Universities Courses for the CAT and the BAT

(all applicable for CE)

A. Play Therapy, Art Therapy, and Assessment of Abused Children and Adolescents (*see course )

B. The Children’s Apperception Test for Assessment and  Treatment Planning 

The CAT informs play therapy theory and practice as interpretation of CAT stories utilizes the same process of interpretation of symbolic meaning used in interpreting the meaning of children’s imaginative play. With this insight into the nature of children’s needs, one can gain insight into ADHD, anxieties, depression, symbolic meaning used in the internal representations, conflicts, ego functions, superego function models, self concept, internal representational models, as well as defensive and object relationships.

The CAT offers:

1. Story-telling tests: CAT-A standardized stimuli allows for comparison of a child’s stories to normative stories, yielding insights that may not be able to be observed  in unstructured play.

2. Similarities to play observation: Capacity to resolve conflict, defensive structure, superego structure and identificatory processes, drive-taming  (especially constructive vs. modulated vs. destructive aggression.

3. Advantages of the CAT to play observation include:

a. more uniform presenting stimulus

b. larger body of research on normative responses

Sources for use in University Courses on the CAT and BAT

1. The Validity of Color: An article on the review of Rorschach, the CAT-A, CAT-H color editions and BAT. Training in upcoming NEW Scoring of the CAT and upcoming BAT Bellak Apperception Test

2. Emergency Psychotherapy and Brief Emergency Therapy, a book by Dr. Leopold Bellak and Dr. Arthur  Small (also available in Spanish)

a. EFA Manual- Ego Functions Assessments (also available in Spanish) with the BAT, CAT and TAT Analysis Forms

b. The Kangaroo Complex (autism) – A study of how the CAT can be used in groups of parents, caregivers, and siblings. This 53-minute film has received wonderful responses from therapists and parents in the field. See details here.

c. Art Therapy and the CAT and BAT– Object relations is the basis of art therapy assessments and projective tests. Be the first to explore this exciting venue. Please inquire about the article called The Birds Nest.