ACAT Email Newsletter 4 - December 2011

I didn’t think I’d be writing this with Christmas in sight, but the long gap since the publication of the previous newsletter is down to the work involved in getting the new website launched.  I hope you’ve taken the opportunity to explore the new features - thank you to all who have given helpful and positive feedback.

The annual ACAT conference also seems a long time ago, but the AGM during the conference was marked by the election of Jason Hepple as the new Chair of ACAT.  Congratulations to Jason.  Many thanks to Mark Westacott, the outgoing Chair, for all the time, energy and clarity that he brought to ACAT.  I’m glad to say we haven’t lost his knowledge of the intricacies of the psychotherapy world as he was re-elected as a Trustee at the AGM.

Several months ago, I received an email from Louise Pye, a practitioner in Wales.  Being on the cheeky side, I asked if Lou would be willing to write a piece for the newsletter about her experience of being ‘out there’.  As good as her word, I am delighted to include her article – as well as the email that started it all off.  I would love to include pieces from members – let me know how your training is going – about your work in different specialities – anything about CAT that moves you, infuriates you, or you’d like to tell other members.  Email me: maddy.jevon@acat.me.uk

Proposed trainings 2012

Despite the general difficulties in the economy, and the concern about funding training, we are pleased to let you know that CAT training continues to attract good applicants and all the courses starting this year were full.  There are proposals for the following trainings to start in 2012:  Practitioner:  Somerset,  St Thomas, Scotland, Oxford, and North.  The Inter-Regional Psychotherapy course (IRRAPT) is also due to start again in 2012.  Skills courses:  Lincolnshire Skills Certificate in CAT.

West Midlands Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) Practitioner Training

A 2 year part time training commencing January 2012.  The closing date for applications was 12th September 2011 but the course director requested that anyone interested in doing the course should contact them after the date to see about any remaining availability - http://www.acat.me.uk/course/628

Learning Contracts – a means of supporting students with disabilities

The Training Committee, together with Sheffield Hallam University, are developing guidance and to support students with disabilities.  The idea is that students may choose to enter into a Learning Contract with the course which outlines how the student will be supported.  The guidance and proforma will be made available on the website and will be available for all students, not just those undertaking ACAT/SHU courses.

Bursaries:  ACAT National Conference 2012

A small fund for bursaries for those on low incomes is also available again this year.  If you would like to apply, please download the bursary application form from the conference page on the website:   http://www.acat.me.uk/event/639  Complete and return the form to Susan Van Baars at the ACAT office by 30 April, 2012 at the latest.

Practitioner Training cases

Trainees should note that there is a maximum of one short CAT therapy only (8 or 12 sessions) allowed per training, with at least one longer CAT (24 sessions) to give balance to the training cases.

Maximum time for completion of ACAT/SHU PG Dip

It is confirmed that each component (Skills, PG Diploma and MSc) has three years to complete, with collaborative provision allowing a maximum total of six years for the PG Diploma.

MSc in CAT

Don’t forget – you can continue to apply for the Master’s Degree in CAT

The Masters Degree (MSc CAT) is the Postgraduate Diploma (i.e. CAT Practitioner level PG Diploma) plus submission of a research dissertation (60 credits).  If students do not have recent research experience then it is anticipated that they will complete a 15 credit research module followed by a 45 credit dissertation (SHU validated modules).  Supervision for these projects will be from both SHU staff and ACAT trainers. For further details see http://www.acat.me.uk/page/msc+in+cat

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We have summarised the requirements for supervision for members of ACAT in order to provide clarity and to advise members who are planning to undertake additional training in the future.  This document will be available on the website and is being featured in the forthcoming edition of Reformulation.  Please make a point of reading this carefully.

The purpose of supervision, amongst others, is to ensure the quality and efficacy of the work with the client and that the high standards of ACAT are maintained.

Skills Training
In normal circumstances, Skills trainees should be in supervision with an ACAT accredited supervisor.

Practitioner Training
Trainees should be in weekly supervision with an accredited CAT supervisor.  The supervision must continue until the completion of all clinical work for the course.  Each case carried should get, taking one week together with another, a minimum of 15 minutes discussion per week. The supervision normally takes place face to face in groups and this group set up for supervision is the preferred setting.  No supervision group should be constituted in such a way as to carry more cases than can be discussed.  Trainees must complete a minimum of 8 supervised cases.Supervision is for a minimum of 40 weeks/year.  (See also Training Handbook)  Authorisation for alternative arrangements rests with the Course Director.

