Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT)

Cognitive analytic therapy is a UK-developed approach that combines CBT's practical, structured style with psychodynamic ideas about how early relationships shape recurring patterns. Its signature move is mapping: early on, you and your therapist put your patterns onto paper — a "reformulation letter" and diagrams that name the repeating traps you fall into (like people-pleasing followed by resentment and withdrawal) so you can catch them as they happen.

Because it's time-limited (typically 16 or 24 sessions) with a clear structure and a written map you keep afterwards, CAT suits people who want the insight-focused depth of psychodynamic work without an open-ended commitment. It works particularly well for relationship patterns that keep recurring across different partners, friendships or jobs.

NHS services in some areas offer CAT, and it's well-regarded for personality difficulties and relational patterns specifically. CAT therapists listed with ABCAP have verified training and insurance.

8 Therapists Found
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Deborah Huxley

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  • Anywhere via online sessions
    • Sessions offered : Online
    Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT), Couples Therapy, Family Therapy, Life Coaching, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Men's Health Therapy, Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), Humanistic, Meditation Therapy
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Turbulent Minds Therapy

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  • United Kingdom
    • Sessions offered : Online, Phone
    Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT), Gestalt Therapy, Integrative Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Men's Health Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Humanistic, Menopause Counselling
turfashamma

Turfa Shamma

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  • Cambridge, UK
    • Sessions offered : Online
    Art Therapy, Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT), Couples Therapy, Existential Therapy, Family Therapy, Life Coaching
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Ava Anwar

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  • Teeside, UK
    • Sessions offered : Online, Phone
    Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT), Couples Therapy, Family Therapy, Group Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), Humanistic
Rebecca Atkins

Rebecca Atkins

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  • South Wales, United Kingdom
    • Sessions offered : Online, Phone
    Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Existential Therapy, Family Therapy, Gestalt Therapy, Person-Centred Therapy, Play Therapy
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Anastasia Eze

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  • London, United Kingdom
    • Sessions offered : Online, Phone
    Art Therapy, Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT), Family Therapy, Gestalt Therapy, Group Therapy, Integrative Therapy, Life Coaching, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Person-Centred Therapy, Hypnotherapy, Meditation Therapy
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Marion Larcombe

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  • Kent, United Kingdom
    • Sessions offered : Face-to-Face, Online, Phone
    Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT), Couples Therapy, Existential Therapy, Gestalt Therapy, Integrative Therapy, Life Coaching, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Narrative Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), Humanistic
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Kelly Dellar

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  • Canvey Island, Essex
    • Sessions offered : Face-to-Face, Online, Phone
    Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT), Couples Therapy, Life Coaching, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Men's Health Therapy, Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), Humanistic

ABCAP is not a regulatory body. Listing in the ABCAP directory is not an endorsement of a therapist's competence, fitness to practise, or conduct. We recommend verifying a therapist's qualifications and professional body membership directly before booking a session.

Frequently asked questions

What is the "reformulation letter"?

A written summary, usually shared around session 4, describing the patterns you and your therapist have identified — where they may have come from and how they show up now. You keep it and refer back to it throughout the therapy.

How long does CAT take?

Almost always time-limited and agreed upfront — typically 16 sessions, sometimes 24 for more complex difficulties. The end date is built in from the start, which some people find more containing than open-ended therapy.

What is CAT particularly good for?

Recurring relationship patterns, difficulty with self-worth, and personality-level difficulties — situations where the same problematic pattern shows up across different contexts and relationships.

Is CAT similar to CBT?

They share a practical, structured style, but CAT digs into the origins of a pattern (more like psychodynamic work) rather than focusing purely on current thoughts and behaviours.