Training
© 2009-2026 American Psychoanalytic Association | 122 East 42nd Street, Suite 2310, New York, NY 10168 | Phone: (212) 752-0450 | [email protected]
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:
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
Training from an APRN Background
Psychoanalytically grounded therapy offers APRNs a path to deeper clinical work, stronger long-term patient outcomes, and a more sustainable and intellectually rewarding practice. Check out the guide, “Inside Scoop: Navigating Entry into Psychoanalytically Grounded Therapy Training from an APRN Background” prepared by APsA’s Advanced Practice in Nursing Committee, to see the types of training available — from introductory seminars to full analytic training — and how to evaluate readiness for each level. It also covers practical considerations including financial planning, membership benefits, and how to begin engaging with the psychoanalytic community.