Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) in Italy

Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) has been growing in Italy through independent initiatives in Ferrara and Piacenza. In Ferrara, CAT was introduced in 2004 at the University of Ferrara and integrated into training programs for mental health professionals. It has since been implemented in consultation-liaison psychiatry, psycho-oncology, and rehabilitation psychiatry.

In Piacenza, CAT emerged through clinical collaboration, particularly in working with complex cases and adolescents. Over time, interest spread, leading to translations of key CAT literature and the establishment of training and supervision groups. In 2011, the Italian Association of CAT (ITACAT) was founded as part of ICATA, further promoting the approach.

Notable milestones include:

• 2016: ITACAT’s first official conference featuring Carlos Mirapeix.

• 2019: Hosting the 8th International CAT Conference in Ferrara.

• 2020: Online training on Polyvagal Theory with Stephen Porges and C. Sue Carter.

• 2023: Resumption of CAT workshops for psychiatry students in Ferrara.

• 2024: CAT’s presence at the Italian Society of Consultative Psychiatry congress in Ferrara.

ITACAT continues to promote CAT through training, supervision, and research, including the standardisation of the Personality Structure Questionnaire (PSQ). While still a niche interest, CAT is recognised as a valuable therapeutic model in Italy, applied both in individual psychotherapy and team-based contextual reformulation.