Certifications offered:

Certification in Adult Psychoanalysis and Certification in Child & Adolescent Psychoanalysis are available.   It is not necessary to achieve board certification in Adult Psychoanalysis in order to be board certified in Child & Adolescent Psychoanalysis.   Those desiring certification in both Adult and Child & Adolescent Psychoanalysis may apply for either at two different meetings, or both together at the same meeting.

Eligibility

Mental Health Education and Experience:

Applicants must possess mental health training and related clinical experience and may demonstrate this in two ways: either

1. the applicant must possess a post-graduate level degree in a mental health discipline, including related clinical experience, resulting in licensure or certification for the independent practice of a core mental health care discipline at the highest clinical level for that discipline; or
   
   
2.  alternatively, demonstrating by reasonably satisfactory documentation their having obtained education, training and clinical experience that shows a solid foundation and practice experience in mental health care (including close supervision in individual cases), for example: psychotherapy experience; the ability to diagnose mental disorders; make differential diagnoses and biopsychosocial and psychodynamic formulations; develop individual treatment plans; and know how to use consultants or make referrals in areas outside his or her scope of practice. 

For purposes of interpreting and applying this eligibility requirement, a license or certification solely to practice psychoanalysis shall not be deemed a licensure or certification in a core mental care discipline under clause (1). 

An applicant with such a license or certification must separately and in addition meet the requirements either of clause (1) by possessing licensure or certification for the independent practice of a core mental health care discipline, or of clause (2) by demonstrating the described education, training and clinical experience.

Psychoanalytic Education and Training:

Applicants must either:

• be graduates of Institutes accredited or approved as meeting the standards of AAPE, ACPEInc, IPA, or APsaA; (submit analytic certificate)  or
  
  
• have successfully completed an integrated psychoanalytic training program meeting the following minimum criteria:

     A.   300 hours of in-depth training analysis, frequency of 3-5 times/week;

     B.   350 curriculum hours including course work in:

           i.   Psychoanalytic Treatment Situation and Technique; 
          ii.   Psychoanalytic Theory;
         iii.   Psychopathology;
         iv.   Development; and
         v.    Continuous Case Seminars and Clinical Conferences.

     C.  Two supervised analytic cases, each 3-5 times/week with a minimum of 200 supervised hours but in any event over a sufficient period of time to allow the applicant to have recognized, evaluated, and interpreted the dominant genetic factors and central conflicts, as well as to have allowed significant transference manifestations to have developed, be observed, understood and worked through and to have allowed for counter transference manifestations to be understood.

Licensure & Ethics:

• have an appropriate and current mental health-related license to practice in the jurisdiction in which the applicant is practicing or, if in a jurisdiction that does not require such licensure, to provide additional information
• comply with ethical standards and professional conduct

Analytic Experience:

• submit written reports and be prepared to discuss at the interview cases that meet the following criteria:
  
• • patients seen at a frequency of three to five times a week
  • at least one of the cases must have formally terminated the analysis by the date of submission of the Certification application
  • be able and prepared to discuss a third patient who has been in a three to five times per week analysis
  • at least two of the three cases presented must be conducted substantially in person

  • • It may be necessary that treatments be conducted remotely during quarantines, societal shutdowns or other periods when health or safety measures, such as social distancing, make in-person treatment not possible, and that the in-person requirement will be applied accordingly on a modified basis

    • Where the analysis has been substantially conducted remotely, the applicant should address the implications of that on the analysis and how it was addressed in the treatment

  • writeups must be between 17-20 pages, double spaced, double sided with one-inch margins.  (submit 14 copies)
  • We strongly recommend, but do not require, that applicants present patients of different genders in order to provide the best circumstances for evaluation.
  • Process notes, submitted at a later time, for a minimum of three cases

Child & Adolescent Certification Applicants, should include in addition to the above:

Candidates are expected to submit three written reports - two of full length, and one brief report of five pages - of child and adolescent cases from different developmental phases, including adolescence. One case must include the use of play as a treatment modality.

Write-ups that fall outside of our page or formatting requirements will not be accepted. You will be notified and have the opportunity to resubmit a report that meets the page and formatting requirement, if your revised report is received by the original due date. No extensions of the deadline will be granted.

Process Notes

Process notes are not submitted with the write-ups, but must be brought with you to the interview.  See the Handbook for Applicants for details.

In order to be eligible to sit for the examination the application fee, examination fee(s), complete documentation, and the verification of your license must occur by the deadline for the examination period in which you wish to test. 

Completed application materials and payments must be received by the deadline to the following address: 
ABPsa, 501 S. Cherry Street, #1100, Denver, CO 80246

Please do not contact the office to make sure we received your materials. 
If you want to be sure your package was delivered, please use a tracking number with USPS, UPS, or FedEx. 
The office will send a confirmation email within two weeks after the deadline.

Frequently Asked Questions From Applicants

I have a lot to say, can my case write-ups be longer than 20 pages?

Due to the limited time the committee members have to read and review of all the case reports, please limit the two full case write-ups to 17-20 pages. Child & Adolescent applicants will submit a third case writeup that is no more than 5 pages. All case reports must have 1 inch margins, size 12 font & printed double sided, stapled in upper left corner with the case face sheet attached.  

Write-ups that fall outside of our page or formatting requirements will not be accepted. Applicants will be notified and have the opportunity to resubmit a report that meets the page and formatting requirement, if the revised report is received by the original due date. No extensions of the deadline will be granted.

My case won't terminate by the deadline, can I still apply?

To be eligible to sit for an upcoming examination, at least one of the written case reports must have formally terminated by the date of the submission of the application. The termination must be mentioned in the case-write up. Process notes may also include the termination experience.  

What kind of process notes should I use?

Applicants should use the process notes to demonstrate core competencies and how the applicant worked with them. Session material should cover issues about which the applicant anticipates the committee could have questions, or focuses on an important aspect of the analysis. For the completed case, it would be helpful for the applicant to bring session material from the termination phase.

Process notes should be from 3 session from 3 cases:

• Adult Applicants: Case 1 write-up + Case 2 write-up + a third case, ideally recent
• Child & Adolescent Applicants: Case 1 write-up + Case 2 write-up + Case 3, the brief report.

I know somebody on the examination certification committee, will they read my case reports?

No. The applicants review a list of committee members and participant observers for any recusals. Those who are recused do not receive the case write-ups and do not sit in on the discussions or interviews related to the certification examination.

What am I being evaluated on?

In its review of an application, the Certification Committee assesses the presence of the clinical skills described in the core competencies as evidence of competent analytic work by the applicant. View the core competencies.

Can I request a date of my examination?

Yes. Applicant requests may be submitted in writing to the ABPsa office any time prior to the deadline, either while registering, or by email. ABPsa cannot guarantee that the request will be granted, but every effort will be made to do so.

I didn't pass the examination. May I retake it?

Yes. Applicants who did not pass may take the examination again. Each examination will be a comprehensive examination, meaning that the applicant will be evaluated on all competencies and have new examiners.

There is no limit on the number of times one can sit for certification. The ABPsa Office retains applications for a period of five years after the original application date. After five years, the applicant would be required to submit a new application for an additional five years and pays a new application fee.