The Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Training Program

The Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Training Program (PPTP) is co-sponsored by the Atlanta Foundation for Psychoanalysis and the Atlanta Psychoanalytic Society, with the collaboration of the faculty ofthe Emory University Psychoanalytic Institute. The program seeks to make psychoanalytic psychotherapy training available to mental health professionals in the community. In addition, an introductory course in psychoanalytic theory and its applications is available for non-therapists who have graduate degrees. The faculty includes instructors from the Psychoanalytic Institute, psychoanalysts and psychoanalytically-oriented senior clinicians from the larger Atlanta community.

PPTP courses involve both theory and practice of psychoanalytic psychotherapy. Essentially a 3-year program, the first year is open to applicants who are interested in understanding psychoanalytic thinking about human development and relationships. Both theory and practice applications are presented concurrently so that students can see how psychoanalytic thought translates into psychotherapy.

Many graduate students are presented with some psychodynamic/psychoanalytic theory in graduate school but do not have an in-depth understanding of the richness, development, and complexity of both the theory and its practical application. The program is formatted into two back-to-back 90-minute Monday evening seminars with a duration of 30 weeks during meetings in each academic year. The program offers directed readings focusing on human development, sources of psychoanalytic information, models of mental life, psychopathology and psychoanalytic theories of change in psychotherapy. Group discussion is an extremely valuable learning tool, eventually leading to clarity, confidence and a cohesive sense of professional competence.

The second year of our program is open only to licensed professionals or graduate students close to achieving licensure in their profession. Applicants must be in good standing in their professions or graduate schools, maintain professional liability insurance and must have completed our first-year program. Admission to the second-year also depends on a personal interview with faculty and an acceptable case write-up. No advanced placement is available.

The second-year moves quickly into supervised practice, explicating transference, counter-transference and process through case presentations as well as theoretical formulations. Students must have at least two cases in their own practices that they can present for supervision. Two types of supervision are required:  group supervision with other PPTP students (1.5 hours per week) and individual supervision (45 minutes per week). Fees for supervision are not included in basic tuition.

Third-year continues with in-depth supervision of individual cases from the students' caseloads with particular attention to technique and issues such as termination, goal setting, ethical questions in the psychoanalytic situation and transference and counter-transference problems.

Successful completion of the three year program entitles a student to a Certificate of Completion and an opportunity to join the Atlanta Psychoanalytic Society and the American Psychoanalytic Association as an associate member. The faculty of the PPTP encourage successful graduates to join the PPTP faculty, preserving and enriching psychoanalytic education.

 Eligibility:  All applicants are expected to be in or to have completed a course of personal  psychotherapy.

For year 1:  Graduate degree and license in one of the helping professions

• Recent or imminent graduation from a doctoral program with licensure or eligibility

For Year 2:  Successful completion of Year 1 and acceptable case write-up or literature review

• Personal interview with faculty
• Professional liability insurance
• In good standing with own profession
• Current caseload of at least 2 individuals who can be the focus of supervision

For Year 3:  Successful completion of Years 1 & 2 and recommendation of faculty/supervisors. In good standing with own profession

• Professional licensure
• Professional liability insurance.

The PPTP will cooperate with students to receive continuing education credits in their own profession.

2006 Fees:  Tuition for Year 1 and Year 2:  $2000.

Application fee (non-refundable) $25.

Supervision fees set by student and supervisor but usually $50 per hour for group supervision and $75 per hour for individual supervision.

Download the application (PDF)

For More Information Contact:

Current PPTP Director:
Jane Yates, Ph.D.
mjates@emory.edu