Psychoanalytic Training

The Institute’s intensive four-to-six-year program provides rigorous training in the theoretical concepts and methods of the psychoanalytic treatment of adults from the Interpersonal Perspective. Candidates with mental health backgrounds and those in the Licensure-Qualifying Program take classes together. There is additional coursework for those in the LQP.

At a Glance

The Institute’s psychoanalytic training program fosters study of the full range of human experience, focusing on the person as a social being, and on human behavior as interpersonal communication. Training is based on a tripartite model that includes a comprehensive didactic curriculum, supervised clinical work, and a personal psychoanalysis.

Who Is It For

Applications are welcome from psychiatrists, psychologists, doctoral level social workers, licensed clinical social workers and licensed master social workers. Highly qualified candidates without a mental health background apply to the Licensure Qualifying Program to be eligible for the Licensed Psychoanalyst (L.P.) credential.

Curriculum

The curriculum provides a survey of the principal issues that shape clinical and theoretical psychoanalysis.

Length & Expenses

The training program runs from four-to-six years for those who are licensed and five-to-six years for LQPs at a cost of approximately $6,450 per year. Candidates are also responsible for additional fees for supervision and personal analysis.
For more information contact: Seth Aronson sethmaronsonpsyd@gmail.com
  • History of Program

    The Psychoanalytic Training program was founded in 1943 by the internationally renowned scholars and clinicians Erich Fromm, Ph.D., Frieda Fromm-Reichmann, M.D., Harry Stack Sullivan, M.D., David Rioch, M.D., Janet M. Rioch, M.D., and Clara Thompson, M.D.

  • Personal Psychoanalysis

    Candidates are required to undergo personal psychoanalysis as a means of attaining freedom from personality factors that would interfere with the ability to conduct effective psychoanalytic treatment. Analysts are not assigned by the Institute, but chosend by candidates from a roster of Training Analysts. Applicants who are already engaged in an ongoing, productive treatment with an Institute graduate (with at least five years of post-graduate experience) may apply to the Training Committee for permission to continue their personal analysis with their analyst. In addition, in some cases, applicants may continue treatment with Training Analysts of other institutes with vetting procedures similar to ours. The Institute reserves the right to review the qualifications of a personal analyst selected by a candidate admitted to training.

    Because personal analysis is an integral part of training it is expected that candidates will remain in analysis for the duration of their training. Analysis should be conducted at the rate of at least three sessions per week for the first 300 hours and begin no later than October 1st of the first academic year. In order to preserve the integrity of the analysis, candidates’ analysts are expressly excluded from participation in administrative decisions regarding their analysands.

    In certain situations the Training Committee may make a determination about the progress of a candidate’s training analysis.

  • Information for International Students

    The Institute is approved by the Student and Exchange Visitors Program, (SEVIS), which is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. Upon acceptance to our program, our Designated School Officer, Meghana Giridhar (m.giridhar@wawhite.org) will complete the initial SEVIS forms and issue a signed Form I-20. After receiving the form from the Institute, the student applies to the United States Consulate or Embassy for an F-1 Visa. Students must enroll and enter the country within 30 days of the program start date. If a student does not report within the 30-day period, their SEVIS record is cancelled. An F1 student can maintain their status for as long as they continue to be enrolled in a full-time educational program. For questions regarding curricular practical training (CPT) or optional practical training (OPT) status or other questions regarding SEVIS eligibility, please contact Richard Herman (r.herman@wawhite.org). Applicants need to demonstrate proficiency in spoken English, which will allow them to work with English-speaking patients. Applicants whose undergraduate and/or professional training was acquired outside of the United States, must submit their educational credentials to the New York State Department of Education, Office of the Professionals, Division of Professional Licensing Services, Psychoanalytic Unit., 89 Washington Avenue, Albany New York, 12234-1000. The Institute uses no other service for the purpose of certifying equivalence to American degree programs.

  • Supervised Clinical Training

    Psychoanalytic clinical work under the supervision of an Institute-trained Supervising Analyst is a central feature of a candidate’s training experience. At a minimum, candidates work with four patients, each seen at least three times per week in psychoanalysis. In addition, beginning in the third year of training, candidates are required to conduct supervised psychoanalytic psychotherapy for a minimum of 80 hours. Candidates in the Certificate Program in psychoanalysis who participate in the optional Clinic Fellowship may begin work with patients under supervision once they begin their training at the Institute. This highly regarded program provides a means for candidates to develop a private practice and defray a portion of their training expenses.

