Forthcoming Catalyse Event
An Introduction to Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT)
A two day face-to-face workshop led by Sarah Littlejohn
Date: Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 June 2026
Time: 9.30 am to 4.30 pm each day
Venue: Holyoake House, Manchester
Fees: £260
(The event fee includes refreshments throughout both days. Invoicing incurs an additional £20 fee.)
Overview of the workshop
This two day face-to-face workshop provides participants with an introduction to Cognitive Analytic Therapy. Through a combination of brief theoretical presentations, video-based scenarios and live experiential exercises, you will have an opportunity to understand CAT concepts and practise using some of the key skills involved.
Catalyse trainer, Sarah Littlejohn, helps you explore the different ways the CAT approach can support assessment, rapid formulation and psychological therapy. She models using CAT as a highly collaborative tool to help make sense of relational difficulties and common psychological symptoms, alongside working with problem patterns in the therapy relationship itself. Finally, Sarah also covers CAT’s approach to managing therapeutic endings in a thoughtful and constructive way.
She uses clinical examples and role play to help demonstrate use of CAT in action. Additionally, she shares excerpts from a series of Training Films depicting a fictional CAT therapy. (Catalyse developed these films specifically for training purposes, and embed them throughout the Practitioner Training programme.) Throughout the days you have the chance to work with other participants in pairs and small groups.
All participants receive an attendance certificate for your CPD records.
Feedback from the last introductory training
“I really valued the whole 2 days. The exercises and activities gave the opportunity to immediately put the content into practice. I was able to clearly see how to apply the content in my therapeutic work. There were also some really nice, meaningful exercises that I will take forward …… It felt like the whole group were really engaged and excited about using CAT.”
“The training was really enjoyable and engaging, the training was readily translated to clinical practice. I came away from the training really enthused to work in a CAT informed way. The facilitator was very knowledgeable. The two days were a pleasure to attend. They were able to engage all – from those that were new to CAT and those with more clinical experience. Case examples were used throughout the training and this really helped to demonstrate the key features of CAT.“
You can read more comments from the last time Sarah led this event by scrolling to the bottom of the page.
Aims and learning outcomes
Over the two days, Sarah focusses on:
- introducing Cognitive Analytic concepts and methods
- demonstrating how to draw out or “map” diagrams of problematic, repeating relationship patterns. She uses live examples, including those from your own practice, and supports you to try out this technique
- introducing the CAT tool of letter writing. Sarah shares examples and helps you practice ways of framing and summarising client narratives, histories, presenting problems and repeating problematic patterns through writing
- aiding understanding of CAT’s theory of therapeutic change, and how to develop alternative relationship patterns and roles
- exploring how CAT can be used to understand relational patterns in therapy and help predict issues associated with poor motivation and engagement
- helping you apply CAT ideas to work with endings
Please note that attending this course does not lead to any professional qualification in Cognitive Analytic Therapy and does not qualify participants to deliver this therapy approach. If you are interested in looking into further training or supervision in CAT, information and signposting to relevant options are provided.
Who is it for?
This event is for anybody interested in learning more about cognitive analytic therapy.
Applicants to the Catalyse CAT Practitioner Training are required to have attended a two-day introductory course on CAT (or equivalent). This two day workshop is therefore ideal for those intending to apply in 2026. Working with Sarah, as a founding trainer for Catalyse Practitioner Training, provides you with a flavour of the teaching style on the course. You also gain an introduction to how we use the Training Films alongside other active learning approaches in training.
Facilitator
Sarah Littlejohn is a CAT psychotherapist, supervisor and trainer. She originally trained as an integrative psychotherapist over thirty years ago and qualified as a CAT practitioner in 2001. She’s been a lead trainer for the Catalyse Practitioner Training for many years. In addition to her training role, Sarah has also provided supervision for CAT practitioner and CAT psychotherapy level trainings. She’s been a past chair of ACAT’s Training Committee and is currently co-chair of the Catalyse Executive. She’s particularly interested in how CAT provides a framework for the early formulation of complexity, and uses of the therapeutic relationship. Sarah is offering this 2026 workshop on behalf of Catalyse during a pause in sabbatical leave.
Location
Pauline Green Room, Holyoake House, Hanover Street, Manchester, M60 0AS
- Two minutes’ walk from Victoria Rail and Metrolink Station
- One-minute walk from the Shudehill Transport Interchange
- 15-minutes’ walk from Manchester Piccadilly Rail Station
- Well situated for drivers, with plenty of car parks very close by
Lunch options
Please note that lunch is not provided for this event but the location of the venue means that there are a range of options nearby for participants to purchase their own.
Group size
Places are limited to a maximum of thirty participants.
Booking
We advise early booking to secure your place. You can join a waiting list once the day is fully subscribed, in case of cancellations.
For online booking, follow the link below. When you pay online, you will automatically receive a receipt. You can also request a receipt from the Catalyse administrator.
If you require invoicing, there is an additional charge of £20.00. Please contact the administrator to inform us that you intend to book. You may download the booking form by scrolling to the end of this page. (Please note that for invoiced applications, if the paying organisation has not settled the invoice within 60 days of the invoice date, the delegate will be liable for payment of this fee.)
Terms and Conditions
Before proceeding to book and pay for this event, please ensure you read and understand our terms and conditions.
More participant feedback on the previous run of this event
We asked participants what they found “most useful, interesting or enjoyable” about the previous introductory CAT workshop Sarah led in July 2024. Some further responses (shared with permission) are listed below.
I found it really useful to have practice using the skills with our own real life feelings and experiences to make understanding and formulate really quickly.
The combination of learning methods, the use of a real case study, the engaging teaching method.
An excellent facilitator, who is clearly very knowledgeable and experienced with delivering CAT and training. It was transferable to my role. It was well paced, and interactive.
The case example used throughout the 2 days, applying the model in practice.
The teaching style.
I really enjoyed some of the personal and work related experiences Sarah shared with us as it brought a great ‘human’ element to the training which made it relatable and will stick with me for a long time.
The content and the way it was delivered. Excellent facilitator/trainer. Boundaried structure which was in keeping with the content.
Found very useful really enjoyed bringing to life a real case and building on that across two days from start to finish to show the CAT process.
The participative activities enabled me to put into place and experiments with the skills that were being taught. There was a good balance of participation and taught content.
Being able to meet other people on the course in person and network, and to put things into practice in the room to help make sense of our learning.
