Founded in 1913, the British Psychoanalytical Society is also known as the Institute of Psychoanalysis and is a charity dedicated to enhancing lives through the intensive talking therapy that is psychoanalysis. Currently numbering around 600 across the UK and internationally, our members represent a diverse range of countries and cultures and are able to provide psychoanalytic treatment in many different languages. Psychoanalysts trained in the British Society have the highest professional standards and qualifications and our training process is world renowned. You can see who are the current Members of the Board of the BPaS here.

You are very welcome to attend public lectures, conferences, and courses either in person or remotely so you can get a first-hand insight into the work we do through our event programme. We also have online recordings of past events and lectures accessible here. 

If you want to consult a psychoanalyst, you can use our find an analyst search tool to find an Institute-trained analyst near you. Alternatively, our Clinic made up of both the Clinic of Psychoanalysis and Clinical Services North offer initial consultations to help you decide if this type of treatment is right for you. A list of all members of the British Psychoanalytical Society is available here and all are recognised by the International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA), the international regulatory body for psychoanalysis. Everyone regulated by BPC or another professional regulator can be found here.

Training to be a psychoanalyst with the Institute of Psychoanalysis is a deeply rewarding experience. If you are considering this, please read our training guide which is available here.

Psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic ideas have had a profound, far reaching and ongoing influence on health services and wider society. Some of our members were responsible for setting up and developing psychoanalytically informed centres of excellence in the National Health Services, such as the Tavistock Clinic, The Portman Clinic and the Maudsley Hospital, Cassell Hospital where we continue to train, teach and supervise. Others hold leading roles within our main universities. 

Our alumni include some of the most important figures in the history of psychoanalysis, including Michael Balint, Wilfred Bion, John Bowlby, Anna Freud, Melanie Klein, Joseph Sandler, Hannah Segal and Donald Winnicott. Current members are also world-renowned psychoanalysts at the forefront of psychoanalytic practice and new outcome studies have recently emerged confirming the long-term effectiveness of this treatment. Click here for a timeline of our history.