    Each of these three clinical training experiences is described below. (Candidates in the Licensure-Qualifying Program in Psychoanalysis are not eligible to participate in the Clinic Fellowship Program because they are not licensed in New York State.)

    Psychoanalysis Under Supervision:

    Candidates are required to work with four psychoanalytic patients. Each of the four cases is conducted under the direction of at least three Supervising Analysts or Training and Supervising Analysts from the Institute for a minimum of 200 supervision hours in total.

    Candidates will work with their first psychoanalytic patient for at least 240 sessions and the three other psychoanalytic cases for at least one year each; all supervision is on a weekly basis. Candidates work with at least three supervisors for at least 40 hours each; a total of 200 hours of supervised psychoanalysis is required.

  • Training Expenses

    Candidates incur expenses for tuition, supervision of analytic cases, and their personal psychoanalysis. For candidates in the Certificate Program in Psychoanalysis, all tuition payments are made to the Institute while the other fees are payable directly to the Supervising Analyst (where applicable) and the Training Analyst. A portion of these expenses made be paid for with the credits earned in the optional clinic fellowship. For candidates in the Licensure-Qualifying Program in Psychoanalysis, tuition payments will also include payment of fees for supervision to the Institute.
    Tuition: For both psychoanalytic training programs tuition is currently $6,300 per academic year, payable in three installments prior to the beginning of each trimester. This fee covers all required courses and required electives for each of the first twelve trimesters. Candidates may also enroll in one additional elective course each semester without payment of additional fees. Candidates are also charged $175 per year by the Registrar for reserve library fees and course materials.
    Tuition and fees are payable in advance, except for any fees for supervision, which are billed monthly in arrears. Admission to courses will be authorized only when fees and previous indebtedness are paid, unless arrangements are made with the Business Manager. Students who do not notify the Registrar of inability to attend a course prior to its first session will be charged one-half the fee for the course. After the second session of the course the full tuition fee will be charged. Candidates who extend their training past four years of full tuition payment pay reduced tuition during the fifth and six years as described below.
    Supervision: For candidates in the Certificate Program in Psychoanalysis, fees for psychoanalysis under supervision are determined by mutual arrangement between the candidate and their Training or Supervising Analyst and are paid directly by the candidate to the Training or Supervising Analyst. For candidates in the Licensure-Qualifying Program in Psychoanalysis, fees will be billed by the Institute monthly in arrears and must be paid directly by the candidate to the Institute. However, in both programs, fees for psychoanalytic supervision are not to exceed $75 per session. Over the course of four years, candidates will incur at a minimum, $15,000 in supervisory expenses (200 hours at $75 per hour.) If a typical schedule is followed by the candidate, supervisory expenses will total approximately $1,850 during the first year of training. The remaining supervision expenses will be payable over the second through fourth years of training, with the greatest expenses occurring during the third year.
    No fees are charged for the 40 hours of supervision that candidates receive pursuant to the Psychotherapy Requirement. In addition, candidates who participate in the Clinic Fellowship receive free supervision for the duration of their tenure in that program.
    Personal Psychoanalysis: Fees for one’s personal psychoanalysis are determined by mutual arrangement between the candidate and their Training Analyst. The Institute maintains a list of Training Analysts who have agreed to work with candidates whose financial situation requires an adjustment in their usual fees; these arrangements are made on a private and confidential basis.
    Leave of Absence: Candidates may be granted a full or partial leave of absence for one academic year. The Institute will consider a leave of absence upon written application to the Director of Training and the leave of absence will only take effect once it is granted in writing. Renewal or extension of such leaves must be requested separately and will not be renewed automatically without written request.
    A full leave of absence means the candidate will not attend any courses nor will they receive credit for any supervision or personal psychoanalysis that they engage in during the period on leave. The annual fee for a leave of absence is $500.
    A partial leave of absence allows a student to curtail fulfillment of academic requirements while continuing clinical requirements. A student granted a partial leave of absence will be responsible for 50% of the usual tuition for that trimester or academic year. During the period on leave, the candidate will continue to incur the usual fees for supervision and personal psychoanalysis, if any.
    All candidates who are not granted full or partial leaves of absence will be responsible for timely payment of full tuition, unless a formal arrangement for deferred payment is made with the Business Manager of the Institute in advance.

