Istanbul Psychoanalytical Association for Training Research and Development (Psike Istanbul)
Guidelines for Psychoanalytic Training
Istanbul Psychoanalytical Association for Training Research and Development (Psike Istanbul) has two committees for the evaluation of candidate applications for psychoanalytic training and follow up of requirements to be fulfilled by the candidates during the training process:
Admissions Committee and Progression Committee
Admissions Committee: Applications for candidacy to the psychoanalytic training program are made to this committee in Psike Istanbul. The Admissions Committee evaluates the candidates’ applications, admissions interviews and interview results, and finalizes the application processes.
Progression Committee: Monitors the required stages to be completed by the candidates during the training process; keeps record of this process; assigns interviewers for the interviews to be conducted with the candidates; assesses and finalizes the interview results and notifies the candidates.
Who Can Apply to Become a Candidate?
-Psychiatrists, child psychiatrists;
-Psychologists;
-Psychological Counselors;
-General Practitioners;
-Practitioners specialized in any branch of medicine;
-Social workers (Social workers are required to have minimum five years of clinical experience in a psychiatric hospital);
-Psychiatry nurses with an undergraduate degree (Psychiatry nurses are required to have minimum five years of clinical experience in a psychiatric hospital);
-Psychiatry and child psychiatry residency candidates;
-Applicants outside the mental health field (These applicants are required to have a master’s degree in clinical psychology).
Applicants who meet the aforementioned criteria are accepted as candidates for psychoanalytic training only after their applications are evaluated by the Admissions Committee. The monitoring and assessment of the subsequent process is also conducted by the Admissions Committee. For information on this process, review the below section on “Training Requirements to Become a Psychoanalyst”.
– Additional requirements for candidates to complete their training of becoming a psychoanalyst:
a) Psychology and Psychological Counseling graduates, social workers, and psychiatry nurses with an undergraduate degree are expected to complete a master’s degree in clinical psychology before taking their first cases under supervision as part of the psychoanalytic training process.
b) Psychiatry and child psychiatry residency candidates are expected to have completed the first two years of their residency program before taking on their first cases under supervision as part of the psychoanalytic training process.
c) Practitioners specialized in a field of medicine outside psychiatry are expected to have completed the first two years of specialization in psychiatry or obtained a master’s degree in clinical psychology before taking on their first cases in the psychoanalytic training process.
d) Applicants outside the mental health field, who have a master’s degree in clinical psychology and have been accepted by Psike Istanbul as candidates, are expected to have a minimum six months of clinical experience before taking on their first cases under supervision.
The Psychoanalytic Training Process
A. To become registered IPA candidates in Psike Istanbul:
Parties must apply to the Psike Istanbul Admissions Committee and fulfill the requirements.
B. Psike Istanbul has adopted the training criteria and standards of the International Psychoanalytic Association founded by Sigmund Freud. Since the 1920s, these criteria are based on a tripartite model of training:
- Personal analysis of the candidate
- Theoretical seminars
- Clinical seminars and analysis of control cases accompanied by supervising analysts.
Training Requirements to Become a Psychoanalyst
Psike Istanbul’s psychoanalytic training steps are summarized below.
1. Personal analysis
a) The psychoanalytic work must be undertaken with an IPA member psychoanalyst.
b) In order to become a candidate, psychoanalysis must be conducted 3 to 5 times a week.
c) Analysis conducted outside Turkey or in another city in Turkey must be at least 100 hours a year. The setting and frequency of the analysis must be approved by the Admissions and Progression Committees.
d) In order to apply to be a candidate, the applicant must have been in personal analysis for at least two years, meeting the criteria above.
The Admissions and Progression Committees guarantee the private and confidential nature of the personal analysis. The analyst conducting the personal analysis does not participate in any way in the admission process or the progression of the training.
