About us
Creative Arts Therapies Space (CATS)
Creative Therapy in Edinburgh
CATS is a therapist-led Community Interest Company (CIC) offering HCPC-registered Art, Music, and Dramatherapy for children, young people, and adults. Based just off Easter Road, our warm space provides a non-clinical setting ideal for creative therapeutic work.
We support clients experiencing:
- Trauma
- Neurodivergence
- Anxiety, low mood, or emotional overwhelm
- Life transitions and identity exploration
- Communication or expression difficulties
- The need for non-verbal or creative approaches
Referrals:
We accept both self-referrals and referrals from others, as long as the person referred has given their informed consent. A free initial consultation ensures we match each person with a suitable therapist.
Why CATS?
- Multidisciplinary team of 18 HCPC-registered therapists
- No Means Tested Sliding-scale fees.
- Trauma-informed, Neuroaffirming, and LGBTQIA+ welcoming
- Non-verbal, creative approaches for clients who may not connect with talking therapies
- Flexible, short and long-term work
Training, qualifications & experience
Our Therapists
All therapists practising at CATS are fully qualified and HCPC-registered in Art, Music, or Dramatherapy, ensuring they meet national standards for clinical governance and ethical practice. Our affiliated therapists include Dance and Movement Therapists which might be registered with UKCP or other. Each therapist also holds ICO registration for data protection compliance. Our team brings a diverse range of experience, from early-career practitioners to those with extensive backgrounds in mental health, education, social care, and community practice. This diversity allows us to offer a wide range of approaches and specialisms to meet the needs of the individuals and communities we serve.
Member organisations *
school Registered / Accredited
Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.
The HCPC are an independent, UK-wide health regulator. They set standards of professional training, performance and conduct for 16 professions.
They keep a register of health professionals who meet their standards, and they take action if registered health professionals fall below those standards. They were created by a piece of legislation called the Health Professions Order 2001.
Registration means that a health professional meets national standards for their professional training, performance and conduct.
Areas of counselling we deal with
Other areas of counselling we deal with
CATS is a team of 18 Therapists. Each therapist has a unique approach and as such we will always invite you to have free initial consultations with up to three therapists to explore who is the right fit for you. Soon we will be increasing our team to 30 therapists ensuring you have more choice of modality and therapists.
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£40.00 - £60.00
Concessions offered for
Additional information
We offer one free initial consultation with up to three of our therapists to help you find the right fit.
At CATS, we understand that the standard rate of £40 per session isn’t always accessible. As a therapist-led community focused organisation, we’re committed to making therapy more affordable and inclusive through a trust-based sliding scale, where those who can pay more help subsidise those who cannot.
In January 2026, we launched Time-Limited Therapy, a 12-session “pay what you can” programme, with a suggested contribution of £20 per session. This structure aims to make therapy more attainable while ensuring our therapists are fairly compensated.
Alongside this, income from community events and workshops is reinvested into the CATS Fund, which supports low-cost and fully funded sessions. Our long-term goal is to keep widening access to therapy for individuals and families who might otherwise be excluded by financial barriers.
When we work
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Further information
Further information on our way of working can be found through https://www.creativeartstherapiesspace.org/importantinformation where we have a list of policies, procedures and statements.