  • Scholarships, Fellowships and Loans

    Please view our scholarships, fellowships, and loans.

     

    Learn More

     

  • Eligibility for Matriculation

    The Institute is committed to offering psychoanalytic training to highly motivated, exceptional individuals from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds. The Institute offers two psychoanalytic training programs that foster study of the depths of human experience, focusing on the person as a social being and on human behavior as interpersonal communication. Candidates in the LQP program take courses with candidates in the Certificate Program and are reauired to take additional coursework to satisfy New York State requirements.

    Certificate Program in Psychoanalysis

    Psychiatrists

    Admission Requirements: Matriculation is open to graduates of medical schools accredited by the American Medical Association who have completed at least one year of psychiatric residency in a hospital approved by the American Medical Association.

    Concurrent Requirements: Four years of approved psychiatry residency must be completed prior to graduation. This must include at least three months experience in an out-patient department or mental health clinic. Successful completion of this program provides eligibility for the Fellowship in the American Academy of Psychoanalysis.

    Upon admission, psychiatrists will be required to present evidence of New York State licensure as a physician, and evidence of current professional liability insurance, in order to be granted permission to conduct supervised work with patients.

    Psychologists

    Admission Requirements: Matriculation is open to applicants with a doctoral level degree from an American Psychological Association-approved training program. In addition, the applicant must have completed a one-year psychology internship. Additional supervised clinical work will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee.

    Upon admission, psychologists will be required to present a New York State license or limited permit as a psychologist, and evidence of current professional liability insurance, in order to be granted permission to conduct supervised work with patients.

    Doctoral Level Social Workers and Licensed Clinical Social Workers

    Admission Requirements: Matriculation is open to doctoral level social workers (D.S.W. or Ph.D.) and to New York State Licensed Clinical Social Workers (L.C.S.W.) who have a degree from an accredited program that included a two-year internship.

    Upon admission, clinical social workers will be required to present evidence of a New York State license (L.C.S.W.) and current registration, as well as current professional liability insurance in order to be granted permission to conduct supervised work with patients.

    Licensed Master Social Workers

    Admission Requirements: Matriculation is open to New York State Licensed Master Social Workers (L.M.S.W.), subject to clinical training regulations of the New York State Education Department.

    Upon admission, Licensed Master Social Workers (L.M.S.W.) will be required to present evidence of a New York State license (L.M.S.W.) and current registration, as well as current professional liability insurance in order to be granted permission to conduct supervised work with patients. Supervisors will assume legal and professional responsibility for all patients seen in the Institute clinic by L.M.S.W. candidates.

    Licensure-Qualifying Program in Psychoanalysis

    Admission Requirements: Matriculation is available to highly-qualified applicants who have earned a master’s degree or higher from an accredited university program registered with the New York State Education Department or who are licensed by New York State in a mental health field that does not include psychoanalysis in its scope of practice. This program is intended to offer an intensive training program in psychoanalysis to applicants trained in related fields who wish to obtain full clinical and academic training in psychoanalysis and to obtain a New York State license (“Licensed Psychoanalyst”) that permits them to engage in independent clinical practice.

    The Institute’s Licensure-Qualifying Program in Psychoanalysis has been registered as “license qualifying” by the New York State Education Department. Moreover, our curriculum meets (and exceeds) educational requirements set by the department in order for graduates to sit for the licensing examination to become a Licensed Psychoanalyst. The Institute does not award licenses, but certifies graduation from the program to those who are seeking licensure from New York State.

    Upon admission, candidates in the Licensure-Qualifying Program in Psychoanalysis will be required to present evidence of current professional liability insurance in order to be granted permission to conduct supervised work with patients. Supervisors will assume legal and professional responsibility for all patients seen in the Institute clinic by candidates in the Licensure-Qualifying Program in Psychoanalysis..

  • Application Procedures

    Application forms for enrollment in either of the Institute’s psychoanalytic training programs may be completed by downloading a hard copy and mailing it to Meghana Giridhar, Registrar, The William Alanson White Institute, 20 West 74th St., New York, NY, 10023 with a $100 nonrefundable application fee. (Ms. Giridhar can also be reached at m.giridhar@wawhite.org.) We encourage you to apply as soon as possible, but no later than May 1st preceding the start of the academic year. Please feel free to direct any inquiries or deadline extension requests to Seth Aronson, Psy.D., Director of Training at s.aronson@wawhite.org.

