APsaA and local Fellowship Programs

The Fellowship Committee and Fellowship Program of the American Psychoanalytic Association (APsaA) were originally established to develop interest in psychoanalysis among talented psychiatry residents across the United States. Beginning with the first group of APsaA Fellows in 1991-1992, the committee has further developed its mandate to include selection of potential leaders in other mental health fields with an interest in psychoanalysis and its interface with other disciplines. Early Career Psychology Ph.D. Fellows were included beginning in 1995-1996, Social Work Fellows in 1998-1999, and Academic Fellows in 2000-2001. The APsaA Fellowship Committee currently selects 17 Fellows annually. In addition, the committee seeks to support and encourage the non-winners as well, currently numbering close to 100 nationwide, through a variety of Local Fellowship Programs primarily at the local society level.

The mission of the Fellowship Program is to seek out and encourage interest and involvement in psychoanalysis among potential leaders, researchers, clinicians, and educators of mental health and academia. The intent of the program is specifically not directed at those already committed to pursuing psychoanalytic training but towards future leaders of all mental health disciplines who might never become analytic candidates, but rather will carry a positive experience of psychoanalysis with them into their future careers. As a result of the program, some of the discipline’s students have been exposed to psychoanalysis and psychoanalysts, have attended national meetings, have met and worked with research mentors, networked with one another and have influenced colleagues across the country.

The APsaA Fellowship Program application process requires the submission of a resume, an autobiography and letters of recommendations, most frequently written by local analysts who know the applicant’s work. The readers of the applications consistently remark on the high quality of the aspirants. All applicants, whether an APsaA Fellowship winner or not, receive TAP, complementary registration at national meetings and are assigned, at the local level, a mentor. Mentors are members of the local society who are asked to forge individual relationships and to make psychoanalysis accessible to their mentees. This may involve discussing readings and clinical issues, encouraging their attendance at scientific meetings and extension division offerings and nurturing an ongoing interest in psychoanalysis. The mentor is asked to meet at least monthly for a 10-12 month period. Some applicants apply without any expectation of winning just to take advantage of the exposure to a mentor and to programs that are offered locally and nationally to all applicants. Those selected as winners receive expenses paid for attendance at the two annual meetings of the APsaA, a secondary mentor who shares subspecialty interests, the opportunity to present clinical/research material in discussion groups at APsaA meetings, subscriptions to numerous psychoanalytic journals and gifts of books from psychoanalytic presses.

There are substantial benefits of the program to the field of psychoanalysis and to the local institutes and societies. The enormous success of the Fellowship program is evident in the results of a recent survey of former participants, both applicants and winners. Sixty nine percent report the program influenced them or their future career goals significantly. In addition to creating friendliness toward psychoanalysis among the future leaders and educators in psychiatry, psychology, social work and academia, local communities often find new candidates, students, analysands and supporters.

Goals of the local SFCP Fellowship Program

The goals of the local SFCP Fellowship Program are to introduce and welcome the local Fellowship participants (both applicants and those awarded the APsaA Fellowship) to the SFCP community. The SFCP fosters further exploration of psychoanalytic ideas and exposure to psychoanalysis for the participants. In addition, the SFCP determines the interests of the participants in order to facilitate their attendance and participation in relevant presentations, courses, and meetings.

For further information about APsaA’s Fellowship Program at SFCP, contact Fellowship Coordinator Jane Dulay, MD, 510-848-7132, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .