Clinical Membership – American Psychoanalytic Association

Clinical Membership

Psychoanalysts and Psychotherapists join APsA to identify with, support and advance psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic therapy. APsA provides its Clinical Members with direct benefits to meet their professional needs.

Psychoanalyst Member - How to Join

Psychoanalysts join APsA’s Clinical Membership to identify with, support and advance psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic therapy. APsA provides Clinical Members with direct benefits to meet their professional needs. For psychoanalytic candidates, there is a clinical membership pathway for candidates called Psychoanalyst-In-Training.

There are many Pathways for Psychoanalysts to join APsA as a Clinical Member:

Analytic Graduates from an APsA Institute or Center

Individuals who have graduated from a full clinical psychoanalytic training program at an APsA approved training institute or new training facility.

To apply, (1) complete the APsA grad application and (2) complete the APsA Institute verification form.

- APsA Psychoanalyst-In-Training Members (candidates) automatically become Psychoanalyst Members during one of APsA’s two annual meetings, the National Meeting (winter) or the Annual Meeting (summer), whichever follows the notification of their graduation to the National Office.

IPA Members / Analytic Graduates from an IPA Society

Full members of the International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA) or graduates of an institute of an IPA component society.
- To apply, (1) complete the IPA grad application and (2) complete the IPA verification form.

Analysts Trained Outside of an APsA or IPA Approved Institute/Center (Expanded Pathway Application)

Individual psychoanalysts who have trained outside of an APsA or IPA approved institute are eligible for membership.
- To apply, download and complete the expanded membership pathway application.

APsA membership categories are linked to the level of training achieved by the individual; therefore, trained psychoanalysts should apply for psychoanalyst membership and trained psychoanalytic psychotherapists should apply for psychotherapist membership (click to apply).

Former APsA Members who want to Rejoin:

If you are a former APsA Psychoanalyst Member and would like to rejoin then please click here to contact membership services to rejoin.

Contact APsA’s membership services for additional information or application guidelines.

Note: Membership in the International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA), which is a separate organization from APsA, is limited to those who have completed formal clinical psychoanalytic training that meets the IPA’s training standards.

Benefits of Psychoanalyst Membership

One of the most important reasons for belonging to the American Psychoanalytic Association is that you become part of the voice that advocates for psychoanalysis, psychoanalytic therapy and psychoanalytic thought across the country.

APsA membership helps you to:

Advance Psychoanalysis & Psychoanalytic Therapy

Advocate for the highest standards of psychoanalytic treatment, education, and scientific inquiry.
Support a scientific/humanistic treatment approach that promotes individual freedom and growth.
Foster public understanding and study of the human condition.

Be Heard

Magnify your voice on health care reform.
Lobby and educate Congress about the profession.
Vote in APsA elections and participate in the varied committees available.

Clinical Member Benefits (only available to APsA clinical members)

Eligibility for low-cost malpractice/professional liability for psychiatrists, psychologists, and social work practitioners.
Be listed in the Find a Psychoanalytic Clinician Online Directory.
Subscribe to APsA’s Referrals listserv to be connected to the community for requesting and receiving referrals.

Enhance Your Professional Education

Receive a significant discount off APsA meeting registration fees.
Participate in national scientific meetings, study groups, on-line discussions, public dialogues and scientific publications.
Earn continuing education credits toward maintaining professional licensure.
Receive preferred subscription rates to the Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association and the International Journal of Psychoanalysis
Get a free subscription to APsA’s magazine, The American Psychoanalyst.

Network with Colleagues

Meet with peers at APsA’s social, scientific, and political networking events.
Become meaningfully involved in Association leadership and gain a diversity of experience and perspectives.
Gain referrals via the biannual meetings and members-only listserv discussions.

Share in Group Benefits

APsA has partnered with Guilford Press to offer 25% off, plus free shipping, on all their books. Visit their site, and use the promotional code: AFPDM2 at check out.
Gain access to APsA’s practice toolbox and bulletins which provide in-depth technical information on standards and policies of writing reports for external review and documentation, developing professional wills, and much more.
Discounts with our partner, TherapySites, a company that designs professional, affordable, and effective websites for psychotherapists and analysts. Designing is easy and everything is included, from credit card processing and managing appointment requests to helping with search engine optimization (SEO), and many more features. Members pay a monthly hosting fee at reduced prices with no long-term contracts.
Receive a 10% discount from The Analytic Couch Company, which provides practitioners with stylish and professional furniture.

And so much more…

Psychotherapist Member - How to Join

Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Psychotherapists join APsA Clinical Membership to identify with, support and advance psychoanalytic treatments. APsA provides Clinical Members with direct benefits to meet their professional needs. For psychoanalytic psychotherapy trainees, there is a clinical membership pathway category for psychotherapy trainees called Psychotherapist-In-Training.

There are many pathways for a Psychotherapist to join APsA as a Clinical Member:

Graduates from an APsA Institute or Center

Individuals who have graduated from a training program in clinical psychoanalytic psychotherapy at an APsA approved training facility.

- To apply, (1) click here to complete the application and (2) complete the APsA Institute verification form.
  - APsA Psychotherapist-In-Training Members automatically become Psychotherapist Members during one of APsA’s two annual meetings, the National Meeting (winter) or the Annual Meeting (summer), whichever follows the notification of their graduation/completion of their psychotherapy program to the National Office.