    Prospective students are required to submit two letters of recommendation with their application, as well as requested proof of credentials. Several personal interviews with Institute faculty will also be scheduled as part of the admissions process.

    Several courses in the regular curriculum are, under special circumstances, open to qualified non-matriculated professionals upon approval by the Executive Committee. Tuition is $400 per course. Interested students should contact the Director of Training at s.aronson@wawhite.org.

    Upon admission, candidates are required to sign a pledge to be bound by the provisions of the Institute’s Code of Conduct, and not to represent themselves as trained in the practice of psychoanalysis until they are awarded the Certificate in Psychoanalysis upon graduation.

  • Clinic Fellowship

    The Clinic Fellowship offers candidates in the Certificate Program in Psychoanalysis an opportunity to earn financial credits toward their training expenses while providing affordable treatment to patients. Eventually, these patients may become part of the candidates’ own clinical practices.

    Clinic Fellows are assigned cases through the clinic and can carry five to 20 patient-hours per week. Fellows are credited $25 per treatment session which can be used to help defray training costs including: Tuition and a portion (up to $35/session) of the candidate’s supervision sessions and personal psychoanalysis. Thus, the Clinic Fellowship is often an important component in financing analytic training.

    Additional requirements include attending the clinic seminar on Tuesday afternoons and, if possible, the Tuesday morning clinic conference. Fellows are also required to make a Psychotherapy Service case presentation at a Clinical Services Meeting. The case should have been seen for at least one year and the presentation should emphasize the therapeutic relationship with the patient and the exploration of psychodynamic themes. This presentation may be made at any time during training, however, it should be scheduled in a different academic year than the required Psychoanalytic Service presentation.

    Additional Benefits of the Fellowship

    Practice Development: Upon completion of 40 weeks of clinic treatment, patients may be transferred into the candidate’s private practice. After two years as a clinic fellow, candidates usually have developed a fairly substantial private practice from their clinic patients.

    Office Space: If space is available, the clinic may provide up to five free, off-peak hours per week for the candidate to treat their former clinic patients and private patients. Candidates must maintain their own private malpractice insurance for this option.

    Free Supervision: Fellows receive free supervision for clinic psychotherapy patients. Clinic psychotherapy supervisors are assigned to the candidate by the Director of Clinical Services.

    Licensing Hours: Psychologists may use the clinic fellowship to fulfill the New York State licensing requirement of postdoctoral training. LMSWs may use the clinic fellowship to fulfill hours for the LCSW.

    Application Procedures: Prospective candidates interested in the clinic fellowship should contact: Stacey Nathan-Virga, Ph.D., Director of Clinical Services at (212) 873-0725, ext. 25, s.nathan-virga@wawhite.org.

    Candidates agree to comply with the ethical guidelines of their constituent professional organizations (whether or not they are members of that professional organization) and the Code of Conduct of the William Alanson White Institute.

  • Code of Conduct

    CODE OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
    WILLIAM ALANSON WHITE INSTITUTE

    Feb 25th, 2013

    PREAMBLE

    The Council of Fellows has adopted the following Code of Professional Conduct for Faculty and candidates or students in training in the psychoanalytic or psychotherapy programs at the William Alanson White Institute. This Code governs psychoanalysts and psychotherapists, collectively referred to here as Therapists, who are either (1) Faculty, defined as teachers, supervisors, Training Analysts or those who are charged with executive responsibilities in any of the Institute’s psychoanalytic and psychotherapy training and education programs; or (2) Candidates, defined as candidates in training or students in any of the Institute’s ongoing and intensive psychoanalytic or psychotherapy training or education programs, or who receive Institute supervision for their clinical work through the Institute. As a condition of either holding any of these Faculty positions or receiving ongoing training at the Institute, Faculty and Candidates will be required to sign an agreement to abide by this Code.

    By signing this agreement, the signatory acknowledges that he or she is aware of and will adhere to the Codes of Professional Conduct of his or her professional organization and to the licensing requirements of the State. In instances where this Code is more stringent than other applicable standards, signatories will adhere to this Code.

    I. COMPETENCE

    1. Faculty members and Candidates will work within the range of their professional competence.

    2. Faculty members and Candidates will keep up to date with changes in theories and techniques and make appropriate use of professional consultations.

    3. Faculty members and Candidates will avoid making claims in public presentations that exceed the scope of their competence.

