Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Association (Modified Entry Scheme)

The practice of psychoanalytic psychotherapy seeks to explore, understand and work in depth with the emotional problems of another. It necessarily requires rigorous and thorough training which entails the therapist’s time and commitment and the capacity to explore themselves in their own personal therapy.

Our training is underpinned by a theoretical framework derived from the rich, longstanding and well-founded psychoanalytic traditions of Freud, Klein, Bion, Winnicott and the British Object Relations School.  Based on Freud’s discovery and elaboration of the unconscious and its effects in everyday life, the work explores the ways that unconscious aspects and conflicts of the personality may be hindering development and informing conscious choices in an unhelpful way.

Intensive Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy involves seeing a patient three times a week, usually on the couch.  This frequency, together with the psychoanalytic setting, enables a depth of contact between therapist and patient that is significant and effective. It is an internationally recognized standard of psychoanalytic work that is also practically manageable in terms of time, money and the other demands of contemporary life.

Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy allows for a sustained and meaningful therapeutic relationship to develop. This allows both patient and therapist to explore and understand the patient’s difficulties and conflicts in his inner world in the safe and contained setting of the consulting room. Treatment aims to reach beyond the initial symptoms which may have initiated the desire for therapy, to the underlying causes which reside in deeper layers of the personality. Working in this way can provide profound and lasting change for the patient, and a deeply rewarding and creative experience for the therapist and patient alike.

The programme follows all the clinical requirements of the full training; modified entrants will follow a minimum of 30 theoretical seminars offered by the PPA during the course of the training. The theoretical curriculum will be chosen in discussion with a personal tutor to supplement previous theoretical learning.

Trainees will undertake the treatment of two intensive training cases each seen with weekly supervision; they attend weekly clinical seminars until qualification.

The theory and clinical seminars are held on one weekday evening between 6.30 – 10.00pm. A further seminar, for Infant Observation, if required is held at a time to suit the individual during the first year (or two, if a two-year observation is undertaken). Two Saturday mornings a term are also scheduled with workshops and plenaries with the Training Committee.

Personal therapy, infant observation and psychiatric experience

Modified entrants are expected to have undertaken a personal psychotherapy, or analysis with an approved therapist at a frequency of at least three times a week for at least five years over the period of their previous training. Such therapy if no longer current should not have ended more than five years before starting the MES.

If previous intensive therapy has not been undertaken trainees will be expected to have started this with an approved bpf training therapist prior to starting the course.

Further therapy is not mandatory for modified entrants but may be required or recommended on the basis of the selection interviews, and may emerge as a requirement at the discretion of the Training Committee during the course.

Trainees are expected to have completed an infant observation Course or to undertake one during the course; trainees are expected to have gained some psychiatric experience during their previous training or be required to undertake this during the course.

Undertaking clinical training in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy represents a major personal investment in terms of time, money and individual development. We hope the following information will give you a sense of what training at the bpf might be like.

2025/2026 Course Fees:

The first part of the MES PPA training costs £4,244, which is paid once, and contains a theory curriculum. After completing this, the fees are reduced to £1,994 p/a whilst completing the clinical component.

If an Infant Observation is undertaken there is an additional fee of £1,653.

Trainees also pay an annual bpf membership fee of £144.45 which provides access to the bpf library, to PEPWEB (an excellent online resource of psychoanalytic literature), and access to bpf’s wide-ranging scientific and cultural life.

The trainee’s fees for their own personal therapy is negotiated with the training therapist on an individual basis. Similarly, when beginning to see training patients the cost of supervision will be discussed with each training supervisor. Trainees will need to provide an appropriate setting to see training patients and this may involve room rental costs.

View PPA Curriculum

Attend our Virtual Open Day to watch a presentation about this course.

The building has limited access – please email [email protected] or call us on 020 8452 9823 to discuss your needs.

If you are considering training with the PPA, please email the PPA Training Coordinator, ([email protected]), who will put you in contact with a PPA Advisor (a member of the PPA Training Committee). Before contacting the PPA Training Coordinator, please ensure you have carefully read the information on the PPA pages of the bpf website including the entry requirements.

PPA Advisors can help you prepare to apply, as well as answer questions about the structure, content and cost of the training. If your enquiry is at an early stage, the PPA Advisor can offer guidance with regard to the next steps to consider, including how to find an approved training therapist.

Applications for the MES route may be submitted throughout the year.

The bpf is committed to diversity and inclusivity in all the work we deliver. We are fully dedicated to promoting, maintaining and supporting equality of opportunity in all aspects of our organisation and, as such, the bpf welcomes applications from all sections of society.