Criteria and Guidelines for Accreditation as a Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist with IPSS
Applicants for individual accreditation as a psychoanalytic psychotherapist may already be fully registered with UKCP with another College, or be a student member of UKCP. They may also be a member of BACP, or hold an ECP (European Certificate of Psychotherapy). In addition, the IPSS plans to offer an alternative psychodynamic psychotherapist accreditation route in due course. The training and experience requirements for this route will remain robust but the personal therapy, and individual patient work conditions will be less rigorous. If this route interests you, please check back into our website from time to time. When you find the route available you are welcome to apply.
Applicants will be seeking accreditation as an individual psychoanalytic psychotherapist through a combination of relevant previous training and clinical experience.
a) For applicants without a completed or a full formal training in psychoanalytic psychotherapy, professional equivalence may be achieved based on the CPJA Standards of Education and Training. Applicants who have a qualification in psychodynamic counselling for example, in addition to meeting all clinical supervision and personal therapy requirements, may be accredited if they can demonstrate sufficient additional relevant Master’s level CPD study comparable in depth and breadth with the CPJA Standards of Education and Training
b) Applicants with sufficient theoretical study demonstrably meeting the CPJA Standards of Education and Training thresh-hold requirements, may be accredited on condition they have achieved the following minimum clinical criteria:
• Personal Psychotherapy/Psychoanalysis - Although it can be interpreted flexibly, this will normally have been for a minimum of 4 years in total, of which a minimum of two years (continuous) must have been twice (or more) a week. We would also expect a substantial overlap with the psychoanalytic clinical work for which the applicant wishes to be accredited. The applicant’s therapist(s) will normally have been an accredited psychoanalytic psychotherapist/psychoanalyst from the CPJA (UKCP) or BPC (or equivalent) and themselves have had at least five years post-qualification experience. This is a requirement in relation to the period of twice (or more) weekly psychotherapy.
• Have themselves offered psychoanalytic psychotherapy twice a week to at least one client/patient for no less than a continuous 12- month period (under appropriate weekly psychoanalytic supervision). This will be considered the applicants ‘training case’.
• Significant additional once a week clinical experience under psychoanalytic supervision.
It is imagined that whilst some applicants will meet the above criteria at the point of applying, others may not. For the latter, you are welcome to apply on the basis that further personal therapy, CPD and/or supervised practice will be undertaken with an IPSS approved psychoanalytical psychotherapist/supervisor before accreditation is appropriate.
Guidelines on Previous Training
1. A postgraduate course/training with a completed academic element (including essays/assignments)
The course should include at least 250 hours of formal teaching time (or 500 hours, if tutorials, supervisions, groupwork, and any infant observations are also counted).
• Over three or four years (any ‘introductory’ year is not counted);
• Main psychoanalytic theories and methods have formed the major part of the teaching;
2. Infant development - Training in infant development and/or baby observation.
3. Knowledge of and experience of working with serious mental disorders. This could include a psychiatric placement.
4. Clinical seminars - Demonstrating the use of supervision to inform clinical practice.
5. Assessments and Formulation - Proven ability to undertake psychoanalytic psychotherapy assessments and create a psychoanalytic formulation of the patients presenting issues based on, but not limited to, understanding of unconscious processes.
6. Candidates should demonstrate a basic understanding of research techniques and their application to the investigation and evaluation of psychotherapeutic interventions from assessment to treatment end. Candidates should demonstrate the ability to accurately understand and interpret the findings of research in journals and other sources, alongside demonstrating a capacity to critique these.
Whilst a verifiable Master’s degree is not a requirement of accreditation, all submitted work will be assessed at Masters level using the assessment framework provided here: IPSS Master's Level Assessment Criteria and must meet the CPJA Standards of Education and Training thresh-hold requirements in full.
If the completed postgraduate training was in psychodynamic counselling, integrative psychotherapy, music or art therapy, or other allied discipline, then the applicant will need (by way of equivalence) to demonstrate sufficient post qualification Masters level CPD study across the theoretical field of individual adult psychoanalytic psychotherapy before being considered for Stage 3 accreditation.
Guidelines on the Experience of Personal Psychodynamic Psychotherapy/Psychoanalysis
To achieve accreditation, the applicant will need to demonstrate substantial personal psychoanalytic psychotherapy or psychoanalysis with an accredited practitioner. Although it can be interpreted flexibly, this will normally have been for a minimum of 4 years in total, of which a minimum of two years (continuous) must have been twice (or more) a week. We would also expect a substantial overlap with the psychoanalytic clinical work for which the applicant wishes to be accredited.
The applicant’s therapist(s) will normally have been an accredited psychoanalytic psychotherapist/psychoanalyst from the CPJA (UKCP) or BPC (or equivalent) and themselves have had at least five years post-qualification experience. This is a requirement in relation to the period of once (or more) weekly psychotherapy.
In working towards full UKCP accreditation, IPSS may offer recommendations to support relevant applicants in meeting the above personal therapy requirements at their own cost as considered individually appropriate.
Guidelines on Clinical Experience and the Experience of Supervision
The applicant will have had substantial psychoanalytic supervision with a suitably experienced psychoanalytic practitioner and experienced supervisor. This would normally be individual (one on one) and weekly for the full duration of the twice a week ‘training case’.
Once a week work will also have been closely supervised. It is also considered good practice that the applicant’s current and ongoing work continues to be supervised
Given the above requirements, it is unlikely that any applicant with less than three years of clinical experience of seeing their own individual clients/patients will be considered ready for accreditation as a psychoanalytic psychotherapist.
Supervisor references will be required, and may be verified.
In working towards full UKCP accreditation, IPSS may offer recommendations to support relevant applicants in meeting the above supervision requirements as is considered individually appropriate. However, the responsibility to find suitable clients/patients and fund supervision remains with the applicant.