The New York Institute for Psychoanalytic Self Psychology

For Licensed Mental Health Professionals (LMH) and Candidates Qualifying for Licensure (LQP)

The program in psychoanalysis is designed for those candidates interested in working in an in-depth, long-term treatment modality with individual patients. The analytic process involves the understanding of complex mental states in genetic, dynamic, and psychoeconomic terms and the understanding, development, and working through of the selfobject transference. Requirements of training for candidates in the LQP are essentially the same as the LMH. Any specific differences between the two programs will be highlighted in the appropriate sections below.

Training Analysis

The New York Institute for Psychoanalytic Self Psychology makes no distinction between a "therapeutic" analysis and a "didactic" analysis. The assumption is that all candidates entering the program require an in-depth analytic experience for personal as well as training purposes. Therefore, it is expected that all candidates in both the LMH and the LQP begin training analysis upon entering the program and continue throughout the course of their training for a minimum of 400 sessions. The analysis must be undertaken at a frequency of 3 to 5 sessions a week, on separate days, for a minimum of 45 weeks during the year and for the minimum of 400 sessions. Completion of the analysis will be mutually determined by the training analyst and the candidate. Training analyses will be conducted by members of the Institute who have been approved as training analysts and by approved analysts outside the Institute.

The Institute recognizes the importance of strict confidentiality in the conduct of analysis. For this reason a training analyst is prohibited from reporting to the Institute on any aspect of the treatment other than number and frequency of sessions completed and from participating in the ongoing evaluation of a candidate who is his or her analysand.

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Supervision

Clinical supervision is essential for the candidate to integrate the theory of self psychology with clinical practice. Therefore, a candidate is expected to participate in weekly individual supervision with an approved supervisor by the beginning of the second semester of the first year and until the candidate reaches the Readiness for Control level.

Candidates in the LQP-whether they be licensed professionals in another health profession whose scope of practice includes psychoanalysis and are already in private practice or unlicensed individuals just starting out-must conduct all their required clinical work in offices under the auspices of the Institute while a duly authorized supervisor of the Institute is on-site. Furthermore, candidates in the LQP are required to complete 1500 clock hours of clinical experience, which can only begin when they have:

  1. been fully enrolled in the program for one semester,
  2. completed the six-session ethics course, and
  3. been in training analysis at three times weekly for minimum of 60 sessions.

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Control Analysis

In the final phase of training, the candidate will undertake two psychoanalytic cases under the supervision of two different control analysts.

In the LMH, both cases will be seen at a frequency of no less than three times weekly-one case for a minimum of one year and the second case for a minimum of two years. A required total of 150 hours of control supervision will be apportioned between the first case at a minimum frequency of once a week for 50 sessions and the second case at a minimum frequency of once a week for 100 sessions.

In the LQP, both cases will be seen at a frequency no less than three times weekly -one case for a minimum of one year and the second case for a minimum of two years. A required total of 150 "clock hours" of control supervision will be apportioned between the first case at a minimum frequency of once a week for 50 clock hour sessions and the second case at a minimum frequency of once a week for 100 clock hour sessions. By undertaking control analysis on an hourly basis each week, rather than the 45 minute session hour, the candidate can meet the New York State requirement for 150 clock hours of control analysis concurrently with finishing the control analysis cases within the one and two year time frames.

The second control supervision may begin only after completing one year of the first control supervision. Each control case must be with the same patient for the designated period of time. It is expected that at least one case be supervised through termination. This may occur either before or after graduation. Supervisors for the control level may be chosen from those analysts designated by the Institute as "Control Analysts." Personal analysts may not serve as a candidate's control analyst.

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Course Curriculum

The following courses are required for candidates in both the LMH and the LQP: 101.2, 102.1, 103.1, 104.2, 201.1, 202.3, 202.4, 203.0, 302.0, 303.0, 302.1, 304.1, 401.0, 402.1, 403.0, 404.1, 502.0, and 506.0. The additional courses of 505.1 and 505.2 are required only for those candidates in the LQP.

