Clinical Training in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy
Philosophy and Objectives
We aim to enable trainees to become competent and responsible psychoanalytic psychotherapists, through acquiring thorough theoretical knowledge, sound clinical skills, and an ethical and professional approach to practice.
The course reflects the pluralist psychoanalytic base of the Severnside Institute for Psychotherapy. Accordingly, the course covers the theories, clinical concepts, and techniques of Freud, Jung, Klein and the British Independents in their classical and contemporary forms.
The Severnside Institute for Psychotherapy aims to have an up to date approach to training. We aim for flexible, broad access for applicants, and rigour in assessing readiness to work with patients and to qualify as a psychoanalytical psychotherapist.
Structure of the Training
The training is divided into a Pre-clinical and a Clinical Training.
The Pre-clinical Courses
The Pre-clinical phase comprises three courses:
Courses run on Monday evenings in Bristol. They can be taken in different years, or at the same time. The courses are also open to those who do not wish to apply for the Clinical Training. Further details can be found under Pre-clinical courses.
Please note that you must be in therapy for at least 18 months before starting the Clinical Training. Therefore, you are likely to want to start your therapy whilst undertaking the Pre-clinical courses. Therapy must be with an SIP Approved Training Therapist.
The Clinical Training
In this phase of training:
- You attend theory and clinical seminars over a period of three years. Seminars are held in central Bristol on Monday evenings. Each year, there are three terms of 10 weeks.
- You treat two patients.
- You have three times a week personal therapy with an SIP Approved Training Therapist.
After the seminars are finished, you submit a theory paper.
Each training patient is to be in therapy at least three times a week, one for a minimum of two years, and one for a minimum of eighteen months. For each patient, you have weekly supervision with an approved Training Supervisor. You write reports on each patient every six months, and discuss your reports with your supervisors.
On completion of the required supervised work with patients, you apply to write and present a clinical paper concerning one of your training cases. Once you have permission to write your paper, all supervision and your own therapy continue until the paper is accepted. If the paper is acceptable, you graduate and can become a qualified member of SIP and BPC.
Moving from the Pre-clinical courses to the Clinical Training
When you have completed the Pre-clinical courses, you then apply to undertake the Clinical Training. Personal suitability is seen as important as specific requirements. In the following list, points 1–2 are recommendations and 3–5 are requirements:
- Several years' experience relevant to the training (Example: psychiatric clinical work or social casework).
- A recognised professional or academic qualification (Example: relevant degree or CQSW).
- Successful completion of all three Pre-clinical courses, with a written paper for Infant Observation and Work Discussion.
You can also apply to the Clinical Training if you have completed equivalent courses in another BPC organisation. Please contact the SIP administrator to enquire. - At least eighteen months of three times a week psychotherapy with an SIP Approved Training Therapist before starting the Clinical Training.
- Experience of working in a psychiatric setting. If you have not worked in a psychiatric setting, SIP will advise you on finding a suitable placement.
Assessment
The Training Committee has overall responsibility for the on-going assessment of all trainees until graduation. You are assessed on a continuous basis on both your clinical and written work. You will need to meet the specific requirements of the Pre-clinical courses and the Clinical Training, and show suitability to become a professional psychoanalytic psychotherapist.
Although the taught syllabus of the Clinical Training covers three years, training is only completed when you have achieved all the training requirements and are deemed by the Training Committee to be ready to practice as an independent, competent and ethical psychoanalytic psychotherapist. Most people take more than the three years to complete the clinical work, write their final clinical paper, and achieve the required theoretical and professional skills to qualify.
The Training Committee, in the light of reviews and assessments, may require a trainee to defer progress, repeat any component of the training, or leave the course.
Tutors
You will be allocated a personal tutor to help with queries or difficulties regarding the training. The personal tutor will also liaise with seminar leaders, supervisors and the Training Committee to provide a co-ordinated assessment of your progress.
A year tutor is assigned to the year group for the duration of your group's training. The year tutor's role is to assist the group as a whole in dealing with training concerns.
You meet your personal and year tutor each term.
Dates
Currently, clinical courses require attendance on Monday afternoons / evenings during term times (dates for 2008-9). Although this timing is likely to continue, we cannot guarantee it.
You will individually negotiate times to see your patients, attend supervision, and see your own therapist.
Venue
Seminars are run at 11 Orchard Street, Bristol.
Fees and costs
Fee for processing your application: £150. If you withdraw your application before being interviewed, half the fee will be refunded.
Fees for the Clinical Training will be set when it is decided that the course can begin. Subsequently, in May we will tell you the fee for the next curricular year (starting in September). If you need a preliminary idea of fees, please contact us on telephone 0117 923 2354, but be aware that the fees cannot be completely fixed until shortly before they are due.
Please visit our Pre-clinical courses page for fees for this part of the training.
As well as the training fee, you pay for your individual therapy and supervision. You are responsible for direct negotiation of these costs. If you need an up-to-date idea of current charges, please contact us. However, we can only give you a very rough idea, as each psychotherapist sets their own charges for therapy and supervision.
Application procedure
SIP follows an equal opportunities policy in its selection procedures at all stages.
You can submit an application at any time. You will be interviewed after application, and we will let you know if you have been accepted for training. The course will start when there are sufficient candidates to proceed. We do not run a course every year.
If you prefer, you can apply to take the Pre-clinical courses, and then proceed from there.
Application forms can be requested from SIP's Administrator or by our on-line enquiry form.
Contact the Administrator by telephone: 0117 923 2354 or by email to administrator@sipsychotherapy.org.
Important Notes
- SIP reserves the right not to run a course.
- SIP reserves the right not to accept an applicant.
- SIP reserves the right to alter its existing constitution, criteria for membership, training procedures, timetables and assessments.
- If you have particular access needs please let us know as soon as possible so that we can discuss how best to meet these.