Accredited Practitioners
Once accredited as a Practitioner ACAT members should continue to be in supervision with an accredited ACAT supervisor or an ACAT trainee supervisor, according to an agreed plan that is acceptable for maintenance of ACAT CPD.  In some circumstances, a combination of peer-supervision with other CAT therapistsin consultation with an ACAT accredited supervisor may be acceptable for the maintenance of ACAT CPD. There needs to be a minimum of 1.5 hours per month planned CAT supervision in group or individual supervision.

Use of a non-accredited CAT supervisor is not recommended for members intending to go on to psychotherapy or supervisor training as these cases would not be counted, but see details below.

Psychotherapy Training
Trainees should be in weekly supervision with an ACAT accredited CAT supervisor.  To fulfil UKCP requirements for clinical work, trainees must complete a total of 450 supervised clinical hours which includes the clinical work accrued through the CAT Practitioner Training.

The supervision requirements for Psychotherapy training are complex and to obtain full details the course handbook for IRRAPT training should be consulted.  In summary, 225 supervised clinical hours need to be supervised by an accredited CAT supervisor at Practitioner or Psychotherapy level of accreditation and 225 hours need to be supervised by an accredited CAT supervisor at Psychotherapy level of accreditation.  Trainees can count clinical hours accrued after Practitioner training and before beginning Psychotherapy training as long as these have been supervised weekly by an accredited CAT supervisor.

A minimum of 8 cases must be supervised by an ACAT accredited supervisor at Psychotherapy level during the IRRAPT training.  For the 8 cases required for Practitioner training and the 8 cases required for Psychotherapy training, each case needs to be supervised for a minimum of 15 minutes discussion per week.  For the remaining hours, supervision time can be reduced to 10 minutes per patient.  Weekly supervision is essential throughout the training but in exceptional circumstances for the Psychotherapy training, face to face contact with a supervisor can be fortnightly alternating with telephone contact.  Trainees are expected to remain in supervision until completion of all their clinical work.

Psychotherapists
The psychotherapist should arrange for supervision or consultation on her clinical work as appropriate.  (In most cases the supervisor will be a CAT supervisor but this is no longer a requirement.)

Practitioners and psychotherapists in private practice must be in appropriate supervision with a supervisor member of an accredited body.  (In most cases the supervisor will be a CAT supervisor but this is no longer a requirement for inclusion in the private practice list).

For practitioners or psychotherapists who plan to undertake supervisor training
Applicants will normally have completed sixteen cases, the first eight of which are those needed to qualify as a CAT Practitioner. The second eight cases over and above the original eight, whether pre or post accreditation, normally have to be supervised and signed off by either an accredited CAT supervisor or a trainee CAT supervisor and countersigned by their senior supervisor.   Where an accredited CAT supervisor has not been available for reasons of geography or lack of availability for the additional eight cases the person who provided supervision must have extensive experience of CAT practice and supervision in general, or this may have been provided through well-managed peer supervision with CAT therapists.   However the prospective trainee supervisor needs to make contact with a senior supervisor by their 14th CAT case to discuss their training and development plans.

If further clarification is needed please contact the ACAT office.

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Supervisors’ and Trainers’ Annual Event
Friday 23 and Saturday 24 March, 2012

Following the success of the  previous three Annual Meetings for ACAT Supervisors and Trainers, we are again repeating this event  in the same sharing and open spirit as previously. The aim of each of the Annual Meetings has been to provide an opportunity for a connective and fruitful dialogue to create a forum for monitoring and developing the key role of Supervisors and Trainers in developing CAT practice in all its variety.

As before, the meeting is open to all Trainers and Supervisors (including Trainee Supervisors).   We will be holding the next Trainers and Supervisor’s event beginning on the evening of March 23rd and concluding Saturday 24th at 4pm. This year it will be held at the Russell Square Hotel in Central London.   It is hoped that new and trainee supervisors will feel able to attend and with this in mind we are eager to hear which areas are of keen interest to all. The event hopes to provide  an excellent opportunity to share useful ideas and practices and to engage in constructive debate.

An agenda for the event will be circulated nearer the time, and so we are keen to hear from people who would like to make a brief presentation on contemporary issues relevant to CAT supervision and training work. We already we have a presentation on research with SDRs  and there will be some opportunity for break out discussions and also some creative reflective work.