    4. Faculty members and Candidates will take steps to prevent any impairment in their capacities to analyze, treat, supervise, or teach. As soon as recognized, consultation, treatment, or both will be sought when the effects of personal emotional stress or physical illness interfere with professional responsibilities.

    5. Faculty members and Candidates who engage in independent (i.e., private) practice, or who practice in employment settings, will conform to the licensed scope of practice of their profession. Faculty members and Candidates will not engage in the practice of psychotherapy or psychoanalysis if they are neither licensed nor hold a limited permit in a profession whose scope of practice includes such professional activities. Attempts to circumvent statutes or regulations governing scope of practice (including, but not limited to, representing oneself to the public as a “coach,” a “therapist,” or a “consultant”) will be regarded as violations of this Code of Conduct.

    II. NONDISCRIMINATION AND RESPECT FOR PERSONS AND CULTURES

    1. In their professional activities, Faculty members and Candidates will not engage in unfair discrimination based on age, disability, ethnicity, gender, race, religion, culture, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, language, socioeconomic status, or any other basis of discrimination proscribed by law.

    2. Faculty members and Candidates will resist organizational policies that unfairly discriminate with regard to age, disability, ethnicity, gender, race, religion, culture, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, language, or socioeconomic status.

    3. Faculty members and Candidates will not engage in sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is defined as sexual solicitation, physical advances, or verbal or nonverbal conduct of a sexual nature that occurs in connection with one’s role as a professional, and that either (1) the harassing individual knows or is told is unwelcome or offensive or that creates a hostile workplace or educational environment; or (2) that is sufficiently severe or intense to be abusive to a reasonable person in the context. Sexual harassment can consist of a single intense or severe act or multiple, persistent, or pervasive acts.
    4. Faculty members and Candidates will not knowingly engage in behavior that is harassing or demeaning to persons with whom they interact in their work based on factors such as age, disability, ethnicity, gender, race, religion, culture, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, language, or socioeconomic status.
    5. Faculty members and Candidates will take reasonable steps to avoid harming or humiliating their patients, students, supervisees, research participants, and others with whom they work, and to minimize harm where it is foreseeable and unavoidable.

    III. MUTUALITY AND INFORMED CONSENT

    1. When Faculty members and Candidates conduct research or provide treatment or assessment, they will obtain informed consent from the individual or individuals using language that is reasonably understandable to that person or persons or the parent or guardian of a minor patient.

    2. When obtaining informed consent for treatment, Faculty members and Candidates will discuss with the patient as early as is feasible during the initial consultation process all aspects of the treatment agreement which are applicable, including the nature and anticipated course of therapy, fees, and the limits of confidentiality. The Therapist will discuss his or her policy of charging for missed sessions in advance of such a charge. The application of the Therapist’s fee policy to third party payment for services will be discussed and agreed upon by the patient. In the case of a patient who is a minor, these matters will be discussed early on with the parent or guardian as well as with the patient as age and capability dictate.

    3. Faculty members and Candidates will not coerce, manipulate or deceive patients, the parents or guardians of minor patients, students, or supervisees into unnecessary treatment for the primary purpose of obtaining personal gain. Encouraging patients to engage in intensive treatment, drug treatment, residential treatment or any other similar accepted practice for the welfare of the patient does not constitute coercion, manipulation or deception.

    4. In making referrals, Faculty members and Candidates will keep the best interests of the patient foremost in mind.

    5. A reduced fee does not limit any of the professional responsibilities of the treating Faculty member or Candidate.

    6. Faculty members and Candidates will not unilaterally discontinue treating a patient without adequate notification and discussion with the patient and, if a minor, with the parent or guardian. The Therapist will offer a referral for further treatment. Consultation will be considered.

    7. While a Faculty member or Candidate may choose whether or not to treat a patient, he or she nevertheless will attempt to render service to the best of his or her ability and judgment during emergencies.

    IV. CONFIDENTIALITY

    A Faculty member or Candidate will know the limits of confidentiality in his or her own state. When conducting treatment he or she will inform the patient of these limits, especially regarding child abuse and neglect, prospective harm to others and prospective suicides or homicides.
    The Therapist will treat as confidential all information obtained from a patient in the course of treatment, including the name of the patient, information about the patient’s life, the nature of the treatment, and the fact of treatment. Information obtained in treatment may be divulged by the Therapist voluntarily to others only (a) following the expressed consent of the patient after the Therapist has advised the patient of possible damaging or destructive consequences of disclosure; or (b) in the good faith judgment of the Therapist when permitted or required by law, such as to prevent a serious and imminent danger to the patient or others or in cases of child abuse and neglect. The Therapist will restrict such disclosures to necessary, relevant information.

