Psychoanalytic Training

Inspired by Kohut’s recognition of the need for development and treatment of a psychology of the self, The Institute of Contemporary Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis (ICP&P) offers a training program in psychoanalysis. In the training program, an appreciation of the century-long development of Freud’s discoveries and methods is combined with a concentration on advances in clinical theory derived from contemporary trends from within and outside of self psychology. Throughout, a focus on the dialectical tension between relational and exploratory/interpretative factors is central to the training. The program is designed to provide a full sense of the lively debate and creative energy within psychoanalysis today.

In the clinical training, primary attention is given to the empathic mode of perception in terms of listening from the perspective of an other’s unique subjectivity. We apply this same principle to the way we listen to our candidates, creating an ambiance of respect, empathic understanding and interested engagement. We find this approach facilitates each trainee’s growth and creativity while fostering an atmosphere of intellectual curiosity and openness to ideas. Through all the components of the training experience, the Member-in-Training (MIT) gains an in-depth understanding of the analytic process.

Our faculty is composed of distinguished local analysts as well as other nationally and internationally recognized  analysts. There is broad representation among the faculty in terms of their theoretical affiliations and clinical approaches.

The four major components of the Psychoanalytic Training Program include:

              1. Personal Analysis       

              2. Supervised Clinical Work

              3. Course of Study

              4. Peer Group Supervision


Personal Analysis: A personal analysis is a necessary basis for the training experience. An informed intimacy with one’s self is essential for a candidate’s openness to the introspection needed to appreciate the power of mutual influence in psychoanalysis. We recommend that the analyst be selected from the ICP&P faculty. Selection is solely at the discretion of the MIT.


Supervised Clinical Work: A crucial aspect of the training is development of the ability to conduct a psychoanalytic treatment. To obtain the experience of continuity and the opportunity to conduct an exploration in depth, each MIT is expected to treat at least three patients, both male and female, for a minimum of three sessions a week. Each MIT is encouraged to treat at least one patient for four sessions a week over a substantial period of time. Each of the cases will be supervised.

The process of writing about one’s clinical  work and analytic development provides an opportunity to consolidate analytic understanding and demonstrate a candidate’s progress over time. Trainees are required to submit yearly case reports and also present a yearly synopsis of their analytic development.


Course of Study: Course work in the three-year curriculum is weighted on the side of clinical process. Extensive discussions of technical proposals and the theories underlying them provide an appreciation of the principles of psychoanalytic practice. In the first and second years of study, the curriculum is organized into two tracks, with a class for each track.

The first track explores a contemporary view of the techniques that are central to an understanding of a self psychological approach, the perspective of motivational systems and intersubjectivity. The curriculum draws on attachment research, infant research, and research on affects, communication, memory and cognition, and on their implications for psychoanalytic practice. The second track begins with an appreciation of the history and evolution of what came to be known as “classical” technique beginning with Freud and extending to contemporary ego psychology – followed by the relational school, Klein, and British object relations theory. Over the first two years of study, we will develop an in-depth comparison of clinical approaches from the multiple theoretical perspectives with emphasis on their relevance to self psychology and other contemporary psychoanalytic approaches.

The third year of the curriculum is determined collaboratively by the class and the curriculum committee. This provides an opportunity for individual trainees and the class as a whole to address their learning  needs. Although there is no formal curriculum after the third year, candidates continue to meet together for study and as part of their ongoing development. Throughout, the Psychoanalytic Training Program will work with each class to provide individual and group assistance as needed.


Peer Group Supervision: Trainees from each class meet weekly as a group to present cases to each other. The emphasis of the presentations is to examine the emotional interplay in the analytic process. We have found the group experience enhances trainees’ comfort in self-revelation and expands their understanding of the intersubjective process. A facilitator can be made available if the group so chooses.



Attendance at ICP&P Educational Programs

Tuition for the Psychoanalytic Training Program entitles trainees to attend ICP&P educational programs throughout the year at either no charge or at the student rate. These include the ICP&P Annual Conference and various meetings, seminars, and case conferences throughout the year. During regular Institute scientific meetings, outside faculty and guest speakers meet with candidates in a small group to respond to a analytic work and present their particular psychoanalytic understanding and clinical approach. In the past trainees, have had the opportunity of meeting with leaders in the field such as Ernest Wolf, Irwin Hoffman, Lewis Aron, Andrew Morrison, and Estelle Shane. Attendance at these events is an important aspect of the training experience.



Continuing Education Credits

The Psychoanalytic Training Program offers continuing education credit for psychologists, social workers, and advanced-practice nurses.



Psychoanalytic Training Program Faculty

Coordinator: Sandra G. Hershberg, MD

Lawrence Ballon, MD

 Alan R. Kindler, MBBS, FRCP
Beatrice  Beebe, PhD Frank Lachmann, PhD
R. Curtis Bristol, MD Susan G. Lazar, MD
Elizabeth M. Carr, MSN, BC Joseph Lichtenberg, MD
Mauricio Cortina, MD  Charles T. Olsen, MD
Shelley Doctors, PhD  Paul Ornstein, MD
James L. Fosshage, PhD  Betty Ann Ottinger, DSW
Floyd B. Galler, MD Stefan Pasternack, MD
William Goldstein, MD  Rosemary Segalla, PhD
Marie Hellinger, MSW Estelle Shane, PhD
Fonya Helm, PhD  Joseph Silvio, MD
Elizabeth K. Hersh, MD  Malcolm Slavin, PhD
Sandra G. Hershberg, MD  Leslie Smith, LCSW
Fred Hilkert, MD Ernest Wolf, MD

                                 
    

Admissions Policy

Admission to the Psychoanalytic Training Program is open to any mental health professional who has sufficient clinical experience to learn psychoanalytic technique from a position of clinical knowledge. We look for individuals who have a foundation in psychoanalytic theory, and the personal maturity and life circumstances that permit the undertaking of an intensive training program. Upon acceptance to the Psychoanalytic Training Program, an individual is expected to begin a personal analysis, if one has not been completed.



Application Materials may be obtained from:

Coordinator of Training
Institute of Contemporary Psychotherapy & Psychoanalysis
4601 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 8
 Washington, DC 20008

(202) 686-9300 / FAX: (202) 232-2565

Or click here to e-mail us


The ICP&P Training Program draws its applicants from the various mental health disciplines and other fields. The program does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, handicap, or national or ethnic background.