Program Description

We offer a two track program in Psychoanalysis:

Components of theTraining Program

• NY State License-Qualifying Program in in Psychoanalysis and Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy 

The only distinction in the two programs is the amount of clinical patient hours required for completion. To receive our certificate, 675 supervised patient hours are required. To complete the license Qualifying program, 1500 patient hours are required.

Coursework

Although the academic requirements of the program can be completed in four years by taking an average course load of 2 courses per semester, WSI allows candidates to go at their own pace with regard to time and course load.

Classes start in September, February with the exception of two 8 weeks courses which start in June. New students may enter training at the beginning of September or February. Applications are accepted and processed all year.

Personal Analysis (Training Analysis)

Candidates undergo personal analysis while training since this is an ideal way of experiencing and developing therapeutic capability. This personal psychoanalysis experience has traditionally been termed a “training analysis.” Students who wish to matriculate and are already in an extended treatment must obtain approval of their analysts from the Dean’s Office. Students who are not in analysis and wish to pursue their studies at WSI need to be referred to a faculty analyst by the Dean. The frequency of such treatment should be minimally twice weekly for the duration of training for a total of no less than 350 hours.

Clinical Internship and weekly supervision

Newly matriculated students begin their clinical experience by conducting a series of Intake Interviews. Since students are entering the Clinical (Matriculation) program usually in the late Spring and Summer months, they need to make themselves available to conduct these interviews in preparation for being assigned their first patients. Students need to be judged as clinically competent in conducting these interviews before being assigned on-going patients, and need to have been seeing on-going patients in order to enter the Intermediate Level Courses in the Fall semester.

Throughout the duration of their training, students see assigned patients at the Treatment Center and receive weekly clinical supervision at no charge.

The student’s practicum consists of 7-9 patients weekly for which a small stipend of approximately $1,500 annually ($5.00 per treatment hour) is paid to candidates who carry a minimum 7 patient hour per week case load. These hours count as required experience hours when applying for a psychoanalytic license in the State of New York. Senior candidates may take on additional patients with the permission of their clinical supervisors and the Dean.

Control Supervision

Advanced candidates are required to have an additional 50 hours of a control supervision (ongoing therapy with one patient and a control supervisor)

In order to register for this clinical practicum course, the candidate needs to be recommended by his/her general supervisor. The student then requests Application to begin Control Supervision and upon approval by Training Chair and the Dean the student is assigned a control supervisor.

Case Presentation

The culmination of training is represented by the formal presentation of a case in treatment to members of the faculty. The candidate is recommended by the supervisor to apply to give their case presentation. Applications for Case Presentation should be made during mid-November of the semester prior to the scheduling of the Presentation, to the Training Chair.