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Inter-Regional Residential ACAT Psychotherapy Training in CAT (IRRAPT)
26th February 2018 to 31st December 2019

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Inter-Regional Residential ACAT Psychotherapy Training (IRRAPT) in Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) 2018 

A few places remain available for applications for  the 2018 intake.

Please register your interest NOW.  The course is unlikely to run again until 2020/2021.

The first residential meeting will take place from 26/02/2018.  It is still possible to apply.  Interviews will be held in London and Bursaries are available following further funding from ACAT. 

Organised by The Association for Cognitive Analytic Therapy (ACAT)
Leading to Accreditation as a CAT Psychotherapist with ACAT and with the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)

Background

ACAT set up this course in response to the growing demand for a Psychotherapy training which is accessible to the increasing number of CAT Practitioners completing Practitioner training courses across the country and further afield e.g. Dublin. The Inter-Regional Residential ACAT Psychotherapy Training (IRRAPT) is designed to combine the expertise already existing in different parts of the country with a cost and time-effective method of high quality teaching. 

Philosophy

A core value of the course is to generate a CAT learning community and enable a cross fertilization of CAT practice from around the regions, drawing in a diversity of trainers and trainees. The course seeks to apply the key CAT principle of collaboration and dialogue in the learning process between trainer and trainee. Through a structured but collaborative process the training aims to maximise the trainees’ capacity to learn and begin to self direct their own learning process. 

Course Structure

The course is divided into 6 four monthly modules. Each module consists of a residential, seminars, tutorials and required reading. In addition supervised clinical practice and personal psychotherapy will extend across the whole period of training.

Training Days

There will be 6 intensive residential blocks, each of 5 days duration, producing 50 training hours, totalling 300 hours over the two years. The residential blocks will occur in the middle of each module and will include theory, experiential group work, skills based sessions, literature reviews, research and seminar group discussions. Each module will draw from the following themes: The therapeutic relationship and its challenges; Human development across the life-span; Cognitive and analytic theory; Vygotsky and Bakhtin; Therapeutic challenges with the ‘hard to help’; Research; Time, change and limitation; The CAT process; Skills in staying put and moving on; CAT in different contexts; Self in society; Working with difference; Ethical issues; Personal and professional development. 

Seminars

In order to support and extend the work of the residential blocks, local seminars will take place in geographical regions. The seminars will normally consist of between 3 and 6 trainees and meet at least twice before and after each residential block at monthly intervals. Each seminar group prepares and presents a session linked to the module theme at each of the residential modules. Seminars will be of 3 hours duration, meeting for a minimum of 36 hours each year. Local Seminar Leaders will facilitate the seminars. Depending on the geographical location trainees may need to travel to attend the seminars.

Tutorials

Each trainee will have a geographically local personal tutor whom they will meet 4 times a year.

Supervised Clinical Work

During the life of the course trainees work with a minimum of 8 cases under the supervision of a UKCP accredited CAT supervisor. In total, trainees need to complete 450 clinical hours of work supervised by an Accredited CAT Supervisor including the hours gathered during Practitioner Training to gain UKCP Accreditation. Clinical work should include a diversity of individuals and problems reflecting social, cultural, racial and sexual diversity as well as diversity in age, clinical diagnosis and complexity of difficulties. For trainees working in specialist settings an additional placement will be required for half of the 8 cases to ensure diversity of experience. Trainees who have worked exclusively in specialist settings throughout their previous CAT training will also be required to gather additional clinical hours outside their speciality, within the 450 clinical hours to ensure diversity of experience. Trainees are required to remain in supervision until the completion of their clinical work which will normally take a minimum of 2 years, usually 3 years. There will be a minimum of 40 supervision groups in the year and trainees are expected to attend regularly. Supervision is required to be weekly and is normally face to face. Trainees who have not had the experience of group supervision in Practitioner Training will be required to make this a priority on the course. 

