Four-Year Certificate Program in Psychoanalysis
This four-year course of study is open to qualified psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers and other professionals whose interest in psychoanalysis includes scholarship and the development of psychoanalytic theory and research as well as clinical practice. Hence, there is equal emphasis throughout the program on the acquisition of clinical competence and the pursuit of scholarship.
Candidates will acquire background in the major theoretical perspectives within psychoanalysis, both learning about them within themselves and thinking about them comparatively. The distinctive emphasis of the curriculum focuses on the systematic study and clinical applications of psychoanalytic self psychology and intersubjectivity. The faculty members and supervisors (for remote candidates, the educational consultants) include analysts whose work places them at the leading edge of psychoanalytic practice, theory, and research.
Eligibility for Admission
Applicants are required to be licensed mental health professionals, i.e., psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers as well as physician assistants. In special instances, professionals with scholarly achievement in allied fields are also considered for admission. A candidate without a degree and license in one of the mental health disciplines is not eligible for certification, but will receive a letter of attendance upon satisfactory completion of the program.
How to Apply
Applicants must complete and submit an application form on or before July 15th for admission for the following academic year.
If you would like to print an online version of the application form it is available in PDF format here. You will need to have Adobe Acrobat reader to view the document. If you need to download it, you can get it here.
Applicants are asked to submit, in addition to their completed application form, transcripts of all graduate work, proof of professional liability insurance, the current analyst’s vita (if applicable), and three letters of recommendation. A non- refundable $55.00 application fee must accompany the application form. When all application materials have been received, applicants will receive interviews with the Coordinator of Admissions and two members of the Coordinating Committee of the training program. Please send requests for information and completed application materials by June 1st to the Registrar, IPSS c/o NIP TI, 71 West 23rd Street, Suite #1400, NYC, NY 10010.
Requirements
The requirements of the program include a personal psychoanalysis with an approved analyst, the conduct of psychoanalytic treatments under the supervision (for remote candidates, under educational consultation) of faculty members, four years of course work, and a scholarly paper written under supervision/educational consultation of the faculty.
▪ The course work consists of two or three courses per trimester over four years. Courses meet on Monday mornings, with the exception of the Field of Psychoanalysis courses with specially invited faculty that meet on weekends during the third and fourth years of the program.
▪ To fulfill their clinical requirements, candidates provide psychoanalytic treatment under supervision/educational consultation for three different patients, each for a minimum period of one year. Supervised patients are seen within the candidate’s private practice or an equivalent setting, 3x/week. A total of 200 supervisory hours are required for graduation.
▪ One individual supervisory hour will be required each week for a minimum of forty sessions per year. Candidates may extend supervision to fifty sessions per supervisor/educational consultant or add an additional supervisor/educational consultant for one year, in order to achieve the total number of 200 required supervisory hours over the four years. Candidates are encouraged to work with different supervisors/educational consultants each year, and a minimum of three different supervisors/educational consultants during the program is required.
▪ A personal psychoanalysis is required of all candidates while enrolled in the training program. A minimum of 300 hours of personal analysis is required during the four year training period. The analysis must be conducted on a minimum of three-times-a-week basis. The candidate’s training analyst must be a graduate of a postgraduate analytical training program or the equivalent and be approved by the Coordinating Committee of the Institute.
▪ A scholarly paper of publishable quality is a final requirement for certification.
Fees
Tuition is $500.00 per course (tuition fees might vary based on the size of the class). Tuition is paid per trimester. A late fee of $25 will be added on any outstanding balances per payment deadline.
An annual registration fee of $250.00 is required to cover administrative costs. When all courses are completed, the candidate will not be charged this registration fee during the time that he or she is completing their final paper. At the time of graduation the candidate must pay a final fee of $300.00.
Supervisory/Educational Consultant fees are $75.00 and are paid directly to the supervisor/educational consultant. Candidates arrange for and pay the cost of their personal psychoanalysis.
Course Schedule
Classes are usually given on Monday mornings at the instructor’s office. Typically two to three courses are required each trimester. An academic year consists of three trimesters, 10 classes per trimester. Each class is 1 ½ hours. The Field of Psychoanalysis Course, where guest faculty across the psychoanalytic spectrum are invited to teach, is held on weekends.