Supervision

A crucial integration

Analytic supervision is the crucial integrative experience of the candidate’s education, bringing together both the didactic analytic curriculum and the personal training analysis. In supervision, the candidate learns how to assess the appropriateness of psychoanalytic treatment, how to evaluate and facilitate the conversion to psychoanalysis from psychotherapy, and how to conduct an analysis.

The supervisory relationship offers the candidate a forum in which to explore his or her evolving understanding of the relationship of clinical work and analytic theory, to learn analytic skills, and to have an important mentoring and modeling opportunity, all of which are aspects of the candidate’s developing analytic identity.

The process

Each first-year candidate is assigned a supervisor from the Center’s roster of Training and Supervising Analysts at the beginning of his or her training. Their work begins by reviewing the candidate’s private practice for patient’s who might benefit from psychoanalysis, or conducting evaluations of patients referred by the Center’s Admission and Treatment Service. When an appropriate patient is found, the trainee begins an analysis at a frequency of three to five times weekly according to the needs and interests of the patient.

In the Spring of the first year of training, the candidate is asked to submit preferences for a second supervisor. All efforts are made to match candidates with a supervisor of their choice. This second supervision begins in June of the first year.

The same process is repeated in the Spring of the second year of training. In deference to trainees' other time committments, this process may be slowed at the candidate's request.

After the third supervised analysis begins, the candidate is encouraged to take up unsupervised private psychoanalyses. Candidates are advised to consult once or twice a year about such patients with a consultant analyst of their choice from the faculty of the Center. After graduation, the candidate is expected to continue these analytic cases to their conclusion as he or she would with any private cases.

To complete the training program a candidate must treat under supervision a minimum of three cases with three supervisors for a total minimum of 60 months combined. At least one of those cases must last 18 months or longer.

feedback

At the Center, we believe that frequent, clear, and detailed feedback is essential for learning the practice of psychoanalysis. Twice yearly, trainees and supervisors meet to discuss the trainee's progress towards achieving the Center's specific learning objectives for that candidate's level of training. At the end of each semester, the candidate receives a written report detailing their progress from each supervisor.