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Training

Adult Psychoanalytic Training

Training programs in adult psychoanalysis are offered at psychoanalytic training institutes across the country. Typically, these programs have three components: a personal analysis; a didactic curriculum; and intensive supervised psychoanalytic clinical work.

These training programs represent an extraordinary educational experience and the path to becoming a psychoanalyst.

For information about a particular training program at an APsA approved institute, please visit the institute’s website.

Explore APsA approved training institutes here.

Child & Adolescent Psychoanalytic Training

Child and adolescent analytic training is offered at a number of APsA’s approved training institutes. Typically these programs are open to psychoanalytic candidates in an adult program who have a background in child work and individuals who have completed adult training elsewhere. At a few institutes, there is a program where child clinicians may pursue child focused training without prior adult analytic training.

Requirements for admission and curricula vary from institute to institute. Please review the Child/Adolescent Training section of APsA’s Standards and Principles for Psychoanalytic Education to review the minimum requirements.

Those who train in child and/or adolescent psychoanalysis find the experience invaluable -and often discover this training enhances their treatment of adults.

Explore APsA approved training institutes here.

Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Training

Psychoanalytic psychotherapy has been developed, practiced and taught by psychoanalysts from its beginnings. Students and practitioners learn to apply psychoanalytic concepts in a variety of clinical settings with a wide range of patients and clients.

More recently, because of the relative neglect of such training in universities and other training programs, psychoanalytic societies and institutes have developed formal instruction programs in the discipline of psychoanalytic psychotherapy.

While individual programs differ in their specifics, typically they are based upon the core psychoanalytic tripartite training model of didactic seminars, clinical supervision and personal therapy. Programs are available not only in adult psychoanalytic psychotherapy but also in child and/or child and adolescent psychotherapy.

For most mental health professionals, the graduate training experience does not fully prepare one to be a skilled, knowledgeable and confident therapist. While we continue to learn from our patients throughout our professional lives, we believe that advanced formal training is crucial to our efforts to provide the highest level of clinical competence.

Explore APsA approved training institutes here. 

Several APsA societies also include psychotherapy programming, explore here.

 

Research Training

Some institutes offer research-oriented psychoanalytic training.

Explore APsA approved training institutes here.

Research related links:

  • APsA for Researchers
  • Fund for Psychoanalytic Research

Academic Training

A number of APA’s approved training institutes offer non-clinical training in psychoanalysis. This type of study is often referred to as academic training.  Individuals from various educational backgrounds who plan to incorporate psychoanalytic theory into their work for purposes other than research are eligible to apply as academic candidates.

Explore APsA approved training institutes here.

Graduation Criteria for Various APsA Approved Institutes

Click here to access a 2024 document compiled by the APSA Candidates’ Council’s Task Force on Transparency of Institute Graduation Requirements.

  • About Psychoanalysis
  • Child & Adolescent Psychoanalysis
  • When to Seek a Professional
  • Psychoanalytic Training: Paths & Programs
  • Careers in Psychoanalysis
  • Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy
  • Psychoanalytic Terms & Concepts Defined

APsA Publications

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The Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association (JAPA)

April 5, 2023
JAPA is a peer-reviewed journal publishing original articles and commentaries, ground-breaking research, thoughtful plenary addresses, in-depth panel reports, and more.
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https://apsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/JAPA.png 400 600 APsA Staff https://apsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Layer-80.png APsA Staff2023-04-05 01:20:512024-10-08 13:06:37The Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association (JAPA)
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The American Psychoanalyst (TAP)

April 4, 2023
APsA’s triannual magazine, TAP, offers a psychoanalytic perspective on current events in psychology, the arts, and culture for mental health professionals, students, and the general public.
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https://apsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/publications_tap.png 400 600 APsA Staff https://apsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Layer-80.png APsA Staff2023-04-04 16:16:362025-05-05 13:46:18The American Psychoanalyst (TAP)
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Psychotherapist Newsletter

April 1, 2023
The Psychotherapist Newsletter features scientific programs and publications about psychoanalytic psychotherapy, personal reflections, social and community issues, and advocacy.
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https://apsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/newsletter.png 400 600 APsA Staff https://apsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Layer-80.png APsA Staff2023-04-01 09:35:102025-05-23 16:06:25Psychotherapist Newsletter

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