About Modern Psychoanalytic Institute Training in Psychoanalysis

Institutes accepted for membership in the Society of Modern Psychoanalysts must meet the following criteria:

Admission: A Modern Psychoanalytic institute conducts interviews to evaluate the applicant's potential and motivation to develop as a therapeutic personality.

The Training Analysis: All students at a Modern Psychoanalytic institute undergo a personal training analysis throughout their training at the institute. Most institutes require a minimum of 450 hours of analysis, 150 hours of which may be conducted in a group setting.

Course work: The course work at an institute familiarizes the student with the work of Freud and others in the field of psychoanalysis. Courses are designed to explain psychoanalysis from a developmental, theoretical, historical, clinical and research perspective. Special emphasis is placed on the work of Hyman Spotnitz and his colleagues, with an indication of how it relates to other developments in the field. Students generally take between thirty and forty-two courses in theory, history, maturational development, clinical application and research. Individual, family, child and group analysis may be incorporated into these courses. Students proceed though the program at their own pace. Clinical experience generally begins with the Fieldwork Placement Program where students work with borderline and psychotic patients in an institutional setting under faculty and administrative supervision. A minimum of two years in the internship is recommended to assure sufficient understanding of psychosis and other related conditions.

Supervised Clinical Work: The student's training in clinical work resembles independent private practice. Course work and supervision while the student is in this phase of training help the student develop his/her understanding of how theory relates to observable phenomena including how to use the theory of technique to formulate interventions which will lead to therapeutic progress. Generally, supervision is at the ratio of one hour of supervision for each four hours of patient contact. It may be conducted in small groups at the beginning of clinical training. In the later phase of training, the student will study one control case in depth with a senior supervisor and work with a second supervisor on one or more other cases. A minimum of 50 hours in each is the standard for the field.

Research Project: A written research project is undertaken by the student to explore events/phenomena observed in case work under controlled conditions. A control case is usually selected in which a research question can be explored to arrive at plausible explanations of the variables observed.

Graduation: The candidate is required to meet all course and training requirements and make an oral presentation of his/her research and clinical work that demonstrates his/her ability to understand transference and resistance and to conduct analyses without interference from personal problems.