Advanced Entry Training Scheme

The Northern Ireland Psychoanalytic Society (NIPaS) offers an Advanced Entry Scheme of training in the psychoanalysis of Adults.

Who is it for?

The aim of this scheme is to enable qualified child and adolescent psychotherapists (members in good standing of the Association of Child Psychotherapists) and experienced adult psychotherapists who are not registered with the British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC) to complete a shortened top-up training as an adult psychoanalyst. Qualified Members of NIPaS become Members of the International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA) and Registrants of the British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC). The member organizations of the BPC are those with the most rigorous selection and training standards in psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy in the United Kingdom.

Eligibility to apply

  • Applicants shall be either qualified members in good standing of the Association of Child Psychotherapists; or experienced graduates of a postgraduate training in psychoanalytic or psychodynamic psychotherapy not recognized by the BPC. The clinical experience of applicants shall be assessed by the Training Committee on a case-by-case basis.

  • Applicants shall normally have undergone a personal analysis, equivalent to that required for the main NIPaS Training in Psychoanalysis (i.e., four or five times per week, with an approved training analyst).

  • If not, they shall be required to have personal psychoanalysis (four or five times per week) with a training analyst approved by NIPaS, normally for a minimum of 6 months before taking on their first NIPaS training case, and continuing at least for the duration of their NIPaS training.

Application

  • Application shall be made on an application form obtainable from the Honorary Secretary and returned to the Chairperson of the Training Committee.

  • Applicants shall be required to demonstrate a suitable aptitude to undertake and sustain intensive psychotherapeutic work with adults, assessed normally by two application interviews and a presentation of an example of their clinical work to a small panel.

The Training

  • The Scheme is based on the following core elements (as well as the required personal analysis).

  • Clinical work consisting of intensive individual treatment (at least four-times-weekly, with all sessions taking place on different days), under individual weekly supervision with an approved supervisor (one of each sex), of two adult training patients, one of each sex, one for at least two years and one for at least eighteen months. Training cases may be drawn from the trainee’s current practice, subject to approval by the NIPaS Training Committee. (See the Regulations for Supervised Training Cases.)

  • Clinical seminars, fortnightly and on three Saturdays per term, until qualification.

  • Theory seminars as required by the Training Committee (including compulsory seminars on Psychoanalytic Assessment, Professional Ethics and Confidentiality, and Termination of Therapy).

  • Entry onto the Scheme is possible at the beginning of each term. Participants shall join the established ongoing seminars as appropriate, alongside the students on the main NIPaS training.

  • Applicants who have not gained sufficient clinical experience with adults in a psychiatric setting during their previous work or training shall be required to acquire this experience during the course of their NIPaS training. Clinical experience in a psychiatric unit must include interviewing and assessing patients under the supervision of a consultant psychiatrist.

  • Successful presentation to a membership panel (which shall include a majority of panellists drawn from IPA organizations other than NIPaS) of a final clinical qualification paper. (See the Completion of Training and Election to Membership regulations.)

  • While it is possible to complete the Advanced Entry Training in a little over two years, where both training cases are treated concurrently, trainees on this scheme shall normally be expected to complete their training within four years.

If you wish to find out more, or are considering applying to the NIPaS Advanced Entry Scheme, please contact in the first instance one of the NIPaS officers listed below:


Prof Bernard Cullen (Chair of the NIPaS Training Committee) b.cullen@qub.ac.uk