We would be particularly interested to hear from people who would like to present on the following themes:

• Relational and Dialogical themes in our practice
• Reflecting on roles and voices we engage with, in the supervision and training process
• Current challenges and dilemmas we are faced with
• Ethics
• Issues around adherence to the model
• Developments in CAT theory and practice

Please forward your replies and/or suggestions/offers to contribute to Linda Harvey or Vicky Petratou, via ACAT admin – admin@acat.me.uk  Once again, costs will be kept to an absolute minimum and again, we have booked a centrally located venue in London which is next door to Russell Square Tube Station.

Please book early to be sure of a place http://www.acat.me.uk/event/645

We look forward to seeing you there.
With best wishes, Linda Harvey and Vicky Petratou

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You will know that a small number of ACAT Psychotherapists and Practitioners have been chosen to be audited this November (2.5% of each category).  ACAT takes the view that development involves the active reflection on experience in a way that allows for the individual to specify what has been learned or reconfirmed. So CPD is not about ticking off a number of courses, but about moving from passive experience to active attempts to learn from that experience.   The range of CPD activities is extremely wide; don’t forget you need to have at least 3 different activities during the CPD year (October – October).

Change of wording to the CPD Policy

At the June 2011 meeting, a request for a modification in the wording was considered. It was agreed that instead of members having to complete 30 hours of CPD every year, 20 hours of which has to be CAT specific and 10 hours generic – members have to complete 30 hours, 20 hours of which needs to be relevant to your CAT practice, and 10 hours generic.

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If you are thinking about training as a CAT Supervisor, Jane Stephens and Steve Potter have changed the supervisor flowchart on the website http://www.acat.me.uk/page/cat+supervisor+training to make the application and process clearer.  Please ensure that you have looked at this information BEFORE APPLYING!

The next Residential Supervisor Training: Relational Skills in CAT Supervision will be running from 1st February 2012 to 3rd February 2012, led by Steve Potter and Jane Stephens.

The repeat of this intensive two and half day residential course is open to any CAT practitioner.  It is particularly designed for trainee CAT supervisors, or CAT practitioners with 16 cases completed who are thinking of training in supervision. For trainee supervisors it offers an ACAT approved, alternative to sitting in with a senior supervisor. The course has also been highly valued as an opportunity for qualified and experienced supervisors to look more intensively at their own practice as part of their CPD.

The course will offer:

• Demonstrations of, and practice in, the relational competencies of being a CAT supervisor
• Opportunities to explore therapist and supervisor styles and their personal and professional implications
• Reflection upon the theory in practice of the ‘dialogic, cognitive and analytic’ understanding unique to CAT’s relational supervision
• A framework for ongoing reflective, relational practice as a CAT supervisor whether directly for individual therapy or indirectly with staff teams and individuals

For further details, and booking information: http://www.acat.me.uk/course/635

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During 2010-2011 ACAT became a registered charity and one of the advantages of this is that members may now Gift Aid their subscriptions if they wish to do so.  If you are a UK tax payer, ACAT can receive an additional 25p for every £1 you are giving – or have given for up to the previous four years.  This is at no cost to you and it really can make a difference!  This is because the government’s Gift Aid scheme allows us to reclaim tax on membership subscriptions/donations.  For your subscription to be eligible for Gift Aid you must pay an amount of income tax and/or capital gains tax for each tax year (6 April one year to 5 April the next) that is at least equal to the tax that ACAT reclaims on your donations in the appropriate tax year.

If you wish to Gift Aid your membership fee, and haven’t already done so, just click on this link http://www.acat.me.uk/welcome.php, log on, scroll down the page to Accounts, and click on Gift Aid – this will take you straight to an online declaration form.  It is very simple to do.

Thank you - it will make a tremendous difference to ACAT.

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I recently attended a one week workshop on ‘Couple Therapy for Depression’ for use within IAPT services (Increasing Access to Psychological Therapies).  My experience of the training was that the competences for delivering such appeared in keeping with a psychotherapeutic approach - I didn’t feel they were controversial or at odds with a CAT approach.  They had been taken from key outcome studies looking at couple therapy.  However, it seemed that the CAT approach had a lot to offer in this field, particularly at the assessment and formulation stages.

I would like get in touch with other CAT therapists who are experienced in this area, or interested in developing CAT couple work.  Would you email me and let me know if one or more of the following areas are of interest to you?

• I have worked with couples using the CAT approach and would be interested in sharing my experiences of this therapeutic work.
• I would like to attend a day (Continuing Professional Development [CPD]) to discuss this in the West Midlands in early 2012.
• I work with couples and I would like to be contacted at a later date if there is an opportunity to add to the evidence-base.  (Maybe just sending in questionnaires completed by at least one couple – at the start, middle and end of therapy).
• I would like to help with designing a research project that can add to the pool of evidence (to design something that is very easy for clinicians to help out with).
• I would like to help by making comments on/contributing to a paper drafted up on CAT couple work (a first draft of this has already been prepared but additional collaborators would be welcome).