    In any case that does not involve child abuse or neglect or in which the Therapist does not believe disclosure is necessary to prevent serious and imminent danger to the patient or others, but where involuntary disclosure is sought from the Therapist, the Therapist may resist disclosing confidential information to the full extent permitted by law and may, but is not required to, refuse legal, civil or administrative demands for such confidential information and accept, instead, the legal consequences of such a refusal. In no circumstances is the Therapist required to place himself or herself in legal or financial jeopardy to avoid disclosure.

    2. At the outset of treatment, Faculty members and Candidates will inform patients who plan to finance their treatment through insurance companies or other third parties, that to the extent these third parties are insurance companies, they are obliged to keep patient information supplied to them confidential but may use or redisclose such information for certain purposes. Any redisclosure of patient information by these insurance companies will not be under the Therapist’s control. Disclosure of patient information to third parties other than insurance companies to finance treatment may not be subject to the same confidentiality protections, and therefore, it is possible that such information would not be kept confidential by such third parties. Therapists will inform patients of the nature of the information supplied to insurance companies:

    i) When a Faculty member or Candidate conducts an evaluation for a third party (e.g., the government, a court, an employer, etc.), the individual to be interviewed will be told at the outset that the evaluator is acting in such a capacity and that the information obtained and any evaluation of it will be available to the third party. Faculty members and Candidates will inform an interviewee that questions need not be answered and that the interviewee may withhold information.

    ii.) When a Faculty member or Candidate intends to use case material in teaching, publishing, or in any other professional context, he or she will disguise the identity of the patient, living or deceased. A Therapist will exercise professional judgment placing the interests of the patient first when deciding on the sufficiency of the disguise. A Therapist will obtain written consent from patients prior to publishing identifiable material regarding patients in papers, periodicals, and books, as well as in audio or audiovisual media and digital media. A Therapist will not gossip about patients or use case material as a token of social exchange.

    iii.) Faculty members and Candidates, functioning as supervisors, peer consultants or participants in clinical and educational exchanges, will maintain the confidentiality of patient information conveyed for purposes of consultative or case presentations or scientific discussions, and a Therapist providing information to such supervisors, etc., who are not Faculty will take due care to determine that the recipient understands his or her confidentiality obligation.

    iv.) Faculty members will treat confidentially any information or knowledge about the treatment of any Candidate or Faculty member obtained by virtue of participation in any committee meeting of the William Alanson White Institute.

    v.) Faculty members will respect the privacy of Candidates and students and not require the disclosure of personal information regarding sexual history, history of abuse and neglect, psychological treatment, and relationships with parents, peers, and spouses or significant others except if (1) the program has clearly identified this requirement in its admissions and program materials or (2) the information is necessary to evaluate or obtain assistance for candidates and students whose personal problems could reasonably be judged to be preventing them from performing their training or professionally related activities in a competent manner or posing a threat to themselves or others.

    V. TRUTHFULNESS

    1. A Candidate will inform psychoanalytic training patients and prospective psychoanalytic training patients that he or she is in training and under supervision as a requirement of training. Where the patient is a minor, the parent or guardian will also be informed.

    2. Faculty members and Candidates will speak candidly with prospective patients or the parent or guardian if the patient is a minor about the benefits and burdens of treatment.

    3. Faculty members and Candidates will avoid misleading patients or parents or guardians of minor patients or the public with statements that are knowingly false, deceptive or misleading.

    VI. AVOIDING EXPLOITATION

    1. Faculty members and Candidates will not exploit patients. They will refrain from extra-therapeutic relationships with patients if the extra-therapeutic relationship could reasonably be expected to impair professional judgment or risk exploitation of the patient.

    2. Faculty members and Candidates will avoid conflicts of interest by refraining from taking on a professional role when personal, professional, legal, financial, or other interests or relationships could reasonably be expected to: (1) impair their judgment or competence in performing their professional responsibilities; or (2) expose the person or organization with whom the professional relationship exists to harm or exploitation.

