The Board Certification program is designed to avoid subjective factors, such as theoretical biases or professional politics, that can compromise the fairness of the assessment procedure.

Board Certification is conferred on the basis of attestations and documentation demonstrating fulfillment of the required education and experience criteria. You will be asked to complete a formal application and to submit two letters of recommendation on your behalf by qualified analysts.

Your application will be prepared by an employed administrator and forwarded to the Board of Examiners in Psychoanalysis for a blind review. The Board of Examiners, an autonomous body comprised of senior analysts from each of the CIPS societies, will conduct a blind evaluation of your application. You will not be required to submit to any formal review of your clinical work nor is there any further examination procedure.

Your Board Certification will be valid for seven years. Renewal of your certification will simply require completion of a recertification application form, attesting to continuing experience and education, along with two letters of recommendation, a letter from your Society President, and payment of the recertification fee.

The application fee for Board Certification is $200. Your application will not be processed until the application fee is paid. You will pay the fee upon submission of your application.

It is easy to apply for Board Certification in Psychoanalysis through our certification program:

1. Review the criteria for certification listed under Criteria for Board Certification in the first tab of this accordion.
2. Go to the Application page of the website, fill out the application and submit your application online. You will see the “SUBMIT” button on the bottom of the page. Upon submission, you will receive a link that you will provide to your references so that the reference letters may be uploaded directly to the CIPS website.
3. When you have submitted the application, ask two experienced analysts who know your work to submit letters of reference on your behalf, utilizing the reference letter forms located in this section of the website. If you are re-certifying, you will add a letter of good standing from your Society/Institute President.

If you have any questions about the application process, please contact the Board Certification Administrator, Diana Daimwood, at admin@cipsusa.org.

The “BCPsa” is our certification mark. It identifies psychoanalysts who have been certified in Psychoanalysis by the Board of Examiners in Psychoanalysis in accordance with the education and experience standards set forth by the CIPS Board of Directors as criteria for Board Certification in Psychoanalysis. The mark serves as a visual symbol of the holder’s psychoanalytic education and clinical experience. Usage of this mark is restricted to psychoanalysts certified by our Board of Examiners in Psychoanalysis. Any other usage is a violation of federal and state law.

If you have been certified by the Board of Examiners, you are entitled to place the BCPsa certification mark after your name on business cards, stationery, and other documents.

In addition, if you have attained your BCPsa, you may wish to have a BCPsa Certificate, suitable for framing, in your office. The printed certificate is 11″ X 14″. The cost is $50. To order, please click here.

1. Definition of terms used in this application

   1. The term “psychoanalytic treatment” refers to psychoanalytically informed psychotherapy as well as formal psychoanalysis.
   2. The term “formal psychoanalysis” refers to practice conducted in person between the analysand and analyst at a frequency of three to five sessions per week, for the primary purposes of expanding self-knowledge, supporting emotional growth, and ameliorating maladaptive patterns of thought, feeling and behavior.
   3. The term “psychoanalytically informed psychotherapy” refers to psychotherapeutic practice, informed by psychoanalytic theory, conducted at a frequency of one or more sessions per week, for the purpose of ameliorating patterns of thought, feeling and behavior through insight and other interventions intended to support and promote adaptive functioning.

2. Requirements for Board Certification

   1. Full membership in CIPS, either through membership in one of the CIPS component societies or the Direct Member Society. Individuals must maintain their membership in the component society or the Direct Member Society or they will not be eligible to apply for renewal of their certification.
   2. Membership in the IPA for a minimum of five years
   3. Clinical experience requirements AFTER graduation from psychoanalytic training:
      
      • A minimum of five years of experience as a graduate psychoanalyst.
      • A minimum of 5,000 hours of clinical practice experience in the conduct of psychoanalysis and psychoanalytically informed treatment.
      • Treatment of a minimum of three patients in formal analysis at a frequency of three to five sessions per week in accordance with the following requirements:
        • At least two of the three cases were initiated after graduation.
        • Each case was seen for a minimum of one year after graduation.
        • Two of the three cases were each seen for a minimum of two years after graduation.
        • Each of the three cases was seen for a minimum of 100 hours per year.
        • At least one case was carried until termination.

3. Continuing Education Requirements

   1. Within the past five years, at least 50 hours of continuing psychoanalytic education, which may be fulfilled by any combination of the following activities:
      
      • Participation in postgraduate seminars, continuous case conferences, courses or study groups (one hour of continuing education credit shall be awarded for every clock hour of participation in a seminar or course).
      • Private supervision or case consultation with analysts who have at least five years of clinical experience as a graduate psychoanalyst (one hour of continuing education credit shall be awarded for every clock hour in supervision or consultation).
      • All supervision of students and other therapists shall be considered a continuing education activity (one hour of continuing education credit shall be awarded for every clock hour of supervision).
      • Teaching a course in a psychoanalytic institute (one hour of continuing education credit shall be awarded for every clock hour of teaching).
      • Publication of books or articles (ten hours of continuing education credit shall be awarded for every published article or chapter).

4. Successful evaluation of practice

   1. Two successful evaluations by colleagues, supervisors, or consultants who are certified in psychoanalysis by the CIPS BoE; ABECSW, ABPP, or the APsaA BoPS, or who are eligible for such certification.

5. Ethical conduct

   1. Conduct in conformity with the ethical codes of all professional psychoanalytic societies of which the applicant is a member; and,
   2. Conduct in conformity with the ethical codes of all other professional associations of which the applicant is a member and,
   3. Conduct in conformity with the ethical codes of applicant’s state licensing board.

6. Recertification every seven years after initial certification Recertification requirements include the following:

   1. At least 50 hours of continuing psychoanalytic education, which may be fulfilled by any combination of the following activities:
      
      • Participation in postgraduate seminars, continuous case conferences, courses or study groups (one hour of continuing education credit shall be awarded for every clock hour of participation in a seminar or course).
      • Private supervision or case consultation with analysts who have at least five years of clinical experience as a graduate psychoanalyst (one hour of continuing education credit shall be awarded for every clock hour in supervision or consultation).
      • All supervision of students and other therapists shall be considered a continuing education activity (one hour of continuing education credit shall be awarded for every clock hour of supervision).
      • Teaching a course in a psychoanalytic institute (one hour of continuing education credit shall be awarded for every clock hour of teaching).
      • Publication of books or articles (ten hours of continuing education credit shall be awarded for every published article or chapter).
   2. A minimum of 4,000 hours of experience in the conduct of psychoanalytically informed treatment or psychoanalytically oriented supervision and consultation.
   3. Two successful evaluations by peers familiar with your work (e.g., current or former supervisor; co-instructor in an IPA institute didactic course, clinical seminar or study group; committee chair or co-chair on a committee you have served on). Download the Reference Letter here. A letter from your Society/Institute Director that addresses good standing in the Society/Institute and active participation in the Society/Institute functioning.