The American Psychoanalytic Association Fellowship
The Fellowship Program is designed as an early-career initiative for future leaders and educators in the fields of academia, mental health, psychiatry, psychology, social work, and multidisciplinary endeavors. It provides an opportunity to gain knowledge about psychoanalysis and become involved in your local and national psychoanalytic community.
The American Psychoanalytic Association founded its Fellowship Program in 1991. Its mission is to encourage interest and involvement in psychoanalysis among the future leaders, researchers, and educators of mental health and academia. Early-career academics/multidisciplinary scholars, licensed mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers are encouraged to apply.
One Year
What are the benefits of winning a fellowship?
Association Meetings
Fellows will have their expenses (including travel, lodging, food, and meeting registration fee) covered for the meetings of the American Psychoanalytic Association that take place during their fellowship year (February and June).
Fellows will attend a special program which includes regular scientific sessions and events arranged especially for them. They will be invited to present clinical research and other material at the Clinical Conferences for Residents, Psychology and Social Work Trainees, and Students as well as a variety of workshops and discussion groups. Where appropriate, they will be invited to join committees of the Association.
Fellows will also be invited to lunch with the members of the Fellowship Committee and will have dinner together as a group to promote informal networking. If several of the fellows have similar interests, they will be invited to form a group and arrange a presentation of their work during the Association’s meetings.
Buddies and a Second Mentor
Buddies are winners of the fellowship program from the preceding year. A buddy will be assigned to each new fellow. The purpose is to make the fellowship year a rewarding one by providing a network of support, especially prior to the National Meeting as well as during the meetings and throughout the year. Fellows may request a second mentor to guide them in a specific area of psychoanalysis.
Subscriptions and Books
Fellows will receive:
- an ongoing subscription to The American Psychoanalyst
- a one-year subscription to The Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association (JAPA)
- a one-year subscription to The Psychoanalytic Quarterly
Psychoanalytic Electronic Publishing (PEP)
PEP contains over 50,000 articles and 23 classic books covering 80 years of key psychoanalytic literature which is fully linked and searchable. PEP is perfect for teaching, research, writing, and browsing. A special reduced rate is available for Fellows.
Library Privileges
Fellows will have one-year privileges at the Brill Library in New York City including borrowing privileges; access to email, phone and on-site reference services; and invitations to all events sponsored by the Friends of the Library.
Fellowship Alumni Association (FAA)
At the end of the fellowship year, fellows will become members of the Fellowship Alumni Association (FAA) to further their involvement in APsaA and in psychoanalysis.
Academics/multidisciplinary scholars, licensed mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers who meet the eligibility requirements as outlined below are encouraged to apply for APsaA’s Fellowship Program.
Applicants must be training or working in the United States during the fellowship year. However, Psychoanalytic Candidates are not eligible for the fellowship because of their ready access to mentors and to scientific activities at local and national levels. Re-application is permitted.
What are the general eligibility requirements?
All applicants should:
- Be early career professionals in their fields. Please see discipline-specific guidelines below.
- Demonstrate leadership ability in their discipline and, specifically, a commitment to and a platform for the dissemination of psychoanalysis to their professional communities (e.g. colleagues, trainees, fellow educators) and beyond.
- Have special aptitude in research, teaching, scholarship, artistic, or clinical endeavors.
- Have a strong, demonstrated interest in psychoanalysis and psychodynamic perspectives.
Applicants need not plan to become psychoanalysts.
What are the specific eligibility requirements?
Academic and Multidisciplinary Applicants
Applicants must be individuals from academia or any non-mental health profession to which psychoanalysis may relate. Examples of such professions include, but are not limited to, the humanities, the social sciences, law, theology, journalism, or the arts. Applicants from such fields should demonstrate a serious ongoing interest in psychoanalysis and its relationship to their primary field. They should be curious about how psychoanalytic theory is used in clinical and applied forms (even if applicants have not had direct clinical experience). Applicants must currently work in a position that influences others through education, writing, public speaking, research organizational leadership, performance, or artistic installations.
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, Licensed Mental Health Counselors, or Licensed Creative Arts Therapists
Applicants must demonstrate an interest in and pursuit of psychoanalysis. Strong applicants will highlight their potential for disseminating and advancing psychoanalytic ideas through a position that involves training, leadership, public policy, or advocacy; or an interdisciplinary position that offers the opportunity to teach didactics or to provide training to others; or a part-time appointment within an academic department.
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners
Applicants must demonstrate an interest in and pursuit of psychoanalysis. Strong applicants will highlight their potential for disseminating and advancing psychoanalytic ideas through a position that involves training, leadership, public policy, or advocacy; or an interdisciplinary position that offers the opportunity to teach didactics or to provide training to others; or a part-time appointment within an academic department.
Psychiatry Applicants
Applicants must, at the time of application, be full-time general or child psychiatry residents, PGY-2 or higher, psychiatric fellows, or psychiatrists who are early career professionals. They must demonstrate significant organizational involvement that includes training, leadership, or research responsibilities.
Psychology Applicants
Applicants must at the time of the fellowship, maintain an affiliation with an academic department or clinical training program and have training, leadership, or research responsibilities. Psychology graduate programs must be accredited. Applicants, if predoctoral, must have completed required coursework and be in or beyond the predoctoral internship.
Social Work Applicants
Applicants must demonstrate an interest in and pursuit of psychoanalysis. Strong applicants will highlight their potential for disseminating and advancing psychoanalytic ideas through a position that involves training, leadership, public policy, or advocacy; or an interdisciplinary position that offers the opportunity to teach didactics or to provide training to others; or a part-time appointment within an academic department.
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