Our training program is a comparative exploration of the major contemporary and traditional models of psychoanalytic theory and practice.

We believe that becoming a psychoanalyst involves both intellectual and personal learning and have designed our training program to support each candidate’s development of his or her own identity as a psychoanalyst within our diverse psychoanalytic community. Personal learning is centered around a candidate’s own analysis and individual supervision.

The intellectual heart of our training program is a comparative evaluation of the major contemporary and traditional models of psychoanalytic theory and practice. The studies foster open, ongoing dialogue and are informed by classical theories, relational, life span, developmental, and newly emerging perspectives.

The Institute encourages a spirit of psychoanalytic inquiry, ferment, and critical thinking. We promote active, nonhierarchical collaboration among all segments of the Institute community — candidates, faculty, administration, and supervisors. We view this collaboration to be the most fruitful model for the pursuit of learning. This principle is applied in all facets of the Institute’s life, from educational philosophy to governance.

Certificate in Psychoanalysis

The Certificate Program consists of a four-year curriculum of coursework and case conferences, in addition to three supervised analyses and a personal analysis which extends beyond these four years. 

The Certificate Program leads to a “Certificate in Psychoanalysis” and is based upon a tripartite model of didactic coursework, three supervised analyses, and a personal analysis. In addition to learning with other candidates via internet technology, candidates meet in person several weekends each year to participate in course work, group process, and engagement with the Bay Area PINC community. Graduation from PINC automatically confers IPA membership.

Structure of the Training Program

The academic year is divided into four quarters of eight weeks each, for a total of thirty-two weeks of class meetings. Classes are held on Wednesday mornings and case conferences on Tuesday evenings. There is one weekend course per semester. Required courses are emphasized in the first two years, electives in the third and fourth years.

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I. COURSE WORK

The curriculum is at the heart of PINC’s project of providing a rigorous and progressive psychoanalytic education.

Course work includes:

  • Freud
  • Infancy and Psychoanalytic Developmental Thinking
  • Klein/Bion/Contemporary Kleinians
  • Winnicott/Independent Tradition/Lacan
  • Intersubjectivities I & II: Self Psychology, Interpersonal Theory, Relational Theory
  • Psychic Organizations: Psychosis, Narcissism/Perversions, Neurosis, Pre-Oedipal and Oedipal critique, The Body in Psychoanalysis
  • Psyche and Society: Psyche and Society, Gender and Sexualities
  • Clinical Process: Beginning, Middle Phase, Termination, Dreams, Case Formulation
  • Group Process
  • Case Conference
  • Experiential Cluster: Analytic Identity, Psychoanalytic Writing, Integrative Seminar I & II
  • Psychoanalytic Ethics I: Boundary Violations
  • Psychoanalytic Ethics II: Analytic Integrity and the Analyst’s Vulnerability
  • Electives
  • Visiting Scholars Program

II. SUPERVISED ANALYSIS

Clinical psychoanalysis can only be learned by practice under careful evaluative supervision. At PINC, any patient able to benefit from psychoanalysis is acceptable as a training case. The minimum requirement for graduation is three supervised analyses. Two cases must be conducted four sessions per week on the couch. The third case may be seen face-to-face, three times per week, with supervisory approval. Candidates in the Distance Learning Program will receive supervision from approved supervisors via telephone and/or in person.

III. PERSONAL ANALYSIS

Candidates are expected to engage in a personal psychoanalysis concurrent with their training. Candidates may choose their analyst, subject to approval by PINC’s Credentials Committee. It is expected that the analysis will be thorough, including a termination process. A minimum of 450 hours of four times per week personal analysis is required for graduation. We believe that confidentiality is essential to the conduct of analysis. Consequently, the analyst will verify only that the candidate is in analysis and when the hours requirement has been fulfilled.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

  • While applications are accepted year round, in order to begin classes in September, applicants should submit a completed application by April 1st.
  • Later applications will be considered on a “space available” basis. If more qualified candidates are accepted than can be accommodated in a given year, they will be admitted for the first available opening.
  • Qualifications will be considered without regard for race, sex, age, marital status or sexual orientation.
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Educational Philosophy

Our curriculum contains multiple psychoanalytic perspectives, and candidates are given latitude in their choice of control cases, supervision, and personal analyst.