    3. Faculty members and Candidates will not engage in relationships involving any kind of sexual activity with a current or former patient, or a parent or guardian of a current or former patient, or any member of the patient’s immediate family whether initiated by the patient, the parent or guardian or family member or by the Therapist.

    4. A Faculty member or Candidate will not marry, or join in a civil union or domestic partnership with a current or former patient or the parent or guardian of a current or former patient.

    5. Faculty members and Candidates will set and collect fees in accordance with accepted practices in the community and take into account the patient’s ability to pay. When a treatment will not continue because the patient cannot pay the Therapist’s fees, the Therapist will assist the patient in finding needed services.

    6. Faculty members and Candidates will not pay or be paid for referral of patients.

    7. A Faculty member or Candidate will not engage in financial dealings with a patient, or in the case of a minor patient, the parent or guardian, beyond reimbursement for treatment. A Faculty member or Candidates will not use information shared by a patient or the parent or guardian of a minor patient for his or her financial gain.

    8. Faculty members and Candidates will not solicit financial contributions from a current or former patient or the parent or guardian of a current or former patient for any purpose; nor will they give the names of current or former patients or their parents or guardians for purposes of financial solicitation by others.

    9. If a patient or parent or guardian of a minor patient brings up the idea of a financial gift to a psychoanalytic organization or cause during treatment, the Faculty member will handle it psychoanalytically and, if necessary, will inform the patient that his or her confidentiality might be breached by the treating Faculty member’s obligation to recuse himself or herself from involvement in decisions governing use of the gift.. If a gift is given nevertheless, the Therapist will refrain from any decision regarding its use by the recipient organization or cause and shall act to the extent possible to protect the patient’s confidentiality.

    10. Faculty members and Candidates will not accept any financial benefit or control the disposition of an unsolicited financial gift, including the establishment of a trust or foundation or other entity by a current or former patient or the parent or guardian of a current or former minor patient for the benefit of the Therapist, or for the benefit of his or her professional or scientific work, or for the benefit of his or her family.

    11. A Faculty member or Candidate may accept a bequest from the estate of a former patient, provided that it is promptly donated to an organization or cause from which the Therapist or his or her family do not personally benefit and over which the Therapist has no direct control.

    12. Faculty members and Candidates will not coerce, manipulate or prompt testimonials from current or former patients or from the parents or guardians of current or former minor patients.

    13. Faculty members will not use their professional status to solicit gifts or funds, sexual favors, special relationships, or other tangible benefits from patients, the parents or guardians of minor patients, members of the patient’s immediate family, students, supervisees, or Candidates.

    14. Faculty members will not engage in sexual relationships with students, supervisees, or Candidates in their program or over whom they are likely to have evaluative authority.

    VII. EDUCATION AND TRAINING

    1. Faculty members responsible for administration and training will take steps to ensure that Institute programs are designed to provide the appropriate knowledge and experience to meet the goals for which claims are made by the program.

    2. Faculty members responsible for administration and training will take steps to ensure that there is a current and accurate description of the program content, including required personal treatment, training goals and objectives, stipends, and requirements for satisfactory completion of the program that is readily available to all interested parties.

    3. Faculty members will take reasonable steps to ensure that the course syllabi are accurate regarding the subject matter to be covered, bases for evaluating progress, and the nature of course experience. This does not preclude Faculty modifying course content or requirements when considered pedagogically necessary or desirable as long as students are made aware of these changes in a manner that will allow them to fulfill course requirements.

    4. In teaching and supervisory relationships, Faculty members will follow a timely and specific process for providing feedback to students and supervisees. Information regarding this process is provided at the beginning of supervision. Faculty will evaluate students and supervisees on the basis of their actual performance on relevant and established program requirements.

    5. Faculty members will disclose any conflicts of Interest pertaining to their teaching responsibilities. This disclosure will be made by the submission of the Annual Faculty Disclosure form or orally to the program administrator.

    VIII. SCIENTIFIC RESPONSIBILITY

    1. Faculty members and Candidates will not make public presentations or submit for publication in scientific journals falsified material that does not refer to actual observations drawn from the clinical situation. All clinical material will be disguised sufficiently to protect identification of the patient.

    2. Faculty members and Candidates will exercise caution in disguising patient material to avoid misleading colleagues as to the source and significance of their scientific conclusions.

