Psych CASC / OSCE · Psychotherapy
Explain CAT and negotiate a time-limited reformulation plan — CASC communication station
MRCPsych/FRANZCP-style CASC: engage a person seeking CAT, explain tools simply, co-create a safety-aware brief therapy plan, and manage expectations.
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Study tools
Target exams
Station brief
Format. Communication station, approximately 7–10 minutes active time after reading. You are the psychiatry registrar in community mental health. [3]
Candidate instructions. The person wants CAT. Establish rapport and validate the request. Explain CAT in plain language (shared map of relationship patterns; written reformulation; time-limited weekly sessions; practising new ways out of stuck loops). Check current self-harm risk briefly and agree a safety net. Address fear of being “dropped” at the ending. Avoid jargon piles and false cure promises. [3][4][5]
References5ShowHide
- [1]Chanen AM, Jackson HJ, McCutcheon LK, et al. Early intervention for adolescents with borderline personality disorder using cognitive analytic therapy: randomised controlled trial Br J Psychiatry, 2008.PMID 19043151
- [2]Clarke S, Thomas P, James K Cognitive analytic therapy for personality disorder: randomised controlled trial Br J Psychiatry, 2013.PMID 23222038
- [3]Calvert R, Kellett S Cognitive analytic therapy: a review of the outcome evidence base for treatment Psychol Psychother, 2014.PMID 24610564
- [4]Ryle A The contribution of cognitive analytic therapy to the treatment of borderline personality disorder J Pers Disord, 2004.PMID 15061342
- [5]Simmonds-Buckley M, Osivwemu EO, Kellett S, Taylor C The acceptability of cognitive analytic therapy (CAT): Meta-analysis and benchmarking of treatment refusal and treatment dropout rates Clin Psychol Rev, 2022.PMID 35914380