Cognitive Analytic Therapy
Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) can help you understand yourself, your past, emotions, and relationships. Available online and in Cambridge.
CAT can help with…
Feeling a strong need to achieve, or never feeling good enough
Finding it hard to say no to people or being taken advantage of
Feeling like an outcast or that we don’t really fit in anywhere
Beating ourselves up or blaming ourselves for our problems, or even feeling guilty for having difficult feelings
Experiences of anger, guilt, sadness and trauma with our families
Worrying that if others really knew us, they wouldn’t want to be our friends
What is CAT?
CAT is a transformative talking therapy focussing on the patterns of how we think, feel, and relate to ourselves and others. These patterns can often be linked back to early life experiences and aim to protect us. However, such patterns often get stuck, and are no longer helpful, leading to distress and feelings that we keep making the same mistakes. CAT focuses on identifying these patterns, understanding their origins, and working collaboratively towards developing healthier ways of relating to ourselves and those around us.
Tools to make changes
CAT helps us to understand the origins of difficult feelings and relationship patterns, and then gives us the tools to recognise these in your current life, and make changes. This process not only aids in reducing distress in your relationships but also promotes a deeper, more compassionate relationship with yourself.
I often use CAT combined with other ideas from compassion focussed therapy, and EMDR.
The therapy process
CAT is characterised by a collaborative and active partnership between you and your therapist. The early sessions are dedicated to understanding your story and identifying recurring patterns that contribute to your current difficulties. Through self-reflection, task assignments, and open discussions, we'll work together to highlight these patterns and explore their roots.
As therapy progresses, we'll focus on a few key patterns you wish to change, supporting you in discovering and practicing new, more adaptive ways of being. The ultimate goal is to equip you with the tools and insights needed to navigate life's challenges more effectively, fostering lasting emotional well-being. Typically, CAT involves 16 to 24 weekly sessions, although this can be tailored to what you need.