Applying for Psychoanalytic Training

The San Diego Psychoanalytic Center Application for Fall 2025 Psychoanalytic Training is Now Closed.

This comprehensive program offers in-depth education, training, and mentorship from esteemed faculty to develop the next generation of skilled psychoanalysts. Our curriculum combines rigorous theoretical coursework with practical clinical experience, fostering professional growth in a supportive learning environment.

Application

If you are interested in applying for our Fall 2027 Training Program, please contact our Admissions Director (admissions@sdpsychoanalytic.org)

Why Choose SDPC for Your Training?

  • Expert faculty with extensive clinical and academic experience
  • Collaborative and vibrant learning community
  • Supervised Psychoanalytic cases
  • Personal Psychoanalysis
  • Pathways for professional development

We welcome candidates from diverse professional backgrounds, including psychiatry, psychology, social work, and related mental health fields.

Applying for Psychoanalytic Training

Before completing the online application, please review the information for your program under the two-year or five-year track, and be aware of any program-specific required information. The beginning and ending sections of this form apply to all programs Center-wide, and the form will direct you to other sections that are specific to your program.

Please note that this application will likely take more than one sitting to complete.  The online form will automatically save your work so you can return to the application as many times as needed before submitting.  You can toggle backward through the form to revise entries any time up until you click SUBMIT at the end of the form.

Application Deadline

Please submit your application and all supporting documentation by March 31st. 

Please be prepared to provide the following information with your application:

  1. A recent photograph.
  2. A personal and professional autobiographical narrative (typed) to include the significant events of your life and the significant steps in your career, including any experiences and relationships which you consider important factors in having interested you in psychoanalysis.
  3. Application fee:

    $150 (2-year program)
    $250 (5-year program)

  4. Case Summaries

If Applying to the Clinical Track:

A. Five-year Track:

  • If applying to the five-year Psychoanalytic Track: Summaries of two adult cases, preferably one male, one female, which show your diagnostic understanding  of the patient and the process of therapy, to be used as a basis for presentation to members of the faculty.  Each summary should not exceed ten double-spaced typewritten pages. There will be four interviews with members of SDPC faculty, which will be arranged upon receiving applications. 
  • There will be four interviews with members of SDPC faculty, which will be arranged upon receiving applications.

B. Two-Year Track:

  • If applying to the two-year Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Track: Summaries of one adult or child case, which show your diagnostic understanding of the patient and the process of therapy, to be used as a basis for presentation to members of the faculty.  The summary should not exceed ten double-spaced pages. There will be two interviews with members of SDPC faculty, which will be arranged upon receiving applications. 
  • There will be two interviews with members of SDPC faculty, which will be arranged upon receiving applications.

If Applying to the Academic Track:

  1. No clinical samples are required.
  2. Signed and dated Authorization and Release form. We will request letters of reference from training institutions, training programs, or supervisors.
  3. Copy/photo of license to practice.
  4. Copy/photo of diploma(s).
  5. Proof of malpractice insurance.

Application Timeline

When applying, please keep in mind the following considerations regarding timing:

  • Applications for Fall 2025 are being accepted from now until March 31st.
  • Applicants wishing to begin training in Fall of 2027 must be in a personal psychoanalysis with an SDPC approved Training Analyst – meeting at a frequency of three or more times per week – by May 2027.
  • Up to 9 candidates may begin psychoanalytic training in Fall 2027.
  • The Admissions Committee reviews applications in the order they are received, January through June, and makes offers of admissions on a rolling basis.
  • Because of the inteview process necessary, those interested in beginning training in Fall 2027 should consider applying as soon as possible. Applications received after May 1 may not be reviewed until September, for matriculation in Fall 2029.
  • The Admissions Committee will continue to accept and consider applications, even after all positions in the Fall 2027 class have been filled. Applications accepted at this point will be: placed on the waiting list for Fall 2027 matriculation in case those already accepted elect to defer training, or offered admission for the next candidate class in 2027.
  • If, at the time an application is received, the Fall 2027 class is full and the waiting list is already too long to make Fall 2027 admission possible, SDPC will notify applicants that review of their application may be delayed, and they will be considered for matriculation in Fall 2029.