    IX. SAFEGUARDING THE PUBLIC AND THE PROFESSION

    1. A Faculty member or Candidate will seek consultation when, in the course of treating a patient, the work becomes continuously confusing or seriously disturbing to either the Therapist or the patient. On occasion in the treatment of a minor, the relationship between the Therapist and parental figure may cause sustained disturbance or confusion for the Therapist. In such a situation consultation is indicated.

    2. A Faculty member or Candidate who undergoes a serious illness and extended convalescence, or whose analyzing capacities are impaired, will consult with a colleague, a medical specialist, or both to determine whether the condition affects his or her ability to continue to work as a therapist or supervisor.

    3. A request by a patient, a parent or guardian of a minor patient, or a colleague that a Faculty member or Candidate seek consultation will receive respectful and reflective consideration.

    4. If a Faculty member is officially notified by a representative of the Institute or the White Society that a possible impairment of his or her clinical judgment or analyzing ability exists, the Faculty member will consult with no less than two colleagues, one of whom may be a non-analyst medical specialist, each acceptable to the notifying body. If impairment is found, remedial measures will be followed by the Faculty member in order to protect patients from harm and to prevent degradation of the standards of care in the profession. The Institute will make reasonable efforts to maintain the confidentiality of the Faculty member.

    5. A Faculty member or Candidate may consult with the patient of a colleague without giving notice to the colleague if the patient has requested the consultation.

    6. A Faculty member or Candidate may, by bringing his or her concerns to the Institute’s Standing Committee on Professional Conduct, intervene on behalf of a colleague’s patient if he or she has evidence from a direct or indirect consultation with the colleague’s patient or from supervision of the colleague that the colleague may be behaving in ways that violate this code or may harm the patient or that the colleague may be so impaired as to threaten the patient’s welfare.

    7. Faculty members will act to promote the competence of Faculty and Candidates and will report violations of this Code to the Institute’s Standing Committee on Professional Conduct.

    X. INTEGRITY

    1. Faculty members and Candidates will be familiar with this Code of Conduct and other applicable professional ethics codes, and their application to psychoanalysis and all aspects of their professional activity.

    2. Faculty members and Candidates will strive to be aware of their own beliefs, values, needs and limitations and to monitor how these personal interests may affect their professional conduct.

    3. Faculty members and Candidates will cooperate with ethics investigations and proceedings conducted in accordance with this Code of Conduct.

    XI. IMPLEMENTATION AND AMENDMENTS

    1. This Code of Conduct may be amended from time to time by the Council of Fellows who will notify Faculty members and Candidates of any amendments at the time they are made, and all such amendments shall bind prior signatories from the date of such notice.

    2. The Council of Fellows will adopt, and may from time to time amend, the provisions for implementation of this Code that will bind all prior signatories from the date that notice of such provisions is given.

    By signing this Code of Professional Conduct I acknowledge that I have read it, understand it, and agree to adhere to it. I also understand that failure to adhere to this Code may lead to termination of my association with the Institute.

    SIGNATURE ____________________________ DATE___________________

    NAME _________________________________

  • Community Life

    Students in the program are invited to participate in all facets of Institute life, including the Tuesday morning Clinical Education meetings, and special interest groups.

    Study Groups

  • LQP Program

    The License-Qualifying Program (LQP) in Psychoanalysis (Division 1B) provides access to the rich and rigorous tripartite training model (didactics, clinical work, and personal analysis) of the traditional Psychoanalytic Training Program (Division 1) for those who do not have previous mental health training (or who need an additional license to practice psychoanalysis). The WAWI tradition of diversity of perspectives and curiosity creates an environment in which those in the LQP can thrive and contribute significantly. Candidates join the same cohort as those in Division 1 for their classes; in addition, they complete foundational courses to augment their knowledge of psychology and treatment, explored through a psychoanalytic lens. There are also additional clinical and supervisory hours required to complete the program and be eligible for the License in Psychoanalysis (LP), as well as the NYS licensing exam. In general, the program requirements take 6 years to complete. Candidates in the past have come from diverse academic and career backgrounds, enriching class dialogue and contributing meaningfully to the institute community through their creativity and knowledge from other disciplines. These include (but are not limited to): philosophy, art, theater, literature, history, law, and pastoral services. A minimum of a Master’s degree is required for eligibility for NYS licensing and acceptance in the program.

William Alanson White Institute of Psychiatry, Psychoanalysis & Psychology 20 West 74th Street, New York, NY 10023 | (212) 873-0725