Past CPD Event
Effective and Respectful CAT With Those Who Are Neurodivergent
A one day workshop led by Rachel Beckford and Lesley Taylor
Event Hashtag: #CATND24
Date: Wednesday 16 October 2024
Time: 9.30 am to 4.30 pm
Venue: Chamberspace, Elliot House, 151 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 3WD
Fees: ACAT member :: £130.00
non-ACAT member :: £145.00
[Fee included lunch & refreshments. Invoicing incurred an additional £15 fee.]
Overview of workshop
Neurodivergent people are often misunderstood and can be seen as ‘ambivalent’, ‘not psychologically minded’ and ‘avoidant’. Misunderstandings on our part are a form of discrimination, Unwittingly we can create barriers to those who could be accessing our help. The intended outcome of this event is to encourage CAT and other therapists to have the confidence to make small adaptations to their existing practice so that these barriers can be broken down.
The day provided an opportunity to become up to date on current thinking about neurodivergence and how it impacts people. The facilitators encouraged participants to consider autism and ADHD when completing initial assessments and provide information regarding subtle presentations of autism.
The day included recorded material from two experts-by-experience reflecting on CAT as a therapy. From practitioner perspectives, Rachel and Lesley shared clinical material from these therapy examples, where adaptations to CAT worked successfully.
This day built upon the workshop Rachel delivered at the ACAT conference in July 2024.
Aims and learning outcomes
This day aimed to support participants 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 forms of neurodivergence can bring
- learn from the reflections of two experts-by-experience on CAT as a therapy approach
- develop awareness of neurodivergence as a cultural difference and to be mindful of not discriminating against people on this basis
- feel more confident in adapting CAT practice with neurodivergent people
Attending offered opportunities to update knowledge on neurodiversity and neurodivergence in general, and more subtle presentations of autism in particular. Through improved recognition of how neurodivergence may present, participants would be better equipped to engage with clients differently and more able to ensure they access appropriate input. Challenging the idea of neurodivergence as a disorder, the day aimed for CATs to more strongly build rapport and respectful relationships in therapeutic work. With respect to CAT work in particular, the day aimed to help develop some tools and ideas for adapting CAT with neurodivergent people, making practice more relevant and accessible.
Who was it for?
The day was primarily for both trainee and qualified CAT practitioners and psychotherapists. Trainee and qualified clinical and counselling psychologists are also welcome to attend. Participants needed to have existing working knowledge of CAT concepts, tools and practices.
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, Rachel started to realise that this seemed to be helping and bridging the gap that had not otherwise been provided. Using CAT, many clients seemed to better understand themselves and start to work on changing their relationship patterns. She 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 has worked with neurodivergent children and adults, including those with developmental delay, ADHD and autism, for almost thirty years. 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 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 course, supporting students with doctoral thesis research, and has published on learning disability and mental health.
Location
Chamberspace, Elliot House, 151 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 3WD
Group Size
A maximum of twenty-five places were available.
