In order to be accepted for full psychoanalytic training (called candidacy) at a Psychoanalytic Institute accredited by the American Psychoanalytic Association, one first needs a graduate mental health degree and some prior training and experience as a therapist. There are three main types of acceptable graduate degrees.
1. Doctors of Medicine (M.D.) or Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.)
The medical route involves graduating from medical school (4 years) and completing a Psychiatry residency (4 years). In some cases, candidates can be accepted into psychoanalytic training while they are still Psychiatry residents.
2. Other Mental Health Doctoral Degrees
Ph.D.s in clinical aspects of Psychology, in Social Work, or in other mental health disciplines are eligible to apply to become candidates. The typical Ph.D. program takes 4-6 years, and in most states, 1-2 years of post-Doctoral clinical experience is required for full independent licensure.
3. Master’s Degrees in fields in which the Master’s Degree is the highest clinical degree, such as social work, marriage and family therapy, and psychiatric nursing.
These degrees generally take about 2 years to complete, and because they involve less extensive clinical training some additional coursework and supervised clinical work is required before applying for candidacy.
Undergraduate Preparation
The optimal undergraduate preparation depends on which post-graduate route you choose, because each route has different admission requirements. But any undergraduate major can be compatible with all three pathways, as long as the required courses are taken. Admission requirements can easily be found on graduate school websites or from guide books for students interested in Medical school or mental health graduate programs.
Waivers
Waivers of these graduate degree requirements are possible for certain individuals who are interested in and deemed suitable for psychoanalytic training. For example, some individuals with Master’s degrees in clinical Psychology, or academicians with non-mental health degrees can apply for waivers under certain circumstances.
In addition to the mental health pathways, APsaA offers training via waiver to academicians in certain special circumstances who wish to integrate psychoanalytic ideas with their core discipline. Within the Association, this is known as CORST training (after its sponsoring committee, the Committee on Research and Special Training). More information about this special pathway can by found on page 10 (item 3) in the Principles and Standards for Education in Psychoanalysis.
Prepared by APsaA member James Hansell, Ph.D.