Psychoanalytic Training

The full analytic training program consists of four years of coursework, supervised analytic work, a personal analysis as well as a professional project. Our curriculum makes use of a combination of in-person and distance instruction. We have designed our program so that it closely follows most of the standards set forth by the Accreditation Council for Psychoanalytic Education (ACPE), with exceptions made thoughtfully when our training philosophy or individual circumstances suggest the need for greater flexibility within the general confines of the standards. 

Tuition for the four years of Psychoanalytic training is $1500.00 per semester, two semesters per year. 

Completion of the program consists of the following:

1) Coursework.  IRPP's curriculum follows a four year plan which includes didactic, case conference, and experiential components.  Courses are generally held on Friday mornings in the hours between 9 am and 12 noon, with some learning experiences taking place on select weekend dates (usually once a semester, 9 to 4 pm).  We anticipate Friday courses in Fall 2026 to be held in-person on the campus of Bryn Mawr College.  Courses may also be held in Center City Philadelphia.  Candidates will be given advance notice of dates, times and locations of all learning events.  Some weekend courses may take place in New York City to grant candidates in-person access to faculty located there.  Candidates can expect to receive 30 CE hours every two years for their participation in coursework to count towards renewal of their professional licenses; these credits are sponsored by the American Psychological Association and acceptable to most licensing boards of clinicians located in the Philadelphia Tri-State Area.

2) Personal Analysis.  The personal analysis component is expected to be initiated prior to the beginning of supervised clinical work. While the duration of an analysis depends on individual variables, the minimum requirement, as set forth by ACPE, is two years (300 hours), at a frequency of at least three times per week.  While we do have guidelines regarding the length of post-graduate experience of the candidate’s analyst, we do not subscribe to a training analyst system, and in most cases, candidates have been able to work with an analyst of their own choosing. Additional details regarding the personal analysis requirement can be discussed individually with members of the Board or with the Clinical Training Coordinator.

3) Supervised Training Cases. Candidates are required to engage in a minimum of two analytic cases, with a minimum of three years of supervision divided between them.  One case must consist of 150 hours of clinical contact (one year at the frequency of 3 times weekly) and one case must consist of 300 hours of clinical contact (two years at the frequency of 3 times weekly).

4) Supervision.  Candidates are required to complete a combined total of 160 hours of supervision; one year is the equivalent of 40 hours of supervision.  This includes two or more years of individual weekly supervision (80 hours) with one analytic case, and one or more years of individual weekly supervision (40 hours) with a second analytic case.   Analytic cases are generally defined as meeting at least three times per week, although, particularly in work with children, the frequency may be less. The requirement for an additional year of supervision (40 hours), beyond the three years required for analytic cases, may be met in a variety of ways, e.g., following cases meeting at a frequency of less than three times per week, or supervision of work in community settings including work with groups, families, and couples. 

Candidates are expected to work with a minimum of 3 individual supervisors during the course of their training, for at least a year (40 hours) each.  Supervisors will be asked to complete evaluations on a yearly basis, which will be forwarded to the Clinical Training Coordinator.  Candidates are expected to give the Clinical Training Coordinator the name of their supervisor at the beginning of each supervision and inform these individuals when their 40 hours is near completion so that supervisory evaluations can be collected in a timely manner.  

For the first year in the program, candidates will be asked to participate in a year (40 hours total) of small group supervision with one of our local faculty.  This supervision experience can count towards the total 160 hours required and is meant to help defray costs of the supervision requirement. The rate for small group supervision is $30.

Subsequent individual supervision can be sought from any analyst on the faculty of the Stephen A. Mitchell Center in New York, or any analyst from the local IRPP faculty.  Supervisors who do not fall into either of these two categories may be considered, in consultation with the Board.  IRPP maintains a list of supervisors who are available to work at the discounted Institute rate of $100/hour of supervision.  

The Board retains the right to ask candidates to complete additional supervisory hours if this is deemed necessary for the successful completion of the candidate’s training and readiness to be certified as an analyst by IRPP.

4) Professional Project.  Each candidate will complete some form of a professional project, which can include (but not be limited to): writing a professional paper, preparing a conference presentation, and/or completing an additional supplemental training (i.e., attending a conference training). Specific details of each candidates project will be decided in collaboration with the Clinical Training Coordinator and/or members of the Board.

The Clinical Training Coordinator is available to discuss  and questions or concerns candidates have about the requirements for completing the training program and meets with candidates on a yearly basis to check in on candidates' progress.