Psychological therapies in the treatment of abused adults

As a practitioner working in the field of adult protection I became aware that, although the responses to reports of abuse have become more effective and consistent, access to treatment or therapy is limited. I therefore decided to explore the idea of using psychological approaches as interventions. My background is as a registered nurse and CAT (cognitive analytical therapy) practitioner. From some limited experience I have found that CAT can be a successful approach. In the course of this article I will examine the background to adult protection work in the UK, focusing on elder abuse, including self‐neglect, in domiciliary settings, to show the need to explore new approaches to treatment for both those who have been abused and those who are in the position of abuser. A selection of psychological therapies are explored to determine their potential to offer support for this group and the article concludes with examples of the use of CAT with adult protection referrals and a summary of the benefits and obstacles to this approach.