Licensure-Qualifying Program in Psychoanalysis
The Licensure-Qualifying Program in Psychoanalysis is our training program for suitable candidates with a master’s degree in any field, whether they are licensed or not, who want to become a Licensed Psychoanalyst.
The program, which encompasses child, adolescent, parent and individual adult work, usually takes five years part time, though candidates may elect to take as few as four years or longer than five years. Graduates will receive an HFI Certificate of Completion, after which they may apply to New York State’s Office of the Professions for licensing and a two-year limited permit, allowing them to sit the state licensing exam and accrue any more clinical hours needed for licensing. Once they have become Licensed Psychoanalysts and have also met any remaining Institute requirements for HFI’s full Program in Psychoanalysis, they would also be eligible to receive an HFI Certificate in Psychoanalysis.
Candidates start by learning the essential elements of play therapy and working with parents or primary caregivers, while expanding and deepening their knowledge of psychoanalytic theory and technique. In child work, clinical sessions are used to treat children and adolescents, while collateral sessions are held with parents or primary caregivers.
Candidates spend their first few years working clinically in one of the Institute’s child-treatment centers with children, adolescents and their parents or primary caregivers. For the final two or three years of the program, candidates may have the option of moving to another of the Institute’s clinical settings where their work may focus more on parents as adult clients or on other individual adult clients.
Full details this and all the programs are contained in the Institute’s catalogue:
click here to download a PDF of our Catalogue.
Application Requirements
Applicants should hold at least a master’s degree in any field from a program recognized by the New York State Education Department and be at least 21 years of age. Please see the Institute’s Application Form.
In interviewing applicants, Harlem Family looks for broad humanistic interests, seriousness of intent, potential for good clinical skills, intellectual development, and a high capacity for empathy. Copies of their licenses, transcripts of at least one graduate degree in a program recognized by New York State and at least two letters of recommendation are required.
Licensing as a Licensed Psychoanalyst in New York State requires the successful completion of a 1,350-hour education component and a 1,500-hour clinical-experience component under appropriate supervision. A licensure-qualifying program covers just the education component.
The Institute’s 1,350-hour licensure-qualifying education program involves at least 430 hours of post-master’s coursework, 300 hours of experience in the clinical practice of psychoanalysis,150 hours of individual clinical supervision of that casework, including 50 hours with one supervisor on a single case, and 300 hours of personal psychoanalysis at least two to four times a week.
Clinical Experience
Candidates are encouraged to remain at the Institute to complete the 1,500 clock-hours of clinical experience required for licensing as a Licensed Psychoanalyst and also to undertake any additional work to graduate, once licensed, from the Institute’s full Program in Psychoanalysis with its Certificate in Psychoanalysis.
Remaining at the setting ensures continuity for patients as well as for candidates. However, those who choose to transfer to another Institute after receiving their Certificate of Completion will be treated the same as those who remain.
Click here to download of PDF of our Catalogue, which contains full details of the program.