Since inception, the ABPsa Competency Committee has been committed to including as many perspectives—and analysts—as possible we review of the core psychoanalytic competencies at the heart of the certification examination.

Online Focus Groups: It doesn’t matter where you live

So far, over 50 of you have shared your thoughts in these preliminary in-person focus groups at APsaA , and the online focus group platform we are using to expand our reach.

Our research protocol calls for us to take a look at the information gleaned from these early rounds and refine, as necessary: Are we asking the right questions to the right people? Do we need to recruit more vigorously outside the APsaA universe? Have we included the voices of analysts of color? Of LGBTQ analysts?

The ABPsa Competency Committee and Research Chair will be busy working with a research consultant and ABPsa’s own part-time researcher to analyze the data-to-date, update the questions, and identify where we’ll do more recruitment.

We are working our way toward a survey of proposed competencies for the 21st century that will be distributed to as many analysts as we can locate in the USA. It is a process!

If you believe you belong to a constituency that may be under-represented, please contact Executive Director Denise Wagner so you can be included in the feedback we will be providing about the competencies.

And thank you again (or in advance) for your participation!

At the June 2020 Board of Directors meeting, the Board voted to update the eligibility for applicants applying for the examination:

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 care at the highest clinical level for that care; 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 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:

Analytic Experience:

• • submit written reports and be prepared to discuss at the interview cases that meet the following criteria:
• • patients of different genders
  • patients seen at a frequency of three to five times a week
  • at least one case must have a termination experience
• • be able and prepared to discuss a third patient who has been in a three to five times per week analysis

The reports of applicants for Child & Adolescent Certification, should include, in addition to above:

The June 2020 examination was held remote with 3 applicants in Adult Psychoanalysis of which 2 passed for a 66% pass rate and 1 applicants in Child & Adolescent of which 1 passed for a 100% pass rate.

We would like to congratulate the following individuals for passing the certification examination and becoming a Fellow of the American Board of Psychoanalysis.

Adult Certification

• Navah Kaplan, Ph.D. – NYPSI
• Andrew Klafter, M.D. - Cincinnati

Child & Adolescent Certification

• Van DeGolia, M.D. – Los Angeles

At the February 2020 Board of Directors meeting, the Board voted to update the eligibility for applicants applying for the examination:

• 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  (updated)
• at least two of the three cases presented must be conducted substantially in-person  (new)
  

The February 2020 examination was held in New York, NY with 7 applicants in Adult Psychoanalysis of which 5 passed for a 71% pass rate and 2 applicants in Child & Adolescent of which both passed for a 100% pass rate.

We would like to congratulate the following individuals for passing the certification examination and becoming a Fellow of the American Board of Psychoanalysis.

Adult Certification

• Nancy Bakalar, M.D. – International Institute Psychoanalytic Training / Denver
• Jeanne Johnson, M.D. - Oregon
• Joshua Loewenstein, Ph.D. - Pine / Boston
• Lisa Price, M.D. - Boston
• Elizabeth Wilson, M.D. – Western New England

Child & Adolescent Certification

• Stephanie Brandt, M.D. – New York Psychoanalytic Society & Institute

• Kevin Udis, Ph.D. – Denver

The June 2019 examination was held in San Diego, CA with 8 applicants in Adult Psychoanalysis of which 6 passed for a 75% pass rate.

We would like to congratulate the following individuals for passing the certification examination and becoming a Fellow of the American Board of Psychoanalysis.

Adult Certification

• Lynne Gillick, Ph.D. – Denver
• Janet Noonan, LICSW – Boston
• Matthew Shaw, PhD – Western New England
• Malini Singh, PhD – PANY
• Gail VanLangen, PhD - Michigan
• Laura Whitman, MD – PANY

The ABPsa is celebrating its 5th anniversary in June 2019! Since becoming a national independent Certification Board in 2014, we have certified over 575 psychoanalysts in Adult and Child & Adolescent psychoanalysis through grandparenting and examinations. Grandparented analysts previously certified by APsaA, ABPP, and BCD-P, as well as others who met our expanded criteria make up a strong base of ABPsa Fellows. Twice yearly, we’ve enjoyed a hearty group of applicants including both new graduates and seasoned analysts esteemed in their local institutes who were certified for the first time by the ABPsa.

After successfully establishing a strong and sustainable organization, with financial stability and clear policies and procedures, we are now excited to turn our energy and resources to an area especially vital to the strength of the profession of psychoanalysis. Through our Competencies Initiative we'll ensure that we continue to offer you ‘Standards you can trust.’

Our Competencies Initiative is a comprehensive review of these standards: the core competencies and our methods of assessing them. Following best practices, as defined by the agencies that accredit certification boards, we have initiated a thorough review of our current competencies to ensure they remain relevant and applicable to psychoanalysis today. Our researchers have begun collecting information from key members of the profession – analyst educators, supervisors, candidates, curriculum chairs, and more – information that will be used to inform and revise our examination as needed, to ensure the relevance and clarity of the competencies and the consistency and transparency of the examination processes.

In coordination with the Competencies Initiative, we are anticipating the launch of a Subject Matter Experts group, which will be made up of a diverse group of recognized national experts in psychoanalysis today. These SMEs from different theoretical backgrounds will be chosen for their expertise in particular aspects of psychoanalytic theory, technique, research, and clinical work.

Over the past five years, you have laid the groundwork for this exciting new project. Thank you for the many ways in which you have contributed to our success.

The February 2019 examination was held in New York, NY with 8 applicants in Adult or PreGrad part 2 Psychoanalysis of which 7 passed for a 87.5% pass rate, and 1 applicant in Child Psychoanalysis of which 1 passed for a 100% pass rate.

We would like to congratulate the following individuals for passing the certification examination and becoming a Fellow of the American Board of Psychoanalysis.

Adult Certification

• Susan Chance, PhD - Emory
  
• Sara Gardiner, MD - Oregon
  
• Linda Gold, LMSW - Michigan
  
• Kelly Hill, MD – Cincinnati
  
• Jill Ragozzino McElligott, LCSW - Philadelphia
  
• Stefanie Speanburg, LCSW, PhD - Emory
  

Child & Adolescent Certification

• Anthony Bram, PhD – Boston

The American Board of Psychoanalysis is pleased to welcome Dr. Leslie Jordan, who will assume the role of Chair of the Research and Development Committee in February 2019. Dr. Jordan is a psychoanalyst and educator at the Denver Institute who has an abiding interest in research.  She was a research fellow at the IPA Research Training Program in London taught by analyst-researchers from around the world. She has been involved in the evaluation of learning for many years (see Jordan, L & Emde, R (2006) "How do we Evaluate Learning from the Curriculum?" JAPA 54:231-249). She is currently Chair of the Research Committee at the Denver Institute and co-directs the Colloquium Project for evaluation of learning.

The ABPsa wishes to express its deep appreciation to Dr. Sydney Anderson for her valuable contribution as Chair of RDC since 2015.

The June 2018 examination was held in Chicago, IL with 7 applicants in Adult Psychoanalysis of which 5 passed for a 71% pass rate.

We would like to congratulate the following individuals for passing the certification examination and becoming a Fellow of the American Board of Psychoanalysis.

Adult Certification

• Tiziano Colibazzi, MD - Columbia
  
• Robin Gomolin, PsyD – Pine
  
• Giovanni Minonne, Ph.D. - Michigan
  
• Maureen Pendras, MSW - Seattle
  
• Alison Philips, MD - Boston