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Evaluations

The integration of theory with clinical practice is an ongoing process throughout the entire training program. In order to assess a candidate's progress the following evaluations, which apply to both the LMH and the LQP, will take place:

Readiness for Control Evaluation

  1. A written examination covering the major theoretical and clinical areas of the first two years of study, including basic principles of self-psychological theory and practice. This written exam will be the basis of discussion in the oral examination.
  2. An oral examination will assess the candidate's development in personal growth and conceptual comprehension as it relates to the candidate's clinical practice. The purpose of this examination will be to determine a candidate's readiness to begin a psychoanalytic case under supervision.

In order to qualify for the Readiness for Control Evaluation, the candidate must have:
  1. been in weekly supervision as of the second semester of the first year,
  2. completed the initial two years of the course work, and
  3. completed one and one half years of personal analysis(minimum of 150 hours).

The candidate, having fulfilled the above requirements, will then request to be evaluated for Readiness for Control. This request will be made by letter to the Chair of the Training Committee no later than November 1st in the fall semester and no later than March 1st in the spring semester.

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II Final Case Presentation

For the candidate, Final Case Presentation (FCP) is the culmination of years of concentrated effort to develop the capacity to work within the inner life of a patient without the interference of countertransference reactions such as judgment, anxiety, or the need to change or control the direction of the patient's life. This undertaking may require more than the four years of courses, supervisory hours, and personal analysis that are required for the completion of training. The growth and transformations that occur in the self of an analytic candidate cannot be measured within a particular time frame.

In FCP the candidate will be evaluated not only on the presentation of a particular case and the understanding of the concepts that describe the development and progression of the analytic work but also on the growth, maturity, and integrity of the candidate's character. Candidates should know when they are ready to sit for this exam and, therefore, are encouraged to discuss their readiness with supervisors and personal analysts before making application. Both control analysts must agree that the candidate is ready to apply for FCP. If the evaluations are favorable for the candidate to take the FCP, the Chair of the Training Committee will establish an FCP committee.

Having come to a decision to apply and having met all requirements (see below), the candidate may request to be evaluated. This request will be made by letter to the Chair of the Training Committee no later than November 1st in the fall semester or March 1st in the spring semester.

In order to qualify for FCP the candidate must have met the following requirements:

  1. Completion of all required courses in the psychoanalytic program,
  2. Fulfillment of the required hours for the two control analyses, and
  3. Completion of a minimum of four years of personal analysis (400 session hours).

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The Meeting(s)

Once accepted for FCP, the candidate will be required to submit a written case presentation of one of his two control cases. When the written presentation has been accepted, the Committee will then meet with the candidate to discuss the case. The Committee will consist of a minimum of three faculty members, none of whom can be either the analyst or supervisor of the candidate.

The case presentation will serve as the basis for discussion of the candidate's knowledge of theoretical and technical aspects of psychoanalysis including the candidate's awareness and mastery of countertransference issues.

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When Recommended for Graduation

A candidate must be unanimously recommended for graduation by members of the Committee. After the candidate is recommended for graduation and after all other training requirements have been met, the candidate will be recognized as having successfully completed the requirements of the Training Program and will be awarded a certificate of completion of the requirements for training in the practice of psychoanalysis.

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When Not Recommended for Graduation

At the conclusion of this meeting, the Committee has the option of requiring one or more meetings (during a six-month period) to assist the candidate in working through the particular difficulties that arose during the FCP. At any point during this six-month period, the candidate may pass if all the Committee members agree.

An individual who is not recommended for graduation after this six-month period will have a maximum of two more opportunities over a five-year period to reapply for FCP. However, the candidate will be required to wait a minimum of nine months before reapplying. During this five-year period, the candidate will be encouraged to continue to take courses and to participate in all activities of the Institute. At the conclusion of the five-year period, however, the candidate will not be eligible to reapply.

Rights of the Institute

The Institute reserves the right to ask a student to postpone or discontinue training when it believes that a candidate has not shown the capability to achieve a standard of accomplishment acceptable to the Institute. Termination is entirely within the purview of the Institute such that the Institute will not be liable for or prejudiced by any such action it may take, such being in the best interest of the Institute, its candidates, and the profession for which it provides training.