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Program for Clinical Psychoanalytic Training
The Training Analysis
Didactic Program (Curriculum, Schedule, Descriptive Summaries of Courses) pdf
Supervised Practice of Psychoanalysis
The Psychoanalytic Essay
Progression
Graduation
1. The Training Analysis
The personal psychoanalysis, also called a training analysis, is the foundation for training in psychoanalysis. The goal of the personal psychoanalysis is essentially that of a therapeutic psychoanalysis with particular attention to the realization by the candidate of his or her optimum potential as a psychoanalyst. It is essential that the candidate develop the capacities for self-observation, self-reflection, and ultimately, ongoing self-analysis which are necessary for the capacity to maintain a basic psychoanalytic stance. All newly admitted candidates are required to undertake psychoanalysis at a frequency of four or five sessions per week with a training analyst of this Institute. The total duration is an individual matter determined in the course of the candidate’s analysis. Therapeutic psychoanalysis prior to psychoanalytic training does not waive the requirement for the training analysis. To explore their reactions to conducting analyses, including their countertransference, candidates must be in analysis for a substantive period of time during supervised analytic work. A personal analysis need not be completed before graduation.
To be eligible to enter first-year classes in September, a candidate should have been in analysis with a training analyst for at least a year. In special circumstances, permission by the Progression Committee may be obtained to modify this requirement. For individuals in an advanced stage of training who transfer from other Institutes, the question of further training analysis will be addressed by the Progression Committee on an individual basis. When candidates think they are ready to begin seminars, they should discuss it with their Faculty Advisors. Candidates may then request permission of the Progression Committee to begin coursework.
In the event that the personal psychoanalysis is interrupted because it is not proceeding satisfactorily, the training psychoanalyst will inform the candidate and the Education Committee of this fact. The Education Committee may grant the candidate a second attempt with another training psychoanalyst. If the second analysis is not completed, the training is terminated.
2. The Didactic Program
The curriculum is designed to be integrated with ongoing personal analysis and supervised clinical work. The program is planned to give the candidate a thorough grounding in psychoanalytic theory, psychoanalytic method and the relationship of psychoanalytic knowledge to related fields. The didactic curriculum is a scheduled series of seminars and electives over a period of five years for a minimum of 450 hours. All candidates are expected to complete all assigned courses. After completion of the core curriculum, all candidates are expected to participate in at least two elective seminars per year until graduation. Candidates may not repeat electives they have already successfully completed for credit.
Classes are usually scheduled on Wednesday evenings during the academic year from September through June. An average trimester includes two 1-1/2 hour seminars per week. Elective courses will will be offerred to advanced candidates. Candidates of six years or more will complete two electives per year until graduation.
Didactic Courses and Seminars
The program includes a twenty-eight course curriculum of required and elective courses, approximately five years, focusing on candidate participation and presentation. There are three categories of courses:1. Psychoanalytic Theory: Courses and seminars centered on the study of the conceptual framework of psychoanalysis from its beginning to current contributions, including courses on development and courses on psychoanalytic writing.
2. Clinical Psychoanalysis: A group of courses dealing with clinical theory of psychoanalysis and seminars on the theory of technique, including clinical conferences and continuous case seminars. The clinical conferences deal with general and special psychopathology, problems of dream interpretation, and special problems of technique.
3. Applied and Research Uses of Psychoanalysis: Among these courses are those dealing with advanced psychoanalytic theory and with selected and applied uses of psychoanalysis, including an introduction to psychoanalytic research.
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detailed Curriculum, Schedule and Descriptive Summaries of Courses.3. The Supervised Practice of Psychoanalysis
Supervised clinical work ordinarily begins at the end of the second trimester of the first year, after discussion with the faculty advisor and with the authorization of the Education Committee. The minimum supervision requirement for graduation from the Adult Psychoanalysis Program of the Institute is 150 hours of supervision on three supervised cases with at least three different supervising analysts, none of whom has been the candidate’s personal psychoanalyst. For people in the Child Analysis program, one child case may be substituted for one adult case. The actual requirements for each candidate are determined by the Progression Committee in the course of his or her training. The time required to satisfy this aspect of training is quite individual and is predicated on the demonstration of the candidate’s ability to do psychoanalysis independently.
Candidates who are not enrolled in the Child Analysis program are also encouraged to apply for permission to undertake the supervised analysis of a child or adolescent as part of their general training. One of the three required minimum cases in the Adult program may be a child or adolescent case.
Patients are to be seen not less than four times a week. Initially supervision will be once per week. One case is to be supervised to termination. It is expected that every candidate will have a period of personal analysis while conducting analysis under supervision. The opportunity for an analyst to explore his or her responses to the analytic situation while analyzing a patient may be essential to his or her own development as an analyst. When a candidate has demonstrated a basic grasp of psychoanalytic principles and the ability to utilize them effectively in the treatment of the first psychoanalytic case, he or she may request authorization from the Progression Committee to start a second case under supervision.