2. Theoretical Training
Following the interviews with the Admissions Committee, if the applicant found eligible as a candidate, he/she will be admitted to theoretical training. The theoretical training is a four-year course of a minimum of 64 hours theoretical study a year. Seminars are conducted every week or every two weeks to add up to a minimum of 64 hours a year. This does not include the technical-clinical seminar.
The basic curriculum is determined by the Training Committee. It includes required reading (core program) and elective reading recommended by the seminar leader.
3. Clinical seminars and analysis of control cases with supervising analysts
a) Clinical-Technical Seminars
The Clinical-Technical Seminar process begins when candidates get permission to take their first control cases approved by the Progression Committee. While treating control cases, the candidate must attend the clinical-technical seminars until he/she has completed his/her training as a candidate and he/she is accepted as a psychoanalyst. These seminars usually take place on a biweekly basis and last a minimum of two hours. The seminar leader must be an IPA training psychoanalyst or an IPA member approved by the Training Committee.
b) Analysis of control cases with supervising analysts
a) Each candidate must conduct analysis with two control cases 3 to 5 sessions a week. The duration of each control analysis must be at least two years. If the analysis is terminated or interrupted earlier, the candidate must start a new case. It is recommended to be in supervision also after the two years, and to receive supervision until the completion of the analysis of one of the control cases.
b) Analysis of each control case requires a different supervisor.
c) It is recommended to have one supervisor from Turkey and one from abroad. This is aimed at broadening the experience and exposing the candidate to supervisors from different psychoanalytic cultures.
d) The candidate can apply to be interviewed to take on his/her first control case after completing a minimum of one year of theoretical study. The Progression Committee will then discuss with him/her the potential case and the suggested supervisor at this stage. If at any point there is need or request for a change of supervisor, this has to be approved by the Progression Committee.
e) The candidate can apply to be interviewed for his/her second control case only after conducting his/her first control analysis for at least one year under supervision. The supervisor of the first case must submit a report to the Progression Committee. Interviewers assigned by the Progression Committee review the first control case with the candidate, and discuss the potential second case and possible supervisors. In this process as well, if at any point there is a request for a change of supervisor, this has to be approved by the Progression Committee.
f) Any IPA training analyst is acceptable as supervisor. If the candidate’s supervisor is abroad or out of town, the candidate must meet the supervisor at least four times a year (face to face) and have weekly virtual supervision in between meetings. If the supervision is conducted locally, the meeting frequency is once a week. If the supervisor is not a training analyst, then he/she must be specifically authorized by the Progression Committee.
g) The candidates agree not to refer to themselves as “analyst” and not conduct psychoanalysis without supervision until they are approved by Psike Istanbul as a Psike Istanbul member psychoanalyst.
Requirements for Psike Istanbul Membership
a) Fulfillment of the abovementioned requirements,
b) A presentation by the candidate to the interviewers assigned by the ProgressionCommittee on one or both of his/her control cases, supported by theoretical background and a discussion,
c) Fulfillment of financial obligations to IPA and Psike Istanbul.
Summary
Stages of training:
a) At least two years long approved personal analysis of at least three times a week, or 100 hours a year if conducted out of town, prior to the application.
b. Application for admission interview to become a candidate. After candidacy is approved, personal analysis is expected to continue four times a week or 100 hours a year.
c) Admissions Committee’s approval of the application, thereupon beginning the theoretical study.
d) Application for the first control case after at least one year of theoretical study and an interview with the interviewers assigned by the Progression Committee to take on the first control case.
e) Application to the Progression Committee for the second control case after working with the first control case for at least one year, a report and recommendation from the first supervisor, and an interview with the interviewers assigned by the Progression Committee.
f) Step by step requirements to become a psychoanalyst: a personal analysis, two control cases under supervision, four years of theoretical training and clinical-technical seminars, final presentation to the interviewers assigned by the Progression Committee, including case presentation and theoretical article.
g) Fulfillment of financial obligations to IPA and Psike Istanbul.
For applications of acceptance to psychoanalysis training, please contact the President of the Admissions Committee, Gülgün Alptekin, gulgunalptekin0@gmail.com.