I look forward to hearing from you

Jurai Darongkamas
jurai.d@nhs.net
Jurai is a CAT Practitioner and Supervisor; she is a co-trainer on the West Midlands Practitioner Training.

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19th Annual ACAT National Conference, Manchester
5 pm on Thursday, 5th July to 5 pm on Saturday, 7th July, 2012

CAT’s focus on relationships makes next year’s conference theme a potentially rich seam of ideas. The conference planning group are particularly keen to hear of variations in individual, group, team and organisational CAT as well as its application to wider issues in society. CAT is an increasingly popular relational approach to all psychological aspects of mental health and well-being both in the UK and internationally. We want to bring people together who are practising CAT (both experts and beginners) to take stock of the model and celebrate its rich variety of applications.

You may have an idea of work in progress or a new application that you want to share. The conference planning group are happy to be consulted about ideas for presentations.  Generally presentations will be for forty minutes or an hour and half and in a workshop format to groups of twenty to thirty people. It is always useful to have a mixture of methods in a presentation such as some formal theory or research report, some clinical material and some skills exercise or activity.

The conference planning group are: Ruth Carson, Cheryl Delisser, Steve Potter and Sue Van Baars.
Offers and suggestions to contribute can be emailed to Ruth at: ruth.carson2@btinternet.com  Cheryl at admin@acat.me.uk or Steve at stevegpotter@gmail.com or sent via the post to the ACAT office "2012 Conference Contributions" (ACAT, PO Box 6793, Dorchester DT1 9DL).

Please give details of the proposed title of the contribution, a paragraph describing the content of contribution, a sentence about the learning outcome participants might take away and the desired format. Closing date for contributions will be 31st January, 2012 and we are offering free day delegate attendance on the day of presentation for workshop lead presenters.

Delegate Booking now open at competitive Early Bird Rates and for full information go to:  http://www.acat.me.uk/event/639

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I’m pleased to let you know about the new features available for the Special Interest and Regional Groups.  Make sure you sign up in order to make the most of the facilities including access to documents relating to your group events and group messaging facilities.

 

• You can view the new Special Interest Groups and Regional Groups if you're logged into ACAT as a current full member.
• If you're not already a group member you can apply to become one.
• If the Group's Administrator approves your application you'll then be able to see the rest of the group information.
• As a Group Member, once you're on the Group's page, you can read and contribute to the chatterbox which allows people to post messages to the group. Only Group Members can read and use this service.
• You can also see a list of the forthcoming group events and download any group documents that have been made available to you.
• The Group's Administrators can add in new group events (and amend existing ones). These events are published publicly on the website as well as being listed on the Group page for Group Members to see.
• The Group Administrator is the gatekeeper for Group Membership and he or she is the one who allows people to join the group.
• The Group Administrator can also upload documents to the Group page; Word files, Spreadsheets, PowerPoint and PDFs. Obviously the copyright on the documents needs to be considered and respected.

If you have any questions or need help with any aspect of the group sections then please let me know.
Jon Sloper
support@acat.me.uk

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‘Out there’ in Wales – Louise Pye

“The newsletter is great! It was the very thing this morning and so accessible, I opened the email on my Blackberry and it was  instantly! Wonderful thing technology! Well done to all involved I say!

I really do value the connection with the CAT community. I trained on the Oxford course, which was a trek from South Wales, but worth it as  there was never a moment that wasn’t useful. I work in an NHS secondary mental health  setting in the south Wales valleys , and see 10 NHS CAT clients each week, as well as 2 private CAT clients, so I feel as if I am living and breathing CAT!

I am lucky to have a senior CAT supervisor close by in a neighbouring NHS Trust, who has supervised me in a group, through Practitioner training and beyond.  I feel very connected to the CAT community here in Wales. In Cwm Taf, my NHS Trust, there are three CAT practitioners and one CAT psychotherapist, and although we do not meet often they are there, which is good to know.

In South Wales we have a CAT Special Interest Group which meets every three months, currently in Cardiff. The group is well attended and open to anyone interested in CAT. I do look forward to these meetings as we often bring CAT case studies etc, and feel part of the CAT club. Suzie Black can provide information if anyone would like to join us. The South Wales CAT Special Interest Group has links to the Clinical Psychology Training Course in Cardiff, the trainees want to know more about CAT and some are using their training allowance to part fund their own CAT therapy. We have been able to provide CAT information within the teaching structure on the clinical course  which I was happy to be a part of.  I am also currently facilitating CAT awareness within the NHS for medical  students, and I am sure other CAT workers are doing the same.