Admission Decisions

Once your interviews are complete, your application will be discussed at a meeting of the Admissions Committee. The committee meets monthly between September and June. The entire Admissions Committee, including your four interviewers, will be present to discuss your application. You will be contacted soon thereafter to inform you of the decision.

There are four possible outcomes to your application:

  1. Acceptance (for matriculation the following fall)
  2. A recommendation to reapply after gaining further experience in psychoanalytic approaches (e.g., a recommendation to pursue additional psychoanalytic psychotherapy study/analytic consultation; a recommendation to begin a personal psychoanalysis or deepen a personal psychoanalytic psychotherapy)
  3. A request for further interviews to assess your readiness for psychoanalytic training
  4. A determination of incompatibility with our psychoanalytic training program at this time

The goal of the Admissions Committee is to develop candidates for training. If you are not accepted for training at this time, someone from the committee will inform you of the committee’s rationale for the decision. They will further answer any questions you might have about the process or the outcome, and give you the opportunity to provide your feedback. They will also discuss in detail the ways that you might continue to develop yourself personally and/or professionally if the committee makes a recommendation that you reapply for training after undertaking some additional work. This might include getting further psychoanalytically-oriented analytic consultation to develop your clinical work to a point that will support a training process, or could include beginning psychotherapy/psychoanalysis if it is felt that further personal development would better prepare you to begin training.

If you have any questions regarding the application process, please contact our Admissions Director, Kristin Whiteside, PhD.

CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION ACCREDITATION

The San Diego Psychoanalytic Center (SDPC), is proud to offer CME credit to Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Psychologists and Social Workers. These CME credits will usually satisfy requirements for Social Worker and Psychologist CEUs. However, clinicians should consult their state licensing boards for final approval. Please see the CE/CME credits page for more information. 

Continuing Education certificates of attendance will be awarded electronically in exchange for a completed evaluation form. For refund policies or cancellations, please visit our policies page. Any other questions, contact the SDPC Continuing Education Manager.

CMA Accreditation Statement: The San Diego Psychoanalytic Center is accredited by the California Medical Association (CMA, provider #4001214) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

AMA Credit Designation Statement: The San Diego Psychoanalytic Center designates this Continuing Education activity for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™️. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

CAMFT Accreditation: The San Diego Psychoanalytic Center (SDPC) is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) as a continuing education provider, (#050121), to offer Category 1 credit for LMFT’S, LCSW’S, LPCC’S and LEP’S. SDPC as required by the California Board of Behavior Sciences. SDPC maintains responsibility for this course program and all of its content.

Psychologists: SDPC is also approved as a Continuing Education Provider by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences, Provider number PCE#794, to offer Category 1 credit for LCSWs, MFTs, and Registered Nurses, Provider Numbers CEP#4940. The California Board of Psychology accepts the Category 1 CE credits from the CMA. Acceptance of the CE credits for this activity is at the discretion of the licensing board. Psychologists are responsible for reporting their individual attendance to the Board of Psychology. All attendees are responsible for keeping their certificate of attendance for personal records.

IMPORTANT DISCLOSURE INFORMATION FOR ALL LEARNERS: None of the planners and presenters of this CME program has any relevant financial relationships to disclose. 

The San Diego Psychoanalytic Center (SDPC) CME Committee has reviewed the materials for accredited continuing education and has determined that none of the planners and presenters for this activity have relevant financial relationship(s)* to disclose with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. This activity is not related to the product line of ineligible companies and therefore, the activity meets the exception outlined in Standard 3: ACCME's identification, mitigation, and disclosure of relevant financial relationships. This activity does not have any known commercial support.

*Financial relationships are relevant if the educational content that an individual can control is related to the business lines or products of the ineligible company.

Statement of Commitment: San Diego Psychoanalytic Center does not discriminate in employment and in its educational programs and activities, including admission or access thereto, on the basis of race, national origin, color, creed, religion, sex, age, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

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The San Diego Psychoanalytic Center is affiliated with the American Psychoanalytic Association (APsA), the International Psychoanalytic Association (IPA), and the organization of Southern California Psychoanalytic Institutes and Societies.

The San Diego Psychoanalytic Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.