Membership Eligibility
Thank you for exploring Membership in the American Psychoanalytic Association (APsA). There are opportunities for individuals interested in psychoanalysis to join.
As of February 2023, APsA Membership now includes psychoanalysts, psychoanalytic psychotherapists, academics, researchers and others – all whose work is profoundly informed by psychoanalytic theory and values.
Policies and procedures are under development and changes will be implemented in phases. During this period of implementation, we thank you for your patience as we prepare of this new and exciting membership expansion.
What categories of membership are available?
Currently, there are three types of memberships – clinical, academic and community. Each type consists of multiple categories as follows:
Clinical Membership:
- Psychoanalyst – Members are graduates of a program in clinical psychoanalysis at an APsA or IPA approved training facility, or those who demonstrate substantially equivalent psychoanalytic training and experience.
- Psychoanalyst-in-Training – Members are trainees (candidates) in clinical psychoanalysis at an APsA or IPA approved training facility, or those who demonstrate enrollment in an equivalent psychoanalytic training program.
- Psychotherapist – Members are graduates of a training program in psychoanalytic psychotherapy at an APsA approved training facility, or those who demonstrate substantially equivalent psychotherapy training and experience.
- Psychotherapist-in-Training – Members are trainees in a psychoanalytic psychotherapy program at an APsA approved training facility, or those who demonstrate enrollment in an equivalent psychotherapy training program.
Academic Membership:
- Academic – Members are graduates of an academic program at an APsA approved training facility, or those who demonstrate an emphasis on psychoanalysis in their teaching or scholarship.
- Academic-in-Training – Members are trainees in an academic program at an APsA approved training facility, or those who demonstrate enrollment in an equivalent academic program.
- Researcher – Members are graduates of a research program at an APsA approved training facility, or those who demonstrate an emphasis on psychoanalysis in their research or scientific work.
- Researcher-in-Training – Members are trainees in a research program at an APsA approved training facility, or those who demonstrate enrollment in an equivalent research program.
Community Membership:
- Community – Members are individuals who share an interest in psychoanalysis and in being members of APsA, and are not eligible for other categories of membership. Members do not vote.
- Student – Members are undergraduates, graduate students, and those enrolled in training as health care professionals (who are not currently enrolled in or graduates of an APsA or equivalent program). Members do not vote.
- Honorary – Any person who has made an outstanding contribution to psychoanalysis, and is not otherwise a member of APsA, is eligible to be nominated and approved by the Board of Directors as an Honorary Member. Honorary Members do not vote.
