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When the same patterns keep repeating

Cognitive Analytic Therapy Across The North East

A structured, time-limited therapy that helps you understand where repeating patterns come from and how to change them.

  • 44 Practitioners
  • 6 North East clinics
  • Free First Pathway call

How CAT works

A map of your patterns, and a plan for changing them.

Cognitive Analytic Therapy is built on the understanding that your current difficulties have roots in earlier relationships and experiences. Those early patterns shape how you relate to others, manage emotions, and respond to difficulty in ways you may not have consciously chosen. CAT helps you understand those patterns clearly, so you can begin to work with them rather than against them.

The process is collaborative and structured. You and your therapist work together to identify specific target problems, then create a reformulation: a written or diagrammatic map that makes your patterns concrete and visible. Seeing these patterns laid out often brings a sense of recognition and relief. It also makes it much easier to notice when you are stepping into an old pattern, and to try something different.

CAT is time-limited, typically 16 to 24 weekly sessions, with a planned ending that is part of the therapeutic work itself. The focus on consolidating gains and building independence means the work is designed to outlast the sessions. All CAT psychologists at Select Psychology hold specialist practitioner training and are registered with HCPC.

Cognitive Analytic Therapy session in Newcastle

What CAT can help with

More than relationship difficulties.

  • Recurring patterns in relationships

  • Depression and persistent low mood

  • Anxiety and emotional overwhelm

  • Eating difficulties and body image concerns

  • Low self-esteem and self-criticism

  • Trauma and early life experiences

  • Phobias and avoidance

  • Personality difficulties

  • Stress and difficulty coping

  • Interpersonal conflict

How the match is made

CAT therapist, matched with care

Our Pathway Team takes the time to understand what you're going through before connecting you with a therapist whose Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) expertise, experience, and therapeutic approach best fit your needs. A strong therapeutic match helps make the work more effective from the very beginning.

  1. 01

    A confidential first discussion

    The Pathway Team listens to what is happening and matches you to the right practitioner. Your therapist then agrees a personalised plan with you.

  2. 02

    Matched to a CAT psychologist

    Select guides you to a psychologist with specialist CAT practitioner training and the right experience for your situation, whether that is relationship patterns, trauma, eating difficulties, or something more complex.

  3. 03

    Structured, collaborative sessions

    Work begins with assessment and reformulation, then moves to tracing and changing the patterns that have been identified. You leave with a map you helped create and skills to use beyond the sessions.

Practitioner fit

CAT matched to you, not a standard referral.

CAT is a specialist therapy, and the right fit matters. The Pathway Team takes time to understand your situation before recommending a practitioner, so the match is based on relevant experience, not just availability.

What the first conversation explores

  • The nature of your current difficulties and how long they have been present
  • Whether CAT is the right fit, or whether another approach might suit better first
  • Location, online preference, and session timing
  • Any risk or safeguarding considerations
  • Which CAT psychologist's experience and approach is the right match

A simple first move

Not sure where to start? Talk it through with the Pathway Team.

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Who you might work with

Practitioners who offer this

Browse the full team, or let the Pathway Team match you.

Where we offer this

Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) across the North East

Select Psychology Tynemouth clinic

Tynemouth

1 Tynemouth Road, NE30 4AY

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Select Psychology Newcastle clinic

Newcastle

The Grainger Suite, Dobson House, Regent Centre, NE3 3PF

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Also available all locations.

Explore related care

Conditions, clinics and related therapies

Conditions this helps with

Related therapies

Fees and insurance

Clear fees, and most major insurers accepted

No GP referral is needed. If you are using private medical insurance, tell the Pathway Team when you get in touch and they will help with authorisation.

Session fees

  • Relationship therapy£95
  • Specialist psychological therapy£110
  • Clinical & counselling psychology£140
  • Psychological assessmentsfrom £350
Insurers accepted

Bupa · Aviva · AXA · Allianz · Simply Health · Vita Health Group

Questions before you start

What people usually ask

1 What is Cognitive Analytic Therapy?

Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) is a structured, collaborative talking therapy that helps you understand and change repeating patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaviour. At the centre of the work is a process called reformulation: you and your therapist create a visual map together that shows where these patterns came from and how they are affecting your life now. CAT is time-limited, typically running for 16 to 24 weekly sessions, with a clear endpoint built into the model from the start.

2 How is CAT different from CBT?

Both therapies work with patterns of thinking and behaviour, but they take different routes. CBT focuses primarily on the present, helping you identify and challenge unhelpful thoughts and behaviours as they arise. CAT takes a broader view: it explores how early life experiences and relationships shaped the patterns you carry today, and uses reformulation diagrams to make those patterns visible. CAT tends to suit people who want to understand the origins of their difficulties, not just manage the symptoms.

3 Is CAT available online as well as in person?

Yes. Select Psychology offers CAT both in person at our Newcastle and Tynemouth clinics, and online across the North East and beyond. The Pathway Team will discuss your preference during the initial consultation and match you to a CAT psychologist with the right availability and experience for your situation.

4 How effective is CAT therapy?

CAT has a solid evidence base for a range of emotional and interpersonal difficulties, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and more complex presentations involving long-standing relational patterns. Effectiveness varies depending on the individual and their specific circumstances. Many people find that mapping patterns visually, understanding their origins, and practising new responses leads to meaningful and lasting change beyond the therapy itself.

From the blog

Read more before you decide

What Happens in a CBT Session? A Step-by-Step Guide

A CBT session typically starts with a brief check-in, followed by a discussion about your current challenges, thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. Your therapist will help you identify unhelpful thinking patterns, develop practical coping strategies, and set a small action plan to practise between sessions. Most CBT sessions last around 50 minutes and are focused on helping you achieve specific mental health goals.

Select Psychology Team · 23 Jan 2026

Read article

The Step-by-Step Guide to the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Process

The cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) process typically involves an initial assessment, setting therapy goals, identifying unhelpful thought patterns, learning practical coping strategies, and applying new skills between sessions. CBT is a structured, evidence-based therapy that helps people manage anxiety, depression, stress, phobias, and other mental health challenges by changing negative thinking and behaviours.

Select Psychology Team · 9 Jan 2026

Read article

Get in touch

Ready to feel heard?

Leave your details and a member of our Pathway Team will be in touch, usually within one working day. Or call us directly on 0191 258 0008.

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  • No GP referral needed
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