Progressing Through the Training Process of the Program in Adult Psychoanalysis

Training in Adult Pyschoanalysis at IPTAR proceeds in a thoughtfully structured series of steps. The candidate’s advancement toward the independent practice of psychoanalysis happens not only via coursework, supervised psychoanalysis, and the candidate's own personal analysis, but through a number of evaluative processes accompanied throughout by various forms of verbal and written feedback.

Matriculation

Upon admission, the candidate enters first-year classes and begins the training analysis. As the First Year concludes, the candidate has a Matriculation Interview with two members of the Institute Board. This interview reviews the candidate’s experience of the first year of training and readiness to progress with training.

The Readiness-for Control Examination (RFC)

After being accepted for matriculation, the candidate moves on to the second year of coursework. At the end of the second year, the candidate is eligible to take the Readiness-For-Control Examination (RFC), which is given in two parts:

• The Written RFC, a take-home examination designed to assess the candidate’s integration of the theoretical and clinical material taught in the first two years;
• The Oral RFC, an interview with three members of the Institute Board to determine the candidate’s preparedness to begin analytic work.

Upon successful completion of the Readiness-for-Control Examination, the candidate moves on to third-year classes and to conducting supervised psychoanalyses.

Supervised Psychoanalysis (Control Process)

With the beginning of Supervised Psychoanalysis (the Control Process), psychoanalytic training takes on new intensity and excitement. This step marks the integration of the candidate’s academic course work, personal analysis, and supervised analytic work. When the third and fourth years of coursework are completed, clinical work continues until all the training requirements are completed.

Final Case Presentation

As the candidate nears graduation, the three year analytic case is written; this is the Final Case Write-up. The candidate may be a member of the optional Final Case Presentation Seminar, where candidates may discuss their cases with colleagues and a Fellow.

The process culminates with the Clinical Case Presentation, a collegial discussion between the candidate and three Fellows about the candidate’s clinical work with his or her patient.

Graduation

Once the Final Case is presented and all other requirements have been met, the candidate is ready for graduation. The Institute Board makes the final decision about someone’s readiness for graduation based on evaluations throughout their work at IPTAR, case presentations and, of course, his or her development as an analyst.

Graduation Interview

This is an informal meeting with two members of the IPTAR Society. In this collegial exchange, the candidate offers feedback to the Institute about any aspect of the training experience. The IPTAR members welcome the candidate into the Society and describe its various membership benefits and opportunities. This is part of the transition from IPTAR candidate to IPTAR member.

Benefits of Graduation

• A Certificate in Psychoanalysis (with which one can sit for the NYS License as a psychoanalyst, if one chooses)
• Associate Membership in the IPTAR Society
• Membership in the the International Psychoanalytical Association
• The right to use the designation Fellow of the International Psychoanalytical Association (FIPA) after their name.
• Membership in the Confederation of Independent Psychoanalytic Societies (CIPS)

To download a copy of IPTAR's Candidate Handbook, please click here