychiatrist and Medical Director of the hospital where Aisling worked, and her discussions with Executives in the local Health Board enabled full funding for their employees.

The Introductory course consisted of weekly seminars and supervision with Fierman, and included four weekends where trainers from the UK were flown over (Hilary Beard, Ian Kerr, Clare Tanner, and Annalee Curran). The participants represented a range of experienced mental health professionals including Psychiatrists, Psychologists, and Community Mental Health Nurses.

The success of the course lead to an enthusiasm from the individuals involved to continue the momentum, and ACAT approval and Health Board funding was obtained for the further year required in order to fulfill the academic requirements for Practitioner status. UK trainers were drafted in to provide extra training as necessary. (Cherry Boa, John Bristow, Yvonne Stevens, Lawrence Welch, and Glenys Parry). These trainees have now completed a third year in weekly supervision finishing off their eight cases, and will be applying for accreditation towards the end of this year.

The Health Board remains committed to developing CAT despite a climate of cutbacks due to changes in economic circumstances, and they funded a second ACAT approved CAT Practitioner course, which commenced in October 2002. There is a particular interest in using CAT for disturbed adolescents and the potential for this is to be explored with reference to Andrew Chanen’s randomised controlled trial in Australia. Participants include Counsellors, Psychologists, and Psychiatric Nurses. They have completed their first year with Fierman as trainer and supervisor, and with weekends from Hilary beard, Steve Potter, Tony Ryle, and John Bristow.

Fierman had his 75th birthday this year and, while he continues to give a lot of energy and commitment towards CAT, he is aware that others will need to take over to ensure CAT continues to develop in Ireland. A third Practitioner course is not currently planned, the next step being for the new practitioners to train as supervisors, and to participate in advanced training. Though services have not formally adopted CAT in Ireland yet, there have been parallel developments that have been influenced by the development of CAT. For instance there’s a new psychotherapy department in one of the psychiatric hospitals and local psychiatrists are making referrals to CAT trainees on placement there. There are also discussions taking place with regard to new services for personality disorders in the other psychiatric hospital.

Overall it is an exciting time for the growth of CAT in Ireland especially as the next International CAT conference is planned for Dublin 2005 or 2006.

Ian Parker
CAT Course Administrator
ianparker@utvinternet.com

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Parker, I., 2003. ACATnews: CAT in Ireland. Reformulation, Autumn, p.9.

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