Requirements for Training in Child and Adolescent Psychoanalysis


IPA Recognition

1.  The IPA will recognise the child and adolescent training programmes run by IPA Constituent Organisations or Institutes which meet the requirements outlined in this document.  The list of IPA recognised Child and Adolescent training programmes is published in its Roster, and on its website.  


2.  Any IPA Member who subsequently graduates through one of these recognised programmes will be automatically recognised as a Child and Adolescent analyst by the IPA following receipt of this information from Constituent Organisations or Institutes.  Such IPA Members, qualified additionally as Child and Adolescent analysts, are identified as such in the IPA Roster and will be issued with, or may apply for, an IPA certificate confirming this recognition.


3.  It is expected that those undertaking Child and Adolescent training programmes run by IPA Constituent Organisations or Institutes will already have completed their adult training and are thus IPA Members.  Child and Adolescent training programmes may however be conducted by Constituent Organisations and Institutes in parallel with adult training programmes, but graduates from such programmes cannot be recognised by the IPA as Child and Adolescent analysts without first completing their adult training programmes, and so obtaining IPA Membership.  Thus individual IPA recognition as a Child and Adolescent analyst can only be accorded to current IPA Members.


The IPA Committee on Child and Adolescent Psychoanalysis (COCAP)

4.  The IPA Board has delegated authority to COCAP to:

a. Consider applications for IPA recognition of Child and Adolescent training programmes run by IPA Constituent Organisations or Institutes, and to make recommendations to the Board as to whether or not such training programmes meet the IPA’s requirements and should be recognised.  (See paragraphs 8 to 12 below.)
b. Review under the IPA’s Equivalency Procedures individual applications for recognition as a Child and Adolescent analyst from IPA Members, who completed training programmes run by IPA Constituent Organisations or Institutes before they were recognised by the IPA, or other training programmes run by organisations which are not IPA Constituent Organisations or Institutes, and to make recommendations to the Board as to whether such applicants meet the IPA’s requirements and should be recognised as Child and Adolescent analysts.  (See paragraphs 13 to 18 below.)
c. Encourage Constituent Organisations or Institutes to establish Child and Adolescent training programmes which meet the requirements in this document, and to provide such assistance as may be requested.



Requirements for Child and Adolescent Training Programmes

5.  The IPA’s requirements outlined in this document are minimum requirements.  Constituent Organisations and Institutes are free to exceed these minimum requirements as they judge appropriate.  Elements of the training models adopted by Constituent Organisations and Institutes which exceed the IPA minimum requirements will be regarded as consistent with IPA requirements.  


6.  The Courses and Seminars, and Supervisions sections of Child and Adolescent training programmes run by IPA Constituent Organisations or Institutes must meet the requirements equivalent to those accepted by the IPA for the purpose of training in adult analysis and outlined in the Procedural Code entry ‘Requirements for Qualification and Admission to IPA Membership’.  It is assumed that a candidate’s analysis will have been conducted as part of the candidate’s training to be an adult analyst.  


7.  In addition, training programmes in Child and Adolescent analysis must include the following: 
a. two supervised cases under age 20 at different stages of development (pre-school, latency, adolescence), and wherever possible of different sexes;
b. treatment of these supervised cases for a period of at least a year; at the same frequency required by the Constituent Society for adult psychoanalysis; 
c. supervision and evaluation normally conducted weekly for at least 40 sessions per year by analysts who have been designated for these functions by their Constituent Organisations or Institutes; and 
d. clinical and theoretical seminars in Child and Adolescent psychoanalysis, including development, psychopathology and technique, and including those ethical principles and procedures which apply specifically to the treatment of children and adolescents.




Application for IPA Recognition of Child and Adolescent Training Programmes

8.  Applications by IPA Constituent Organisations or Institutes for IPA recognition of their Child and Adolescent training programmes should be addressed to the Chair of COCAP at ipa@ipa.org.uk.  Applications will be acknowledged.


9.  COCAP will assess such applications against the requirements outlined above.  COCAP may seek further information from the applicant organisations as required.  COCAP will make a recommendation to the Board as to whether the applicant organisation’s training programme should be recognised by the IPA.


10.  The IPA Board will consider COCAP’s recommendations and either approve or refer back such applications.  The IPA will inform applicant organisations why applications are rejected either by COCAP or the Board, and state the reasons.


11.  Applicant organisations have the right of appeal to the IPA if their application is rejected.  The President may appoint an ad hoc Committee to review such appeals. 


12.  Constituent Organisations or Institutes whose training programmes are recognised by the IPA are expected to maintain the requirements outlined in this document, in accordance with the IPA’s Rules.  Such training programmes will be subject to any oversight by the IPA as outlined in the Procedural Code entry ‘IPA Oversight of Educational Requirements’.



Individual Applications for Recognition as a Child and Adolescent Analyst

13.  IPA Members, who 
a. completed Child and Adolescent training programmes run by IPA Constituent Organisations or Institutes before such programmes were officially recognised by the IPA as meeting the requirements outlined in this document, or 
b. completed other Child and Adolescent training programmes run by organisations which are not IPA Constituent Organisations or Institutes (such as the Anna Freud Centre in London, or the Hanna Perkins Center in Cleveland), may still apply for recognition as IPA Child and Adolescent analysts for review under the IPA’s Equivalency Procedures.  Such applications should be addressed to the Chair of COCAP at ipa@ipa.org.uk.  Applications will be acknowledged.  


14.  Applications will normally only be accepted from IPA Members who have graduated from Child and Adolescent training programmes run by Constituent Organisations or Institutes, where those training programmes are now recognised by the IPA, or where the Constituent Organisations or Institutes are applying for IPA recognition.


15.  COCAP will assess such applications against the IPA’s Equivalency Procedures.  COCAP may seek further information from the applicants as required.  COCAP will make a recommendation to the Board as to whether such applicants should be recognised as Child and Adolescent analysts by the IPA.  


16.  The IPA Board will consider COCAP’s recommendations and either approve or refer back such applications.  The IPA will inform applicants why applications are rejected either by COCAP or the Board, and state the reasons.


17.  Applicants have the right of appeal to the IPA if their application is rejected.  The President may appoint an ad hoc Committee to review such appeals.


18.  IPA Members recognised as Child and Adolescent analysts are expected to maintain the appropriate requirements outlined in the IPA’s Rules and its Procedural Code.


Change record:
Approved by Executive Council July 1999.
Revision to include frequency of sessions approved by the Executive Council July 2000.
Complete revision of the document approved by the Board in principle in January 2007, with final approval in March 2007
Addition to paragraph 7b. to clarify that the frequency should be the same as that required for adult training approved by Board July 2009