How are psychoanalysts trained?

Psychoanalysts are among the most highly trained mental health professionals. Admission to psychoanalytic training is competitive and psychoanalysts are carefully selected. In general, applicants for psychoanalytic training have considerable experience. At institutes accredited by the American Psychoanalytic Association applicants must have completed professional training as a psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker or a related discipline. Also, typically, they must hold a license in their discipline. Over the last several years, there has been a trend in which mental health professionals have pursued analytic training mid-career. Consequently, many candidates are already highly successful mental health professionals before entering training.

Applicants submit to several clinical interviews in which their background, experience and personal maturity is assessed. Candidates with the requisite training, experience and maturity, are admitted to psychoanalytic training.

Typically, training spans 5-12 years, entailing three primary components: (1) a training psychoanalysis; (2) the psychoanalysis of three patients under close supervision of senior psychoanalysts; and, (3)extensive course work on theory and technique. The first component, the training psychoanalysis meets four or five times a week and, typically, takes place over a period of many years - generally 5-12 years. The second component, the treatment of patients under close supervision entails psychoanalyzing a minimum of three patients. These treatments span several years, and meet four or five times each week; taking place under regular (typically, weekly) supervision of a specially approved, senior training analyst. The third component, coursework, typically spans the duration of the candidates training - during the first four or five years, coursework is intensive (generally about 5 hours a week); it focuses on theory, technique, human development, character formation and therapeutic mechanisms of action.