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The tripartite training program in adult psychoanalysis consists of personal analysis, educational coursework, and supervised psychoanalytic work with patients. The foremost goal of psychoanalytic training at SFCP is to facilitate each candidate becoming a psychoanalyst -- in particular, for each candidate to develop the capacity to practice psychoanalysis in a way that responds to each patient’s unique needs. This capacity grows as candidates immerse themselves in the various components of the training program, and it continues to develop after they complete training.
The major steps in training are shown below. Each will be elaborated in subsequent sections:
With the exception of admissions decisions and candidates establishing a personal training analysis, all of the other steps in the sequence outlined above are tracked by and decided upon by the Progression and Graduation Committee with consultation as needed from the Psychoanalytic Education Division (PED).
The Progression and Graduation Committee (PGC) is a subcommittee of the PED and is comprised of the PGC Chair, Dean, PED Chair (ex officio), supervising analysts and faculty who have been appointed to the committee for a two-year term. The purpose of the PGC is twofold. First, it reviews the progression and development of each candidate in their seminar work, based on instructor evaluations, and in their clinical work, based on supervisory evaluations and the candidate’s written self-assessment and sample of analytic process, and it tracks candidates’ compliance with personal analysis policies. Second, it provides feedback to candidates on their educational and clinical development as well as on their progression in achieving the objective requirements.
Once per year, a candidate’s progress will be reviewed at an annual PGC meeting with all of the supervisors with whom the candidate has worked since the last PGC review in attendance. A report from this meeting will be discussed with the candidate by a member of the PGC. Upon completion of all training requirements, a candidate will be considered by the PGC for graduation. (See section below on Candidate Progression for further description regarding the annual PGC review of each candidate’s work, and of criteria for progression and graduation.)
The following sections describe each of the steps toward graduation in more detail.
