Accreditation

Criteria and Guidelines for Accreditation

Accreditation with IPSS leads to:

  •    full membership of the organisation
  •    entry to the CPJA section of the UKCP register of psychotherapists

Criteria leading to accreditation as psychoanalytic psychotherapists with IPSS

  1. Applicants for accreditation in individual work may already be registered with UKCP in another section
  2. May be seeking accreditation through training and experience
  3. Once weekly work leads to accreditation as a psychodynamic psychotherapist; twice weekly (or more) leads to accreditation as a psychoanalytic psychotherapist
  4. Professional equivalence may be achieved by applicants, without a formal training in psychoanalytic psychotherapy, based on the guidelines established by the CPJA Training and Standards Committee of UKCP.  Equivalence and its assessment for prior experiential learning is decided by the IPSS Accreditation Committee

Guidelines for Accreditation

Training

Accreditation through a formal course route in which the course includes

  1. A postgraduate, academic course

    About 500 hours (The course should not be less than 250 and 500 hours if tutorials, supervisions, time spent in library, group, observations are counted)

    Over 4 years (introductory year is not counted)

    Main psychoanalytic theories and methods form a major part of the teaching

    This is roughly equivalent to a part-time MA

  2. Infant development

    raining in infant development and/or baby observations

  3. Knowledge of and experience of serious mental disorders

    This could include a psychiatric placement

  4. A piece of written work which is substantial

    Demonstrating the theory and practice of psychoanalytic psychotherapy through clinical material

  5. Clinical seminars

    Demonstrating the use of supervision to inform clinical practice

Accreditation through Professional Equivalence

  1. Portfolio
    The applicant will submit a portfolio of training and experience that would need to be assessed as equivalent to the above

Personal Psychotherapy

  • The applicant will need to have been in personal psychotherapy
  • Normally this would be for 4 years of which 3 years must overlap with the psychoanalytic work for which the applicant wishes to be accredited
  • The therapist must be an approved psychoanalytic psychotherapist from the CPJA section, UKCP; BPC or ACP
  • Applicants will have experienced personal psychotherapy of the same extent and frequency that they offer their patients

Personal Supervision

  • Weekly supervision (individual) with a psychoanalytic supervisor
  • 1 x training case (minimum 18 months twice weekly; or once weekly for accreditation as a psychodynamic psychotherapist)
  • 1 x case (minimum of a year)

Psychoanalytic Practice

  • A number of years working psychoanalytically
  • Ability to make assessments
  • Working in an institutional setting may be an advantage

Equal Opportunities

  • IPSS is an equal opportunities organisation.  Members of minority ethnic groups; gender groups or who have disabilities should approach the IPSS administrator who will provide you with the details of one of the members of the IPSS Accreditation Committee to discuss your application and support you through the process.

If you meet the criteria what do you do next

The IPSS application procedure has two steps:

  • Step 1
    Complete and return the application form

    Send a copy of your C.V.

    Note:  Send 3 copies of each together with your payment of £25, unless you apply on line, in which case attach both to your email.

    IF YOU MEET THE CRITERIA PROCEED TO

  • Step 2
    Complete a FULL application which is treated in confidence
  1. Case study (approximately three thousand words)
    This should demonstrate effective use of theory in clinical work
  2. Professional development statement (approximately 2,500 words)
  3. Two clinical examples (approximately 500 words each)
  4. Two professional references
  5. An interview with two members of the IPSS Accreditation Committee
  6. Based on the recommendations of the assessors and the information provided by the applicant, the IPSS Accreditation Committee will make a decision about whether to invite the applicant to become a full member of IPSS
  7. Where the applicant does not meet the criteria, the committee may recommend further training, personal psychotherapy and/or supervision.

Note: Send 3 copies of the Full Application, together with your payment of £175

Fees are non-refundable

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