PINC Curriculum Revision 2013, Clusters and Course Description.
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Psychoanalytic training is not only a way to gain knowledge, it is a landmark in one’s professional identity development. Our training program is designed to consistently support this process. Our curriculum contains multiple psychoanalytic perspectives, and candidates are given latitude in their choice of control cases, supervision and personal analyst.

Our comparative curriculum teaches the theory and technique of Classical Freud and Klein, Ego Psychology, Object Relations, British Independents, Winnicott and Bion, Intersubjectivity, Self Psychology and Contemporary American Relational perspectives. We integrate socio-cultural perspectives. This comparative educational model emphasizes depth and breadth of knowledge in psychoanalysis, assuring high quality psychoanalytic education with fluency in a variety of psychoanalytic perspectives. We draw upon local, national and international faculty as needed for expertise in all points of view.

Each candidate is assigned to an advisor, who helps the candidate establish his/her own professional identity as a psychoanalyst. We view collaboration among all segments of the Institute (candidates, supervisors, faculty and administration) to be the most fruitful model for the pursuit of learning and for governance of the institute. We have faculty and candidate representation on all committees and on our board.

The Community Psychoanalysis Track (CPT)

The Community Psychoanalysis Track (CPT)

The Community Psychoanalysis Track (CPT) allows candidates to substitute the one year, 50 hour analytic training case required by PINC with a collaboratively constructed project in a community mental health agency.

As with all cases, candidates discuss the suitability of taking on a CPT case with their Advisors. The CPT case cannot be the first training case. Candidates fulfill requirements set forth by the CPT which primarily feature work in the community under group supervision in the weekly Core Seminar, which includes a credentialed Community Psychoanalysis Supervising Analyst (CPSA) assigned to the candidate. The core seminar is the primary teaching and supervisory component of the CPT, meeting weekly for 90 minutes and includes elements of case conference, supervision, and reflective group.  Additionally, the core seminar includes didactic, experiential and writing components. Candidates must also complete two CPT-approved electives or their equivalent before graduation.

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Visiting Scholar Program

Visiting Scholar Program

Each year, the Visiting Scholars program for the PINC community invites scholars from around the country and around the world to present their more current ideas and engage in a stimulating discussion with the PINC community. These events are offered to enrich the intellectual and clinical life of our community. Many of these events are open to the public.

Scholars Welcomed to PINC

  • Jan Abram
  • Joseph Aguayo
  • Anne Alvarez
  • Christine Anzieu-Premmereur
  • George Bermudez
  • Ghislaine Boulanger
  • Fanny Brewster
  • Duncan Cartwright
  • Andrea Celenza
  • Giuseppe Civitarese
  • Steven Cooper
  • Ken Corbett
  • M. Fakhry Davids
  • Joshua Durban
  • Ofra Eshel
  • Lillian Ferrari
  • Jack Foehl
  • Daniel Gaztambide
  • Katie Gentile
  • Patricia Gherovici
  • Dodi Goldman
  • Chanda Griffin
  • Sue Grand
  • Robert Grossmark
  • Orna Guralnik
  • Hayuta Gurevich
  • Adrienne Harris
  • Jonathan House
  • Lynne Layton
  • Kimberlyn Leary
  • Alessandra Lemma
  • Howard Levine
  • Paola Mieli
  • Donald Moss
  • Michael O’Loughlin
  • Robert Oelsner
  • Juan Tubert Oklander
  • Donna Orange
  • Michael Parsons
  • Adam Phillips
  • Lia Pistiner de Cortiñas
  • Avgi Saketopoulou
  • Dominique Scarfone
  • Cleonie White
  • Jeanne Wolff-Bernstein