It feels as if the CAT community is growing and strengthening in South Wales. Clare Fisher and Jay Laville have just provided the first South Wales CAT skills course within the NHS which is very exciting. This will mean that the concept of the CAT model is being more widely used within the team structures in mental health community services.

CAT on the outside in South Wales is gaining momentum, I look forward to the day that Wales can facilitate Practitioner Training!
From the purring valleys
Kind regards, Lou

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CAT, JUNG AND NEUROSCIENCE
Susie Black, CAT Practitioner

On 13th April, South Wales CAT special interest group met for our quarterly meeting.  Jay Laville had kindly agreed to present something, and this is a summary of what she brought.  The presentation was about the interface between CAT, ideas from Jungian therapy and neuropsychological functioning.

The right brain is thought to be responsible for functions such as intuition, spatial awareness, relational thinking and feelings.  The left side of the brain is thought to be responsible for processes such as logic, structure, cognitive processing and meaning making.  There is some neuropsychological evidence that infants are primed for social interaction, and it is thought that the sense of self is laid down in the first two years of life. The right brain grows fastest in the first year.  Therefore therapy with those with complex needs, who have experienced deprivation from early childhood, may need to begin with interventions aimed at right brain functioning rather than bombarding such people with cognitive/rational work. Working with symbols, imagery and metaphor can all help access right brain functioning.  Studies have suggested that therapy can increase the number of neural pathways between the right and the left brain.

Jay brought an example of a Jungian Mandorla as a way of illustrating ways of accessing right brain functioning.  The Mandorla depicts two interlocking circles in which one side represents the public self, and the other the private or hidden self.  The almond shape in the middle represents integration between the two and transformation, but often feels empty at the beginning of therapy.  Our discussions linked the idea of the Mandorla to the DBT idea of the interlocking circles depicting emotional mind and rational mind on either side, with wise mind in the centre.  Jay also brought in some sculptures used in therapy and artwork created by clients she has seen.

All in all, it was a very thought-provoking session which has made us think more on how we use imagery in our own therapeutic work, and the discussions afterwards reflected this.  I would like to thank Jay Laville for presenting this session. Anyone wanting to explore this further may find more information in Margaret Wilkinson’s book ‘Changing Minds in Therapy’.

We’d like to say goodbye, good luck and thank you to Louise Dodd who has been our communication person, but is now moving on to a post in the Midlands.

For further information about the CAT SIG in South Wales, contact Susie Black at susie@psychsolution.co.uk, or Clare Fisher at clare.fisher2@wales.nhs.uk

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North East Cognitive Analytic Therapy (NECAT)

NECAT is the special interest group for CAT therapists in the North East of England and now has a database of about 70 registrants. We aim to put on two workshops a year. In May this year  Professor Maria Gilbert led a day training event entitled The Supervisory Relationship: A Learning Partnership. Maria herself has over 25 years of experience as a supervisor and therapist and is  currently joint head of the integrative section of the Metanoia Institute in London. The workshop  was well attended and received excellent feedback. Of interest to participants was her interest in balancing support with confrontation and placing particular emphasis on different levels of reflections within supervision. We would recommend her two books: (with Ken Evans) Psychotherapy Supervision: An Integrative Rational Approach to Psychotherapy Supervision, OUP(2000) and  (with Michael Carroll) a manual entitled On Being a Supervisee: Creating Learning Partnerships, PscyOz publications (2006).

Our next event is scheduled for Friday February 3rd 2012 and will be held in central Newcastle upon Tyne. We will be running a workshop on CAT and the Dynamics of Shame- we very much  welcome CAT practitioners and therapists from the north east and further afield - please contact Caroline Dower (carolinedowler@hotmail.com) or Henrietta Batchelor (Henrietta.batchelor@gmail.com) for further information.

< Go back to the Contents List Psychoanalytic Dialogues – the International Journal of Relational Perspectives
SPECIAL RATES FOR SOCIETY MEMBERS

Individual members of ACAT can purchase an individual print and online subscription to Psychoanalytic Dialogues, Volume 22, 2012, six issues at the discounted rate of £52 – 20% off the individual rate.   Please visit the electronic order form to enter your discounted subscription:  http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/offer/hpsd-so.asp

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