If a candidate’s work is unsatisfactory, the circumstances will be reported to the Progression Committee. The Progression Committee will review the candidate’s progress and may then assign another supervising psychoanalyst for supervision, or, if indicated, suggest resumption of the personal analysis if this has been terminated, or may interrupt or discontinue his or her training. A candidate may be placed on probation during which time he or she may not take new analytic cases and will focus on strengthening the unsatisfactory aspects of his or her clinical work. Probation may last up to one year at which point if the deficiencies are unresolved or showing no improvement, the Progression Committee will terminate his/her training.
Each candidate is required to analyze two Clinic patients. Both sexes should be represented in the caseload. All patients will be seen in the candidates’ offices. Arrangements for supervision, including fees, are the responsibility of the candidate. Supervisory fees for clinic patients are paid by the Institute, not the candidate. Both clinic and private case fees are to be paid directly to the candidate. The candidate will endorse all clinic fees over to the Institute.
The candidate is required to advise the Administrator in writing of the dates of the beginning and ending of all cases in analysis (both clinic and private) under the supervision of the Institute. An initial summary of a beginning case will be due to the supervising analyst within one month of starting the analysis. The candidate shall provide an annual case summary (due in June) to his or her supervisor for each supervised analytic case until graduation. Permission to start a new analytic case will be granted only when all reports due on previous cases have been received. Timely submission of the case summary allows for a learning opportunity to develop case formulation skills with the supervisor. Senior candidates authorized by the Education Committee to do psychoanalysis without supervision are still required to furnish annual case summaries and to keep their supervisor informed periodically about the progress of such cases.
4. The Psychoanalytic Essay
A completed psychoanalytic essay is expected within one year of the completion of fifth year course work. The nature of this essay will be decided by the candidate in consultation with his/her Faculty Advisor. While candidates may look to their Faculty Advisors for guidance in this scholarly work, the Education Committee may authorize a different senior faculty member to serve as essay advisor on the basis of particular interest or expertise in the area in which the candidate has chosen to work. The candidate-advisor relationship is envisioned as a tutorial one through which candidates can become familiar with systematic clinical and theoretical scholarship; be capable of assessing critically their own efforts and those of others; learn the importance of distinguishing trivial from significant problems and the criteria for making such distinctions; and experience the satisfaction associated with expanding the boundaries of psychoanalytic knowledge. The essay must deal with a psychoanalytic subject and may be a clinical essay utilizing the analytic data derived from psychoanalytic treatment or a thorough critical review of a psychoanalytic concept that represents excellent scholarship.
Twelve copies of the essay should be submitted to the attention of the Chairman of the Education Committee for review by the committee. The faculty or essay advisor will notify the candidate of the committee’s decision. The Administrator will send written confirmation.
Progression
At the end of each trimester, course instructors will submit written evaluations of each candidate’s work. Supervising analysts will submit written evaluations of the candidate’s clinical progress in December and June. The Education Committee devotes two of its meetings per year, usually in January and July, to evaluate and review the progress of each candidate. The candidate and his or her advisor are responsible for arranging at least one conference annually to review the candidate’s work in the Institute.
The Education Committee may suspend or terminate a candidate’s training if it determines that competence as a psychoanalyst is not developing as anticipated. Reasons for interrupting training include, but are not limited to, failure to meet standards for reasonable progress towards graduation, or for violations of ethical precepts for the practice of psychoanalysis. When termination or suspension of training occurs, the conditions for readmission, if any, are stipulated by the Education Committee. When a candidate is placed on probation, the deficiencies in progression will be noted by the Education Committee and discussed with the candidate by his/her advisor.
A leave of absence may be granted by the Education Committee upon written request by the candidate. The maximum duration of a leave of absence is two years. Exceptions to the two-year limit may be made for medical leaves of absence at the discretion of the Education Committee. A candidate who for any reason extends a leave of absence beyond two years may be terminated from training without prejudice. If reinstatement is desired, re-application must be made through the Education Committee.
Graduation
Consideration of a candidate for graduation may be initiated by the candidate in consultation with her/his advisor upon satisfactorily completing the required work of the curriculum, including the supervised clinical work and the essay. The Education Committee will schedule a review of all relevant data coordinated and presented by the candidate’s advisor. If, in the opinion of the Education Committee, the candidate has demonstrated personal and professional maturity and have acquired a fundamental understanding of psychoanalytic theory and method, he/she will be graduated. Graduates who continue analyses started as supervised cases are advised to report semi-annually to their former supervisor on the continuation of these analyses and on problems of termination during that phase of treatment. In some instances these post-graduate conferences will be of assistance to the Education Committee in formulating its recommendations to the Committee on Certification of The American Psychoanalytic Association at the time the graduate applies for certification and full membership.
Graduates of the Institute are eligible to apply for full membership in The Western New England Psychoanalytic Society, and thereafter in The Western New England Institute for Psychoanalysis, or other affiliate societies of The American Psychoanalytic Association.