Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT)
What is CAT and how can it help you? CAT aims to help clients recognise when particular patterns are happening, understand where they may come from and learn new ways of coping.
Cognitive Analytic Therapy, also known as CAT, is a talking therapy that was developed during the 1980s by Anthony Ryle. As a therapy it can be used to work with a variety of problems that people want to understand, including anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, relationship issues or personality difficulties.
CAT is a relational and collaborative approach that focuses on your therapist working with you rather than ‘telling’ you what you should do. It also involves working together to develop a shared understanding of your difficulties and what you would like to change. It is a time limited therapy which means there is an agreement about how long you and the therapist will work together and the therapy will end following the completion of a set number of sessions.
“I believe that a different therapy must be constructed for each patient, because each has a unique story”
Irving D Yalom
Common issues that people wish to work on include:
- Feeling like your friendships or relationships are one sided and that you are always there to support others;
- Constantly striving to be the best you can be and then feeling disappointed or like you have failed in some way;
- Going along with what others want and feeling like your own needs are not important;
- Feeling angry, irritable, anxious, or low in mood and not sure where these feelings come from;
- Feeling like you are never good enough.
CAT offers a therapy that is inclusive and takes into account the unique social and cultural context of an individual’s background or early life.
What happens in CAT?
In CAT we work together to understand how your early experiences may have influenced your development. In developing this shared understanding we identify some key patterns that may be keeping your problem going. In order to help us develop this understanding you may be asked to complete a questionnaire called The Psychotherapy File which can help you to identify those key patterns.
Therapy is active and involves the development of a written reformulation letter, a diagram called a CAT map, and other therapeutic tools. You may be asked to complete tasks outside of therapy sessions such as completing rating sheets, writing therapeutic letters, or practising a new skill.
Whilst CAT involves 3 key phases which are called ‘reformulation’, ‘recognition’ and ‘revision’, each therapy is unique.
Please contact me with any questions you may have and I shall be happy to answer them for you.
I can offer a free 20 minute consultation where you can get an opportunity to see if I can help you and if I am the right person to help you.
I have availability in Nottingham and Derbyshire (Matlock), but I can work via Zoom if attending in person isn’t an option. This may be because of your working hours or because you want to work with a therapist who isn’t local to you. We can therefore think about setting up something that suits your needs and circumstances.
I will not work outside the remit of my professional competency or training, so if I am not the appropriate therapist to help you on your journey, I will happily discuss this with you and suggest alternative therapists or services that may be able to help you.
“The compassionate mind is the mind that transforms.”
Paul Gilbert
What is involved in the 3 phases?
Reformulation – in the early stage of therapy we develop a shared understanding of what you perceive to be your difficulties and we identify what your goals are for therapy. We also explore the relationships and experiences that have shaped your life. The therapist writes a reformulation letter which is read out in session. The letter reflects the story of the client, what has brought you to therapy, how the problems may have developed and what will be the focus for therapy.
We also work together to develop a visual map, which is a diagram of the identified patterns, and this map is something we refer to in our sessions and for you to refer to outside of therapy.
Recognition – in this phase the use of the map and rating sheets help to increase your awareness (or recognition) of the patterns that are keeping the problems going. When this awareness is increased, it can feel easier to think about what you might do differently to break these patterns.
Revision – in this phase, the understanding we have developed so far leads to trying out different ways of relating to others and to yourself. These new ways of relating help to revise the patterns and help to improve your well-being.
“You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore”
Christopher Columbus
How long does CAT therapy take?
Therapy is typically 16 sessions, but longer or shorter therapies can be offered depending on your needs and circumstances. Sessions are usually weekly and last 50 minutes.
Do I need a diagnosis to have CAT?
Having a diagnosis is not important to access CAT. As a therapist I feel it is important that I work with you as an individual, rather than any diagnostic label.
I can work with individuals who do not consider themselves to have a mental health problem but who feel like they would benefit from therapy to help them make changes to their life.
I am able to draw on my training in other therapeutic approaches, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), to enhance your therapy experience and offer a bespoke therapy that will meet your needs.
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