ABSTRACT
New therapists can feel anxious about developing a ‘perfect’ map, and this can delay the creation of any sketches or mapping. A strength of Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) is that these diagrams are idiosyncratic and therefore unique to each client, but the therapist will ensure each contains the fundamentals of CAT theory. Presented here is one version of how an sequential diagrammatic reformulation, or CAT map, might be created, although it is acknowledged that the process of creating this is individual to the therapist’s personal style. The chapter aims to use therapists' theoretical understanding of the Procedural Sequence Object Relations Model, the key theoretical approach that underpins CAT, to map out a client’s reciprocal roles (RRs) and procedures. The map may develop by positioning the RRs carefully on a page with consideration of the types of RRs they represent. Once some key RRs are identified, an understanding is gathered of the resultant core pain.
