Becoming and remaining an ACAT member has many benefits if you are a CAT Psychotherapist, Practitioner, or Trainee in either a Foundation or Practitioner level training.
For all:
Information and resources
- You receive print copies of Reformulation, the journal of the Association of Cognitive Analytic Therapy, containing case studies, research reports, news and views. (Reformulation articles become openly available online a year after publication.)
- You receive ACAT's regular Newsletter, with news and updates from inside ACAT, emailed direct to your inbox.
- Access to the ACAT Bibliography, This contains a full listing (with hyperlinks where available) of CAT-relevant literature.
- You have access to a member-only area of the site containing a range of downloadable ACAT resources and documents to support your work as a trainee, therapist, supervisor or trainer
Governance
- As a member you and your clients, patients and supervisees benefit from the ethical considerations of delivering therapy and supervision outlined in the ACAT Code of Ethics and Practice. Furthermore, you benefit from the professional considerations offered by ACAT's Ethics Committee Concerns and Complaints Procedure. This is the case whether you have encountered a concern that you want to raise with the Ethics Committee, or where a concern has been raised, or a complaint made, against you. As ACAT's governance framework does not apply to CAT therapists who have not maintained their membership, a CAT-informed consideration of concerns and complaints about CAT or CAT-informed practice is not available to graduates practising without maintaining their membership.
Professional networks
- Networking and training opportunities to aid your professional and career development.
- Special Interest Groups and local groups - opportunities to join local and online networks, enabling you to meet with colleagues for peer support and learning around areas of shared interest or geographical location. Some of these groups are open only to ACAT members
Continuing Professional Development
Research support
- Access to early stage informal support for CAT-related research
- Potential for research funding, support and dissemination of research related materials (e.g. recruitment information, updates and publications) to the ACAT membership through ACAT communications channels
Other support
- As a member of any category, you can access the EDI support channel if you experience difficulties relating to protected characteristics or aspects of diversity
Eligibility for other professional development opportunities - QCoP training
- CAT Practitioner training is accepted as a suitable course for enrolment on the British Psychological Society (BPS) independent route to training for the Qualification in Counselling Psychology (QCoP). This is an integrated, doctoral level qualification leading to eligibility for Chartered membership of the BPS and full membership of the Division of Counselling Psychology. This is open to CAT Practitioner trainees, and accredited CAT Practitioners may also be eligible to apply for accreditation of existing competence. For more information see Qualification in Counselling Psychology | BPS
Finally, you may be eligible for tax relief on your ACAT membership subscriptions.
For accredited members only:
Membership validation for public protection
- ACAT maintains a Find a Member/CAT Professional Directory which includes a public and voluntary register of accredited CAT Therapists / Practitioners and CAT Psychotherapists. Through this public register, website visitors, whether professionals, clients or members of the public, can check and validate your membership of ACAT and what this means.
- If additional enquiries are made, ACAT's administrative team can confirm that you are an accredited, current member of ACAT (but no further information about you or your membership is shared without consent).
Opportunities to promote your services and areas of expertise
- Our Find a Member/CAT Professional Directory also gives you an opportunity to share information about yourself, areas of interest and potential availability as an accredited CAT supervisor, trainer, or as a private practitioner offering CAT. This benefit is not available to Trainee or Retired members.
Professional recognition
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Once you gain ACAT accreditation following completion of CAT Practitioner training (
providing you maintain ACAT membership and continue to fulfil any accreditation or membership criteria, including meeting requirements for CPD, supervision and codes of practice), you can use the title of "
Psychological Therapist" as defined by the Centre for Workforce Intelligence (CfWI). The CfWI's
2013 report confirmed ACAT's recognition as a training accreditation body for psychological therapists. CAT Therapists/Practitioners are also entitled to use the alternative title “
CAT Therapist”, in line with the CfWI's approval of CAT Therapists/Practitioners as meeting the criteria for Psychological Therapists working in the NHS.
- As from November 2024, NHS England recommends that the title CAT Practitioner should only be used by practitioners on The Association for Cognitive Analytic Therapy voluntary register of CAT Practitioners who have completed a recognised two-year training in Cognitive Analytic Therapy. NHS England also recommends that to use this title CAT Practitioners should also be on a statutory or PSA accredited register that covers delivery of CAT within the scope of practice.
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In 2020 it was also confirmed that the
Psychological Professions Network (PPN) welcomes ACAT accredited CAT Practitioners / Therapists to apply to be PPN members. They would currently sit in the category ‘Adult Psychotherapist’, although this may change in future.
A smoother CAT training and professional development pathway
- By maintaining accredited membership and its requirements, your can apply to take up opportunities to develop your professional status in Cognitive Analytic Therapy without unnecessary delays. For example you can apply to train as a CAT Psychotherapist or an accredited CAT Supervisor without pauses which might otherwise come about through periods of lapsed membership.