Therapists Trained Outside of an APsA or IPA Approved Institute/Center (Expanded Pathway Application)

Individual psychoanalytic psychotherapists who have trained outside of an APsA or IPA approved institute are eligible to join by demonstrating equivalent psychotherapy training and experience. The membership criteria for substantial equivalence can be found here.

- To apply, please click here to complete the application.
  - In addition to the application and if applicable, psychoanalytic/psychodynamic therapy training program graduates can complete the Training Verification form.

APsA membership categories are linked to the level of training achieved by the individual; therefore, trained psychoanalytic psychotherapists should apply for psychotherapist membership and trained psychoanalysts should apply for psychoanalyst membership (click to apply).

Former APsA Members who want to Rejoin:

If you are a former APsA Psychotherapist Member and would like to rejoin then please click here to contact membership services to rejoin.

For additional assistance and/or application guidelines, please contact APsA’s membership services.

Note: Membership in the International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA), which is a separate organization from APsA, is limited to those who have completed formal clinical psychoanalytic training that meets the IPA’s training standards.

Benefits of Psychotherapist Membership

One of the most important reasons for belonging to the American Psychoanalytic Association is that you become part of the voice that advocates for psychoanalytic therapy, psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic thought across the country.

APsA membership helps you to:

Advance Psychoanalysis & Psychoanalytic Therapy

Advocate for the highest standards of psychoanalytic treatment, education, and scientific inquiry.
Support a scientific/humanistic treatment approach that promotes individual freedom and growth.
Foster public understanding and study of the human condition.

Be Heard

Vote in APsA elections and participate in the varied committees available.
Magnify your voice on health care reform.
Lobby and educate Congress about the profession.

Clinical Member Benefits (only available to APsA clinical members)

NEW: Eligibility for low-cost malpractice/professional liability for psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, and social work practitioners.
Be listed in the Find a Psychoanalytic Clinician Online Directory
Subscribe to APsA’s Referrals listserv to be connected to the community for requesting and receiving referrals.

Enhance Your Professional Education

Receive a significant discount off APsA meeting registration fees.
Participate in national scientific meetings, study groups, on-line discussions, public dialogues and scientific publications.
Earn continuing education credits toward maintaining professional licensure.
Receive preferred subscription rates to the Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association
Get a free subscription to APsA’s magazine, The American Psychoanalyst.
Receive the biannual Psychotherapist Newsletter.

Network with Colleagues

Meet with peers at APsA’s social, scientific, and political networking events.
Become meaningfully involved in Association leadership and gain a diversity of experience and perspectives.
Gain referrals via the biannual meetings and members-only listserv discussions.

Share in Group Benefits

APsA has partnered with Guilford Press to offer 25% off, plus free shipping, on all their books. Visit their site, and use the promotional code: AFPDM2 at check out.
Gain access to APsA’s practice toolbox and bulletins which provide in-depth technical information on standards and policies of writing reports for external review and documentation, updates on privacy and HIPPA-related issues, developing professional wills, and much more.
Discounts with our partner, TherapySites, a company that designs professional, affordable, and effective websites for psychotherapists and analysts. Designing is easy and everything is included, from credit card processing and managing appointment requests to helping with search engine optimization (SEO), and many more features. Members pay a monthly hosting fee at reduced prices with no long-term contracts.
Receive a 10% discount from The Analytic Couch Company, which provides practitioners with stylish and professional furniture.

And so much more…

The APsA Membership Year begins on January 1 through December 31. Annual Member Dues are due by January 31st. Renewal invoices are emailed in early November as well as become available in the member portal. For additional information, please visit: apsa.org/membership-dues. New members who join between July and December will be processed for the following calendar year of membership and receive bonus months added on and new JAPA subscriptions will begin at the start of the new calendar year.

APsA membership categories are linked to the level of training achieved by the individual; therefore, trained psychoanalysts should apply for psychoanalyst membership (click to apply) and trained psychoanalytic psychotherapists should apply for psychotherapist membership (click to apply).

Analytic Graduates from an APsA Institute or Center

IPA Members / Analytic Graduates from an IPA Society

Analysts Trained Outside of an APsA or IPA Approved Institute/Center (Expanded Pathway Application)

APsA membership categories are linked to the level of training achieved by the individual; therefore, trained psychoanalysts should apply for psychoanalyst membership and trained psychoanalytic psychotherapists should apply for psychotherapist membership (click to apply).

Former APsA Members who want to Rejoin:

Note: Membership in the International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA), which is a separate organization from APsA, is limited to those who have completed formal clinical psychoanalytic training that meets the IPA’s training standards.

Graduates from an APsA Institute or Center

Therapists Trained Outside of an APsA or IPA Approved Institute/Center (Expanded Pathway Application)

APsA membership categories are linked to the level of training achieved by the individual; therefore, trained psychoanalytic psychotherapists should apply for psychotherapist membership and trained psychoanalysts should apply for psychoanalyst membership (click to apply).

Former APsA Members who want to Rejoin:

Note: Membership in the International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA), which is a separate organization from APsA, is limited to those who have completed formal clinical psychoanalytic training that meets the IPA’s training standards.

APsA Statements

APsA Publications

View All

The Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association (JAPA)

The American Psychoanalyst (TAP)

Psychotherapist Newsletter

Find a Psychoanalytic Clinician