Our Story and The Origins of CATT
Learn about the creation of CATT and the Trauma Psychology Training story
About CATT & The Trauma Psychology Training Story
Training For Mental Health Professionals & Organisations in CATT For PTSD & Complex Trauma
Are you looking to develop new therapy skills in treating complex trauma & PTSD? Do you work with young people who have experienced childhood trauma?
Children’s Accelerated Trauma Technique (CATT) is a holistic trauma-focused therapy that fuses cognitive behavioural theory with creative arts methods, whilst taking a human rights and child-centred approach to treatment
CATT was initially created for children and adolescents aged 4 years and up. taking into account the unique ways that children process trauma and its impact on their social, emotional and mental development. However, CATT has since been used with individuals of all ages, including adults.
By training in CATT For PTSD & Complex Trauma, you, your staff team or whole organisation can help children and adolescents to work through their childhood trauma using a holistic trauma-focused therapy that combines cognitive behaviour theory, creative arts methods and a human rights approach to treatment.
Developed by Dr Carlotta Raby in 1997 in London, CATT is based on empirical research and is UK NICE guidance and World Health Organisation (WHO) guidance compliant, helping to support children and young people overcome PTSD and complex trauma.
The Origins of CATT & Our Story
Dr Carlotta Raby, a clinical psychologist and creative arts therapist, developed Children’s Accelerated Trauma Technique (CATT) in 1997, whilst working with deprived children in inner London who were suffering from severe complex trauma symptoms, alongside working on a project in Rwanda with children and adolescents who had experienced crimes of the genocide and civil war.
In 2008 Carlotta founded Luna Children’s Charity – now operating as Action for Child Trauma International – to offer frontline mental health practitioners working in areas of ongoing conflict, war and natural disaster access to CATT on a humanitarian basis. Some years later, Carlotta’s colleague, Dr Dominic Plant, a clinical psychologist and academic with expertise in child development and PTSD, joined the charity, overseeing operations in Uganda and Jordan.
Then…
In 2017, in response to growing need domestically in the UK, Carlotta and Dominic substantially revised the CATT training program, and founded Trauma Psychology Training as a platform to deliver high quality comprehensive CATT training to UK-based mental health professionals and organisations looking for an effective and established trauma therapy to support children and young people overcome PTSD and complex trauma.
Now…
Trauma Psychology Training has since grown into a reputable consultancy delivering training in CATT throughout the UK as well as internationally. Training is delivered to individual mental health professionals as well as to whole staff teams and organisations, such as the NHS, private practices, hospitals, charities, NGOs and other specialist mental health services and organisations.
Our mission is to skill up the mental health workforce worldwide by being trained in CATT. Hundreds of mental health professionals and many staff teams have now been trained in CATT, enhancing their therapeutic skills and professional development, allowing many many children and adolescents to benefit from receiving CATT as a targeted intervention to overcome complex trauma and PTSD.
The CATT training is delivered in person or online, and includes an overview of PTSD, complex PTSD, the neurobiology of trauma, establishing safety and stabilisation, learning all 12-steps of the CATT protocol, experiential practice of trauma memory processing and rescripting stages, and promoting post-traumatic growth and reconnection.
The Team
A Trauma Therapy For A Brighter Tomorrow
Created specifically for children and adolescents, CATT is UK NICE guidance and WHO guidance compliant therapy that takes a holistic approach to treating complex trauma and PTSD
Here’s what previous delegates have to say…
Jo McQuillanFantastic training, great delivery and good mix of learning and practical use of new skills.
Lucy WainwrightReally enjoyable course. Depth and breadth of information and plenty of pactice time.
Emily BMy colleagues and I were so pleased to be able to attend the excellent training on CATT. The training was extremely engaging and inspiring and we are looking forward to working with our patients using the CATT techniques.
A HearnReally brilliant course, it's a full 2 days but very very good The course theory is backed up throughout with demonstration videos which really solidifies your learning. The tutors are so knowledgeable. I am really looking forward to adding this new tool to my toolkit, am so glad I did it.
JacInspiring training delivered professionally on line. Enjoyed the break-out rooms and met some really interesting people. Can definitely recommend this two day training.
Gina GomezI was delighted to attend the CATT online training course after having seen the wonderful impact of CATT on children during one of my clinical psychology training placements. I am extremely interested in the value of play in therapeutic approaches, so CATT fits the bill perfectly. It is a child-centred, non-stigmatising and effective approach. The training I attended was thoughtful, professional and experiential and the trainers were approachable and knowledgeable. I would highly recommend this course.
Sharon TwiggThe CATT training we excellent! Great resource booklet, fabulous tuition on the theory and practice as well as group work. The pace and level of teaching was perfect. I felt really enabled to try the method out safely online with other colleagues on the course. I have used the method successfully now with young people and teenagers in CAMHS who could not tolerate EMDR or TF-CBT due to the intensity of their symptoms. It has also worked well with kids with Autism, using toy figures or Lego. This method is now one of my top 3 go-to tools for trauma. Thank you :)
FELICITY SIMMONSMany thanks to both Carlotta and Dominic for running such a brilliant and informative course. It was a clear and wonderful way to understand the neurobiology of how trauma affects the brain and to see such clear examples of how to use CATT training with young people. This intervention is now my first choice of protocol for working with complex trauma and PTSD. I would highly recommend this course!
Why Choose CATT…
An Evidenced-Based Trauma Therapy
CATT complies with UK NICE guidance and World Health Organisation guidelines for treating child and adolescent PTSD and complex PTSD. CATT has been used effectively by mental health professionals around the world for the last 2 decades to treat children, adolescents and adults. It’s proven to be effective.
Created For Children & Young People
CATT is a trauma-focused therapy specifically designed for children and adolescents who have complex trauma and PTSD, making it a very well tolerated and effective treatment.
Great For Continuing Professional Development
Whether you’re looking to enhance your own therapy practice skills or those of your staff team, CATT adds to your therapeutic skillset and also counts towards your annual CPD requirements.
Easy, Engaging & Rewarding
Created for children, CATT uses child-friendly techniques, such as creative arts, combined with cognitive behaviour theory, to make it easier for them to engage with the therapy and overcome their childhood trauma experiences
