Forthcoming CPD Event
Effective & Respectful CAT with Neurodivergence: Day One ~ Getting Started
The first of two linked day workshops on CAT with those who are neurodivergent. Day 1 is led by Rachel Beckford and Lesley Taylor
Date: Wednesday 18 November 2026
Time: 9.30 am to 4.30 pm
Venue: Holyoake House, Hanover Street, Manchester, M60 0AS
Fees: ACAT member :: £130.00
non-ACAT member :: £145.00
[Fee includes lunch & refreshments. Invoicing incurs an additional £20 fee.]
Overview of this workshop
Often neurodivergent people are misunderstood in therapy and may be seen as ambivalent’, ‘not psychologically minded’ or ‘avoidant’. Their presentation may in fact reflect differences in sensory processing, executive functioning, communication and social-emotional experience. Masking, trauma, exclusion and aspects of cultural identity may be very live, impacting on pathways and access into therapy. Misunderstandings can create unintended barriers to accessing CAT for neurodivergent clients, who may feel unseen or misinterpreted. Past experiences of exclusion or misunderstanding may be re-enacted in ways which heighten the likelihood of rupture or disengagement.
This, the first of two linked days on CAT and neurodivergence, will introduce you to key themes in adapting CAT for neurodivergent clients. It provides an opportunity to consider different presentations of neurodivergence, including high masking and more subtle or ‘unseen’ presentations in CAT clients.
Using clinical material, discussion and practical group exercises, Day 1 will explore possible reciprocal role patterns associated with trauma, exclusion and misunderstanding, including those which may be misread in therapy, and how these can be understood within a CAT map.
Aims and learning outcomes
This first workshop will focus on recognition of neurodivergence, formulation and the early stages of therapy. It will provide an opportunity to:
- reflect on your confidence in working therapeutically with neurodivergent people,
- be mindful of neurodivergence in the context of culture and identity, and
- consider your own feelings, assumptions and reciprocal roles in relation to this work.
It aims to support you to:
- be more open to neurodivergence as a possible underlying factor in someone’s presentation and distress
- grow in confidence and ability to identify neurodivergence or to know where to look for help/advice if needed
- feel more able to understand neurodivergence, including the strengths as well as the challenges that forms of neurodivergence can bring
- develop awareness of neurodivergence as a cultural difference and be mindful of not discriminating against people on this basis
- feel more confident in adapting CAT practice with neurodivergent people
You will leave with practical ideas and a toolkit for starting off CAT therapy with neurodivergent people. Tools and prompts will include an addendum to the Psychotherapy File, and cards. An aide-memoire focused on the impact of neurodivergence on therapy will cover issues such as sensory differences, executive functioning, social-emotional experience, understanding and expressing.
Day Two (early 2027 – date to be announced) will later build on the foundation of the current workshop by applying these ideas in ongoing CAT therapy. The second day focusses on the ‘how to’ in more depth, using group work, discussion and live supervision linked to real-life examples where therapy is already underway. Anonymised examples will help Day Two participants think together about formulation, relational patterns, pacing, rupture and repair, endings, and adaptations to the therapy process.
Who is it for?
The day is primarily for both trainee and qualified CAT practitioners and psychotherapists. Trainee and qualified clinical and counselling psychologists are also welcome to attend. Participants need to have existing working knowledge of CAT concepts, tools and practices.
You do not have to commit to attending both days. However Day 2 in early 2027 will build on the learning from the current workshop, so we encourage you to consider attending this first event in advance of the more clinically in-depth second day. (NB anyone who attended Rachel and Lesley’s previous day workshop in September 2024 need not repeat and can apply directly for Day Two attendance when details are released.)
Facilitators
Rachel Beckford
Rachel qualified as a Clinical Psychologist over thirty years ago and is an ACAT accredited CAT practitioner. She worked in the NHS for twenty-two years primarily in eating disorders and was clinical lead across a county before leaving in 2015. It is anticipated that somewhere between 30 -50 % of people with eating disorders also have autism but this was rarely identified.
Since leaving her NHS role, Rachel has been working in private practice and noticed that she was working with a significant number of people who appeared to be neurodivergent but undiagnosed. Rachel knew little about neurodivergence at this time. She learned how clients had often been misdiagnosed, and/or experienced discrimination from services. Many had struggled alone for many years believing that they were somehow “broken” or “lazy”. Using CAT, she started to realise that it seemed to be helping and bridging the gap that had not otherwise been provided. Many clients seemed to better understand themselves and started to work on changing relationship patterns. Rachel also noticed that as a result, rapport deepened and relationships that might have broken down became productive and positive.
Rachel has since developed skills and knowledge in this area through study, training courses, and specialist peer supervision. She also has lived experience of neurodivergence and personal experience of what can go wrong when we are ‘neurodiverse blind’. She is passionate about helping neurodivegent clients to make sense of their experience, seeing their strengths as well as challenges.
Lesley Taylor
Lesley is a chartered clinical psychologist and former social worker. She completed a postgraduate course on CAT before the Practitioner level training was fully established. For thirty years, she has worked with neurodivergent children and adults, including those with developmental delay, ADHD and autism. She worked mainly in NHS or social care settings, and was lead clinical psychologist for an NHS community learning disability and autism team until August 2017. Lesley now works in independent practice with Spectrum North West, undertaking assessments with neurodivergent adults and children. She holds a licence for assessment and diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder using the DISCO assessment tool, developed by Lorna Wing and Judith Gould. Lesley also trained in using the ADOS 2 for assessment of Autism Spectrum Conditions, and in using several ADHD assessment tools.
Lesley also provides both individual and systemic interventions using an integrative approach. She often includes CAT informed, compassion and acceptance based CBT approaches.
Lesley has provided training for a range of organisations including schools, colleges, the police, Approved Mental Health Practitioners (AMHPs), the NHS and a range of charities. For a number of years she lectured on local doctoral clinical psychology training courses, supporting students with doctoral thesis research, and has published on learning disability and mental health.
Group Size
A maximum of thirty places are available.
Venue
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
Booking Information
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.