Personal Psychotherapy

All trainees will be expected to commit to an ongoing programme of personal psychotherapy throughout the two years of the training. This must include a further experience of time-limited CAT at some point within the 2 years.  Trainees are also expected to seek additional experiences of personal psychotherapy during the two years which reflects the integrative nature of CAT, and their personal interests and developmental needs.  The Course Trainers are open to discussing arrangements for personal therapy at the interview and throughout the training.  Personal Psychotherapists are expected to be registered with UKCP or an equivalent psychotherapy accreditation body. 

Assessment

To graduate successfully trainees must pass all aspects of the course. 

Attendance and participation – trainees are expected to attend all core elements at all times. 

Supervisors’ and trainees’ reports on supervision.

Completion of personal therapy.

Written work - 2 case studies, 1 essay (4,000 words) and a dissertation (10,000 words)

Award

Successful completion of the Course will entitle trainees to register with UKCP and ACAT as Psychotherapists. 

Admission Criteria

Applicants will have completed or be near to completing a Practitioner Training in CAT (on case 7/8 and written work near completion at the time of interview). They will generally be a member of a core caring profession; be able to demonstrate experience and/or training in any form of Psychotherapy at an introductory level to the equivalent of 150 hours over and above their Practitioner Training and have access to appropriate clients. They will have had a minimum of a 16 session personal CAT and will be able to demonstrate experience of working in a psychiatric setting or have plans to meet this requirement. They will be expected to be members of ACAT but if their membership has lapsed they will need to renew for the course. In addition they will need to demonstrate commitment to their ongoing personal and professional development and the ability to sustain this commitment through the intensity of the training process. Trainees unable to fulfil these criteria need to demonstrate evidence of equivalent experience. 

Application Fees

£35 is payable with the initial application (please scroll down for the online payment link).  If called for interview an additional £100 will be charged.

Training Fees

£3550 per year. This consists of £1050 for residential accommodation with the remaining costs for teaching, seminars, tutoring, marking, course administration and ACAT’s yearly trainee registration fee. It does not include the cost of supervision or personal psychotherapy. A small bursary of up to £500 a year may be available on application for people on low incomes. 

Supervision

The cost of supervision is not included in the fees for the course. It may be possible to negotiate free CAT supervision in exchange for a clinical placement at various NHS centres. Alternatively trainees need to make their own arrangements in a way that meets course requirements. 

Staffing

The Course Director is Hilary Beard. The residentials are run by Hilary Beard and Jason Hepple who co-direct, facilitate and provide the continuity for each residential block. In addition a variety of trainers will be involved in contributing to each of the residentials. Each trainee will also have a seminar leader and a personal tutor, wherever possible within their own geographical region. 

Venue

The residential component of the course will take place at Holland House, near Evesham set in the Cotswolds in a beautiful 16th Century building overlooking the River Avon. Set in its own grounds with single rooms for participants, Holland House offers a peaceful venue conducive to training. The food is of an excellent standard and arrangements can be made for special diets. Both the location and number of residentials are designed to minimise travel costs.

Timescale

The course is recruiting trainees with a view to starting the course in February 2018.  Interviews will be held in London.  Applications will remain open until the interview week, but places are limited. The application pack involves a full CV, an application form and three personal summaries (600 words each). 

Trainers and Trainees will be expected to work within ACAT’s Code of Practice and Ethics, Appeals Procedure and Complaints Procedure. The practice of CAT is regulated in the UK by the Association for Cognitive Analytic Therapy (ACAT) which is a member organisation of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy.

How to Apply

Please download the application pack from this page or contact:

Niki Larsen, Course Administrator:  Email: niki.larsen@acat.me.uk  ||  Telephone: 07564 920824
Address: STH, PO Box 140, Portslade, Brighton, BN41 9DJ

For detailed enquiries please contact:
Hilary Beard, Course Director  ||  Telephone: 0207 188 5412  ||  Email: hilary.beard@slam.nhs.uk
Address: IPTT Lambeth, 151 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8EL

Please pay the £35 application fee online:  Click on this link.

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