CAT in the North-East of England

Anna Jellema, 2006. CAT in the North-East of England. Reformulation, Summer, p.19.

CAT IN THE NORTH-EAST OF ENGLAND

Anna Jellema

It’s hard to believe how quickly time has flown over the last couple of years! The trainees on the first Sunderland CAT Practitioner Training will be finishing the taught part of the Course in June. All ten trainees who began the course (including two from Scotland) are still with us, and will continue to complete their eight cases in supervision prior to being put forward for accreditation. Many thanks are due to Sally-Anne Ennis, Maggie Gray, Joyce Ritchie, Val Coumont, Val Crowley, Debby Pickvance, our Course therapists, Course Committee members, and everyone else who has contributed to the success of the Course – including the trainees themselves, who have put so much into it – and, we hope, got so much from it, too, both professionally and personally.

Last term’s training days featured outside speakers, all of whom provided stimulating perspectives and plenty of variety: we enjoyed hearing them all. Lorna Cameron spoke on CAT and CBT, and Val Coumont (who also visited in her capacity as the Course’s External Moderator) on working creatively with CAT. Henrietta Batchelor led a morning on CAT, couples and sexuality; Dr Claire Martin presented on working with CAT with older adults; and (last but not least!) we had Professor Glenys Parry whose day was entitled, “CAT and research – from evidence-based practice to practice-based evidence”, in anticipation of the much hoped-for ACAT Practice Research Network.

We are currently interviewing for the second intake of the Practitioner Training, which will begin in September 2006, also in Sunderland. A number of candidates came forward after attending two Introductory Workshops, held in January and April, and we already have a waiting list for the next one, which we hope to offer next year. Our former host Trust, South of Tyne and Wearside Mental Health Trust, merged at Easter with two other local Trusts, so the new Course will be hosted by the Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Trust. We hope to enjoy an equally good working relationship with the new Trust as with the old one, which was very supportive of the Course, practically and financially. CAT is also increasingly recognised by our managers as playing an important part in the development of Psychological Therapies within the Trust. Steve Clarke is now undertaking accredited Supervisor training, and we hope that others will come and join him in due course. We would also like to develop CAT skills training when the time is right.

Caroline Dower (CAT Practitioner and UKCP-registered Psychotherapist) has recently moved up to Northumberland from London, and she and Henrietta Batchelor are beginning to co-ordinate a local CPD network. Questionnaires are now being sent out to everyone we know of who may be interested, and we very much hope that all local CAT personnel, including former trainees, will participate in one way or another. While we think it is vital to build a substantial CAT resource for patients in this area, we also want to help colleagues continue to feel supported and stimulated in their CAT practice.

Anna Jellema
Course Director