The BPA is a Component Society of the International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA). The BPA offers a rigorous professional training for those who wish to become Psychoanalysts. Qualification leads to international registration with the IPA, and national registration with the British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC), the prestigious UK regulatory body with the most stringent accreditation requirements.

The BPA student subscription also covers membership of the European Psychoanalytical Federation (EPF). Students are encouraged to join the International Psychoanalytical Student Organisation (IPSO), the student body for candidates in training with IPA societies. The BPA Board, which is the elected executive and policy-making body for the BPA, maintains overall responsibility for the training.

Psychoanalysts come from a wide range of disciplines and professional backgrounds. We welcome enquiries and applications from all sections of society. Many of our members come from professions such as; psychiatry, clinical psychology, law, social work, teaching, counselling, public relations, and marketing to name but a few. We very much welcome diversity and we feel this contributes enormously to the development of the BPA.

To apply to the training, it is important to have a first degree or equivalent in either the humanities or the sciences. Applicants must also have had personal Psychoanalysis with a BPA/IPA approved Training Analyst at a frequency of at least four times a week for a minimum of one year prior to starting the training. Your analysis must continue weekly until qualification. We can help you to find a suitable Training Analyst if necessary. Importantly you must have had some clinical experience in the field of mental health. For Candidates without psychiatric experience, it will be necessary to undertake a psychiatric placement for one year. We welcome applications from a variety of work backgrounds and from all sections of society.

Crucially, it is fundamental that you have an aptitude and the potential to think and work analytically.

A Training Analyst will have many years of experience as a Psychoanalyst and must be registered as a Training Analyst with the IPA.  A candidate’s personal psychoanalysis is central to his /her development as a psychoanalyst. Training demands serious investment, not only in terms of time and cost, but also in terms of the emotions that will naturally be stirred up by having an analysis. A psychodynamic or psychoanalytic psychotherapist will not be registered with the IPA and will usually have trained to work at a lower frequency.

Currently, the annual fees for the BPA training are £1600 p.a. for the first four years of training. When the theoretical programme has been completed, the fees are reduced to £850 p.a. while clinical work is completed.

We aim to keep fees as low as possible but ask candidates to expect a small increase each year. Advance notice of increases in fees is given. In the case of hardship or difficulty, you may wish to apply to the BPA Candidate loan fund. The IPA also offers interest-free loans to IPA candidates.

Candidate membership of the BPA is currently £240 per annum. This includes a subscription to  PEPweb, BPA Bulletin, Scientific meeting events and candidate standing with the IPA and EPF. Membership of IPSO costs between £10 and £20 per annum.

Payment for candidate psychoanalysis and individual supervision is negotiated individually with the analyst and supervisors.

The course starts in September each year.

Usually in seminar leaders consulting rooms.

The training is part-time. Seminars are over two evenings. The timing of other aspects of the training is flexible.

The week of training consists of a minimum of 21 hours and includes, 3 hrs – Seminars, 14 hrs Clinical Work, 3 hrs – Report Writing, and 3 hrs – Personal Study over the course of 36 weeks.

The Selection Advisors would be pleased to discuss any aspects of the training with you or offer advice on the next steps to take.  Potential applicants will find it helpful to have an informal discussion about the training and their particular situation in the first instance.

When you are ready to apply, please submit the BPA application form for us to receive by the closing date 31^st March of each year. If you meet the entry requirements you will be invited to three separate 1:1 interviews with senior BPA analysts, after which the BPA Selection Committee will make a decision.

The deadline for applications annually is 31^st March.

Successful completion of the training leads to membership of the International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA), the British Psychoanalytic Association (BPA), and further opportunities to participate fully in the ongoing intellectual, scientific and organisational life of these societies.

Qualification also leads to registration with the British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC) and to opportunities of working as a psychoanalyst in other countries.

Unfortunately, we do not currently run a psychoanalysis training programme for non-UK resident applicants.