Training
Course outline
Our training is made up of three components which are essential to becoming a psychoanalyst:
- A personal training analysis
The first stage in becoming a psychoanalyst is to begin your own personal analysis by attending 5 sessions a week with a training analyst from the Institute.
- A series of theoretical and clinical seminars
Seminars on theory and clinical work are attended throughout training. The first year’s theoretical seminars focus on the origins of psychoanalysis, looking at how Freud developed his models of the mind in order to understand his clinical practice. The first year also includes an infant observation. From the second year of training onward, our seminars focus on a wide range of theoretical and technical subjects.
- The supervised psychoanalysis of two patients
Each psychoanalysis is carried out under the supervision of a training analyst of the British Psychoanalytical Society. This is a crucial part of your analytic training, as it is an opportunity to bring together all of your theoretical and practical learning, and apply it in a real analytic setting
Your training analyst will determine at which point you are ready to progress onto the next component of the training.
Further information on the training programme is available in our course brochure below.
Qualifications and experience
An undergraduate degree in any subject is required. Prior experience of personal psychoanalysis or psychoanalytic psychotherapy before applying is beneficial but not essential.
Already qualified as a psychoanalytic psychotherapists?
The New Entry Scheme (NES) provides a route into training with the British Psychoanalytical Society for qualified BPC Psychoanalytic Psychotherapists who have already completed a Freudian training.
There are two levels of entry into the scheme:
Route 1
Allows entry to seminars alongside candidates in the later stages of the main Institute training.
Route 2
Known as the New Entry Affiliate Scheme, consists of a clinical seminar series through which the Affiliates are helped to develop their clinical skills to the stage where they can move on to the full NES.
Fees
There is an initial £300 application fee, plus
- £660 per year training fee (minimum 4 years)
- Your personal analysis fees which are a private contract between you and your training analyst
- Supervision fees for your analytic cases
Where can I study?
Central Training – London
Northern Training – Leeds
Regional Training – A hybrid of both in person in London and virtual teaching
Teaching and support
Our training does not have a fixed length, but it can take a minimum of 4 years to complete all components. The majority of our seminars take place in the evenings with some weekend seminars.
Your training will be overseen by the Student Progress Committee (SPC) who will pair you with a Progress Advisor, to help and advise you in all aspects of your training.
While training with us you will also be able to use the excellent Institute library, and gain full access to PEP-WEB, an online resource for psychoanalytic journal articles, papers and publications.
Applying to train
When to apply
Applications are accepted at any time as both preliminary interviews and formal admissions interviews are carried out throughout the year. However it is recommended you get in touch by mid-September to allow enough time for stage 3 of the application process to be completed by 1st November in order to start training the following September.
The application process
Stage 1: Submit a letter and short CV to Chair of Admissions committee at the Institute of Psychoanalysis – [email protected]
Stage 2: A preliminary interview to assess eligibility and readiness to apply
Stage 3: If eligible, completion of the full application form which includes both in depth professional and personal details
Stage 4: If successful, offered two admissions interviews (at least a week apart) with two different analysts. These are lengthy (1.5-2 hours each), may be emotionally demanding and sometimes challenging.
Stage 5: Notified of a decision, which will be one of the following: Acceptance, Rejection, invitation for a third interview or re-interview at a later time.
After you are accepted
Once accepted you can get started straight away by arranging to be in analysis with a training analyst from the institute five times a week. After at least a year of personal analysis your training analyst can review and look to approve you to start lectures and seminars in the following September. If you have been in analysis with a training analyst prior to applying this can be taken into account.
Careers and opportunities
Once you have completed the training it will lead to membership of the British Psychoanalytical Society. When you have qualified as a psychoanalyst, you may embark on a career in full-time psychoanalytic practice, or you may go on to use your training in another context, for example: academia, teaching, part-time analytic practice, NHS psychotherapy, research, organisational consultation, writing, economics, media, or law.
Apply
Read the full brochure below and if interested, send a letter and short CV to [email protected]