Training

What does a psychoanalyst do?

A psychoanalyst is trained to listen very closely and try to understand what the person is thinking, feeling and experiencing. Those coming for analysis are there because they cannot quite understand why they are suffering. Even if they do understand, they may feel stuck or unable to do anything about it. The analyst's attempt to understand is, in itself felt to be a huge relief, but this is not all that the psychoanalyst does. The treatment seeks to help people to better understand what they are going through, how to think about their own situation and to make better choices for themselves.

The Indian Psychoanalytical Society (IPS) (Mumbai Chapter) runs the following courses and training listed below. IPS (Mumbai Chapter) also offers a number of short term and modular courses apart from the clinical training programs.

Psychoanalytic Observational Studies

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Pre - Clinical Course

2 years

This two year course is a prerequisite for those intending to enter either of the two Clinical Training programs.

It aims to deepen understanding of human development and emotional growth. It is designed to bridge the gap between psychoanalytical concepts of maturation and the newer perspectives in child development arising from developmental psychology.

The course is also intended for a wide range of professionals including paediatricians, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers and teachers.It does not, on its own, equip a student to practice psychotherapy.

Structure of Training

Work Discussion Seminars: These seminars aim to enable the trainee to apply observational skills and theoretical concepts that are gained from the course to their current work situation/s. Trainees can bring accounts of their existing work from a variety of work settings. Students are required to work for a minimum of 9 hours a week at their place of work.

Infant Observation Seminars: Trainees are required to undertake weekly observations of a baby and mother together in their family setting, and to record their observations of each session for discussion in a seminar held once a week. At the end of the observations, students are expected to write a paper on their experiences.

Young Child Observation Seminars: Trainees are required to undertake weekly observations of a young pre-school child in a family setting, and to record their observations for discussion in a seminar held once a week. At the end of the observations students are expected to write a paper on their experience.

Psychoanalytical Theory Seminars: These seminars explore the development of Psychoanalytical theory from the early beginnings with the work of Freud, to the later ideas of Melanie Klein and beyond.

Child Development Seminars: The Seminar explores reviews of the historical, cross-cultural and sub-cultural perspectives in the field of Child Development and also prenatal and postnatal development, parent – infant bonding and recent research in child development on perceptual and cognitive development. Students attend and participate in 18 seminars throughout the year.

Personality Development: This is an optional module offering 15 seminars a year providing a brief of psychoanalytic development from pre-birth to old age with various references made from psychoanalytical literature and case studies. It is not a prescribed reading seminar for any of the courses.

Child Psychotherapy

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Clinical Training Program

4 years

This Clinical Training course starts after completion of the pre- clinical course Psychoanalytic Observational Studies

Aim

Candidates are trained to provide psychoanalytic psychotherapy to children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The aim is to be in touch with the child’s view of the situation and to provide an intensive therapeutic relationship that is important to children who have experienced long periods of emotional distress or abuse.

Structure of Training

Experience of actual clinical work forms the central part of the training. Candidates now begin to work with children, adolescents and parents in clinical settings.They will attend a number of group clinical seminars, advanced theory reading seminars and have individual supervision sessions along with their own training analysis. Individual progress advisors help support the training.

To be admitted to the Child Psychoanalysis Training, the trainee is required to complete the observation training, including one year of young child observation, along with intensive personal analysis four times per week, which will continue through the duration of their training

Qualification Criteria

To qualify as a child psychotherapist, candidates must complete 3 training cases with patients. Training cases must be seen a minimum of 3 times a week.

1. One child between 2.5 - 5 years old

2. One latency age child

3. One adolescent.

Two of these cases must be seen for at least two years and one for one year. A paper on any one of the cases is required.

Adult Psychoanalysis

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Clinical Training Program

4 years

Candidates who successfully complete the Adult Clinical training gain membership to the Indian Psychoanalytical Society (IPS), and the International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA). Students are required to complete the Freud and Klein theory seminars and a year of the Infant Observation seminar before they can begin the Adult Clinical Training.

Structure of Training

Students will gradually begin to work with adults in clinical settings when they are sufficiently ready to do so.

Clinical and theory seminars as well as individual supervision sessions support their clinical work

Qualification Criteria

Candidates must see two training cases at least 4 times a week for at least two years for one case, and at least 18months for the other. They must present 1 paper on either of the cases.

Click HERE to view the adult training prospects

Brief Points About the Adult Training Course

First Year:

In order to be admitted to Clinical Training, trainees are required to complete a minimum of one year of personal psychoanalysis, at a frequency of four sessions per week. Intensive personal psychoanalysis continues throughout the duration of the training.
The purpose of personal psychoanalysis is to help trainees develop an awareness of their own emotional life, conflicts, and unconscious processes. This enables them to distinguish their own thoughts and feelings from those of the patients they begin treating. In the intensity of clinical work, it is essential to recognize what belongs to the patient and what belongs to oneself. Your personal analysis is entirely private and confidential.
Weekly seminars on Freud, his early and later works, will also begin in the first year, currently being conducted online.
There will also be fortnightly observation seminars online, of theoretical papers, along with past students' experiences with their observations.

Second Year:

The Second year will comprise of actual in-person visits, where you discuss your real experience.
The Second year will also include weekly seminars of Melanie Klein who contributed further to Freud's work.
At the end of the second year, you will need to write a paper on your baby observation experience, between 4000 to 6000 words. This has to be passed before you take on your treatment of patients starting from the third year.

Third Year:

In the third year, you can start 2 training cases, each minimum 4 times weekly under 2 separate weekly supervisions.
You will be expected to treat 1 patient for 2 years and the other for 18 months.
This third year will also include advanced theory and clinical seminars twice weekly.

Fourth & Fifth Year:

Ongoing work, following the prospectus, this course should officially be over.

The fee for each module is Rs. 25,000/- per year for students enrolled in all four modules, and Rs. 30,000/- per module for those taking a single module. Financial aid is available only after students begin working with training cases and receive individual supervision.

Each Candidate will have a Progress Advisor, the link between candidate and Training Committee.

The Psychoanalytic Therapy & Research Centre (PTRC) is affiliated with the

International Psychoanalytical Association

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