The Newcastle Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) Service, part of Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Trust’s Centre for Specialist Psychological Therapies, provides Practitioner Training in Cognitive Analytic Therapy. This is a two year course leading to accreditation as a CAT Practitioner. The next course is expected to start in Jan 2027.
The timeline for the next course runs as follows:
(a) May 2026 Applications open
(b) 31 Aug 2026 Applications close, candidates shortlisted
(c) Late Sep 2026 Interview & offer places
(d) Jan 2027 Course begins
There are two routes to training as a CAT practitioner: the "standard" route and the NHS England route.
The NHS England route is for those currently working in community secondary care services for Adults or Older Adults, primarily with those with complex relational problems who might meet a diagnosis of "personality disorder". These places are fully funded by NHS England, for those in the North East and Yorkshire region of the NHS (including North Cumbria). To apply, you must have the support of the psychological professions lead of your mental health trust, and you must meet the eligibility criteria outlined in the prospectus.
The "standard" route is for people working in other services to the ones listed above. These places would be funded in the normal way - i.e. by your own employing NHS trust, or self-funded.
APPLICATIONS OPEN IN MAY 2026. THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED IN MAY WITH THE APPLICATION DOCUMENTS.
In the interim, if you are looking for more detailed course information, we offer the prior course prospectus, which outlines the application criteria and the content of the course. For any queries please contact us via cspttraining@cntw.nhs.uk
Newcastle & NHSE Prospectus