In order to undertake this course, we ask that you:

1. have completed our Perinatal, child, adolescent and family work: a psychoanalytic observational approach (M7) course or equivalent. Completion must be to at least Postgraduate Diploma level or to Master’s level if you do not already hold a UK honours degree. For overseas qualifications, equivalence of academic level to a UK honours degree can be confirmed by NARIC. An ‘equivalent’ programme will deliver comparable learning outcomes e.g. two years of psychoanalytic baby observation, at least one year of work discussion seminars, psychoanalytic theory lectures and seminars, etc;
2. have substantial experience of working with children and young people;
3. are strong in personal suitability.

Personal suitability criteria include:

• both sensitivity and resilience to meet the emotional demands of the training
• sustained interest in infants, children and adolescents and the ability to engage and build relationships with them
• awareness of the impact you have on others and the impact of others on you
• respect for others’ difference, identity and individuality
• the ability to keep personal and professional boundaries
• the ability to ask for and use help
• the ability to keep thinking under pressure
• excellent written and spoken communications skills.

Further requirements: personal psychotherapy and psychoanalysis

Personal psychoanalysis (usually four or five sessions per week) is an essential component of the child and adolescent psychotherapy training.  It is at the heart of supporting your personal and professional development and strongly contributes towards your continuing development after training.

You are strongly encouraged to begin personal psychoanalytic psychotherapy or psychoanalysis (for six months or one year) before you apply to the training as this is an important developmental opportunity. In some circumstances this might be in the form of once or twice weekly therapy and might be accessed remotely through online technologies. 

Personal tutors and/or potential training schools will be able to think with you about your options including advice about suitably accredited analysts and psychotherapists and help for people with limited funds to access some financial support.

We are committed to widening access to the training and building on the diversity of our training groups. We understand that some applicants will not have the opportunity to start personal therapy, for financial, geographical and other reasons, and we do not want this to be a barrier to making an application.

If you have not started in personal therapy, then you should, as a minimum, have an understanding about the importance of personal psychoanalysis for undertaking psychoanalytic work. This includes thinking about yourself and your own readiness for what this might entail, in terms of the exploration of ​your own conscious and unconscious thoughts and feelings.

This can feel quite challenging; thinking about managing your own anxiety or other responses is often a part of the process for all applicants. It is a challenging part of psychoanalytic working as you have to think about and manage your own responses and anxieties. If needed, we encourage you to contact us, so we can help with thinking about this.

We will need to assess candidates’ suitability for training, on the basis that you can demonstrate that you have the requirements for clinical training, which includes being ready to take part in and learn from personal psychoanalysis. This will be explored as part of the recruitment and selection process for new trainees.

If you are accepted, you need to be in a position to start your personal analysis at the beginning of your training (the start of the autumn term at latest) or you will not be able to take up your place.

There is an accredited list of analysts who are experienced at working with our trainees. We have a separate process to help identify a suitable analytic vacancy. This can take several months, so it is important to contact us early on in relation to starting before training or to be ready to start at the beginning of the course.

Most places for this course are funded through a national scheme aimed at training the NHS workforce. If you are successful in your application, you will be directed to apply for training posts, one of which you must secure before taking up your place.

If you meet entry criteria for the course but are a non-UK resident and therefore ineligible for NHS funding, or you have not secured a funded place, you may be considered on a self-funded basis. Places for self-funded students are limited and considered on a case-by-case basis. Course fees for self-funded and international students for 2024/25 will be £22,000 per year.

There is some limited bursary and loan support offered by charitable Trust funds which trainees can apply for.

Please note that course fees are subject to an annual uplift of 3% or the Consumer Price Inflation as at 1 September, whichever is the greater. At its discretion, the Trust may determine a figure between these two rates.

Assessment

Practice-based learning is ongoing throughout the programme with defined progress points at the end of each year, and joint planning between you, your placement supervisor and your tutor for the next year’s requirements.

This ensures that the required professional competencies can be met by the end of the programme so that you will be eligible for full membership of the ACP. There are also academic submissions each year, building progressively so that by the end of the course you will be ready to submit a substantial portfolio of clinical and research work, which will be assessed by viva.

Attendance

This course is full time, between your clinical work in placement and time for training. A full day on Wednesdays is spent at the Tavistock Centre in North West London.

Given that training posts are fully funded by the NHS, the expectation by the NHS as the funding body, the ACP as the accrediting body and the training schools, is that post-qualification, child and adolescent psychoanalytic psychotherapists would work in the public services: the NHS or charity or voluntary sectors.

Registration with the ACP is necessary for working in the NHS, charity or voluntary sectors post-qualification. Ongoing clinical supervision post-qualification is required by the ACP.