Accessible, practical and creative training in Cognitive Analytic Therapy
Become a CAT professional with Australia’s first nationally accessible ANZACAT-approved Cognitive Analytic Therapy training program
What is Cognitive Analytic Therapy?
Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) is a practical, collaborative, short-term therapy approach that helps people understand and shift entrenched patterns, particularly for those often described as having ‘complex needs’.
Blending cognitive, behavioural and psychoanalytic ideas with a strong relational focus, CAT shows how early relational coping strategies can become patterns that keep people stuck. By mapping these patterns together, people gain insight, choice and new ways of relating — creating space for meaningful, lasting change.
CAT is a versatile and evidence-based approach as a direct therapy tool with a broad range of groups such as:
• adolescents, young people and adults
• people with learning disabilities and those who are neurodivergent
• people with multiple and complex needs
• those with eating disorders and eating distress.
Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) helps people understand patterns they get stuck in with themselves and with others.
Unlike therapies that focus mainly on symptoms or skills, CAT brings together relational understanding of thoughts, behaviours and emotions that maintain symptoms/problems to bring about practical change. It helps make sense of why difficulties keep repeating, not just how to manage them.
CAT is an integrative therapy, it works well on its own and alongside other approaches such as CBT, DBT and EMDR.
Ready to start your CAT Training journey?
CAT training your way
CAT training theory: Individual modules
Start your CAT training journey here. Choose modules you are most interested in or those you need to complete your accredited training.
Professional instruction via video modules.
Each module has prerecorded video and worksheets for high-quality instruction.
Cost: $149 each
CAT Skills Program
This 6-month course allows you to develop and apply practical CAT skills within your existing work setting.
CAT-informed skills and formulation
Designed to sit alongside your current approach.
For practitioners who want some CAT skills, particularly mapping (a shared formulation or ‘making sense of’ approach)
CAT Practitioner or CAT supervisor training
This two-year course provides a comprehensive, flexible pathway to CAT practitioner or supervisor accreditation, aligned with ANZACAT standards.
A psychotherapy course offering advanced CAT skills and relational formulation.
Accredited ANZACAT CAT training program.
Also available: CAT supervisor training
For CAT practitioner and supervisor accreditation
What our students say
I’d heard how much CAT had assisted people in my life and was keen to be able to bring it into my own practice. CAT was a genuinely enriching and fun, practical course that brought fresh perspectives into my existing practice—Lee was a fantastic trainer—and left me feeling inspired, more confident, and like I have even more to offer my clients.
Claire, social worker. private practice
I could not recommend CAT Training Australia (In Dialogue) more highly. Lee is generous with her knowledge, and the training translates technical and sometimes jargony concepts into real world clinical scenarios that can be quickly implemented into practice.
Emily, Clinical Psychologist in Area Mental Health
CAT Training with In dialogue was truly transformative for my practice. The training was incredibly supportive and thoughtfully curated, with rich content and practical tools that I could apply right away.
Cat, MH Social Worker/ Art Therapist, Private Practice
CAT practitioner training really enabled be to delve in deep, its was taught more then just a theoretical model, but deeply rooted in what it means to be relational in the room and meeting people where they are at. The mix of online modules and zoom workshops made the training so much more accessible to me and my life.
Zac, Accredited Mental Health Social Worker (Private Practice)
Proud member of
- Occupational Therapy Australia, ICATA(executive member)
- ANZACAT (executive member)
Want to know more or invite Lee to speak to your organisation about CAT?