Alan Bass, Ph.D., Director

IPTAR’s Respecialization Program is a pre-psychoanalytic training sequence designed for two groups of candidates:

• Applicants pursuing or having completed graduate degrees in social work, psychology, nursing, psychiatry who are interested in learning more about psychoanalytic theory and practice;
• Applicants from all academic and professional fields, including the humanities, social sciences, education, law, medicine, and the arts who are interested in respecializing in psychoanalysis.

Applicants with mental health clinical experience can potentially complete the program in one year; all applicants with no previous clinical experience will follow a two year sequence.

Coursework

The Respecialization Program follows the regular IPTAR course calendar for starting and ending dates and vacations. As in the full program some courses meet for eight week quarters, and some for sixteen week halves of the year.

The course sequence for the first year of the program is:

1. Introduction to Psychopathology and Diagnosis I (eight weeks); 2. Introduction to Psychopathology and Diagnosis II (eight weeks); 3. Introduction to Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy (eight weeks); 4. Introduction to the Treatment of the More Disturbed Patient (eight weeks). 5. Two concurrent sixteen week Clinical Seminars.

The course sequence for the second year of the program is: 1. Introduction to Classical Technique (sixteen weeks); 2. Introduction to Development I (eight weeks); 3. Introduction to Development II (eight weeks), 4. Two concurrent sixteen week Clinical Seminars. 5. An eight session course on Psychosis, which includes an on site hospital component.

Candidates are evaluated by instructors in all courses. In addition, candidates are asked to evaluate their instructors in order to maintain a high level of instruction.

Clinical Experience

Candidates with no previous clinical experience are required to participate in an introductory externship under the guidance of the IPTAR Clinical Center. There are two options, one with the “Friendly Visitors” program at the Hebrew Home for the Aged in Riverdale, the other with a program for “at risk” adolescents and with a Bank Street Model Magnet Program elementary school. Candidates are required to participate in either option, with supervision provided free of charge, for the full academic year.

Candidates with mental health clinical experience can immediately begin doing individual psychotherapy at a placement provided by the Program. All second year Respecialization students are required to participate in this psychotherapy placement. Again, supervision is provided free of charge. Second year Respecialization candidates who have begun full training analyses are eligible to apply to begin seeing patients in therapy at the IPTAR Clinical Center.

Resources

In addition to the opportunity of becoming a member of a vibrant intellectual community, IPTAR offers a number of valuable resources to its candidates, including a comprehensive psychoanalytic library and access to PEP WEB; a vital candidates’ organization; and the IPTAR Clinical Center (ICC). Through the ICC, candidates may be referred patients and begin to develop a private practice. For their work at the ICC candidates receive fees and free supervision from members of IPTAR.

More Information

For more information, please contact the director:

• Alan Bass, Ph.D., Director – 212 316-6566

Download the application here:

Respecialization Program Application (PDF)