Admission Eligibility

The Institute welcomes applications from psychiatrists (MD and DO), clinical psychologists (Ph.D. or Psy.D.), clinical social workers (MSW, Ph.D.), nurse practitioners (PMHNP), licensed psychotherapists (LPC), and other licensed mental health clinicians. Applicants must have at least a master’s degree in a clinical mental health field, carry a mental health license in Oregon, be in good standing with their licensing board, and have appropriate professional liability insurance.

We encourage inquiries about training early in professional career development. Such inquiries may be directed to the Chair of Admissions.

During the application process, several factors are considered to evaluate whether an applicant would be a good match for the program and vice versa. As part of this, an assessment is made about whether the applicant would be able to make use of all aspects of the training and contribute to the learning experience of the cohort.

Educational Experience

Familiarity with and educational experience in the following areas are relevant to one's readiness to engage in psychoanalytic education as a candidate:

  1. Didactic Education: An applicant should have experience in their graduate coursework with the following:
    • Human development
    • Psychopathology
    • Major psychological theories
    • Range of therapeutic approaches to mental disorders
    • Interviewing techniques, history taking, information gathering, report writing
    • Techniques of psychotherapy
    • Dynamically oriented courses and clinical case seminars
    • Principles of clinical and professional ethical conduct
  2. Clinical Experience: An applicant should have experience practicing psychodynamic psychotherapy one or two times per week under supervision. They will get the most out of their analytic training if they have also had other types of graduate level clinical experience. This may include:
    • Experience with inpatient and emergency care situations including safety protocols
    • Experience with a full range of mental disorders
    • Experience with diagnostic assessment and differential diagnosis
  3. Clinical Supervision: Regular weekly supervision over time with a psychoanalyst or psychoanalytic psychotherapy supervisor, to discuss patients the applicant is working with in individual psychodynamic psychotherapy, is beneficial to starting training. With this experience, the applicant should have the capacity to recognize and establish a clinical process and be able to learn and develop in supervision.
  4. Personal Psychoanalysis (Training Analysis): The experience of being a patient in psychoanalysis is essential to understanding some of what will be involved in psychoanalytic training and is a required part of the education. We strongly recommend that applicants start their own in-person psychoanalysis four or five times per week at least six months prior to classes starting in September. If this is not possible, accepted candidates must be in psychoanalysis four or five times per week by the start of classes in their first year of training. For clinical candidates, this analysis must be with an OPI Training Analyst (TA). For Academic candidates, the analysis must be with an OPI faculty analyst.

Personal Qualifications

Applicants for training are accepted based on their education, intellectual interest, psychological aptitude, and emotional suitability for the practice of psychoanalysis. The applicant should demonstrate personal integrity and maturity, as well as a broad interest in human motivation and psychological development.

Because the cohort is such a crucial part of the candidate’s learning experience, the capacity to be a constructive member of a group is essential.

As part of their interviews, applicants may be asked about their understanding of their inner struggles with personal issues and relationships. Important characteristics of individuals interested in doing psychoanalytic work include:

  • Psychological understanding and sensitivity
  • A capacity for identification with others
  • Self-reflection
  • Curiosity about one's own mind and the minds of others
  • An ability for objective observation

The psychoanalytic training program aims to foster and integrate these characteristics in the developing psychoanalyst.

The applicant may use the required autobiographical statement that is included with their application to highlight such factors.