Personal Analysis
Personal Analysis is the cornerstone of the training and all trainees need to be in personal analysis for one year prior to beginning clinical seminars and thereafter until qualification. The analysis consists of a minimum of four 50 minute sessions weekly and must be undertaken with a member of the Training Committee.
Infant Observation course
Trainees are required to undertake a minimum of a one year infant observation course and complete a written paper at the end of the observation. The course usually lasts for 4 terms and consists of an hour a week infant observation plus weekly seminars. There are usually opportunities to undertake this training in Glasgow and Aberdeen.
Four year theoretical and clinical seminars
Following successful completion of the Infant observation trainees commence a 4 year period of seminars. Trainees attend 2 consecutive seminars each week, one on psychoanalytical theory and the other on clinical practice. These are currently held on a Tuesday evening during term time. If a trainee is still working with a training patient at the end of the 4 year period they will be required to continue with the clinical seminars until qualification.
Supervised Clinical Work
After about a year of seminars trainees will start to see training patients. They are required to see two patients, one male and one female, each for three times weekly psychoanalytic psychotherapy. The first case will be seen for a minimum of two years and the second for a minimum of 18 months. Each case is supervised in a weekly session with a member of the Training Committee.
Requirements
Prospective applicants should be educated to university degree level or equivalent. They should have an interest in psychoanalysis and an aptitude to work clinically from a psychoanalytic framework. The ability to think and work psychoanalytically – to be curious about, and wish to understand one’s self, relationships and place in the surrounding world are considered to be essential for this training.
Applicants will be required to either have experience of working in a psychiatric setting or be willing to undertake a suitable placement if such experience has not been possible.
Some prospective applicants might not yet fulfil all the criteria. In such cases a member of the training committee would be happy to have a discussion with the individual to explore how they might proceed in order to become eligible to apply.
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