Blanton-Peale Institute & Counseling Center

TITLE: Blanton-Peale Institute and Counseling Center

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website: https://www.blantonpeale.org ^[1]

address: 7 West 30th Street, 9th and 10th Floors, New York, NY 10001 ^[2][3]

phone: 212.725.7850 ^[4][5]

email: info@blantonpeale.org ^[4]

contact: Dean of Education — Dr. Marcelo Gomes ^[1]

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Blanton-Peale Institute and Counseling Center

The Blanton-Peale Institute and Counseling Center is a nonprofit outpatient mental health clinic and psychoanalytic training institute in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 1937 by the minister Norman Vincent Peale and the psychiatrist Smiley Blanton, it grew out of an effort to combine psychological treatment with attention to religious and spiritual values, and it played a role in the development of the pastoral counseling movement ^[6][7][3]. The institute operates a licensed counseling center alongside a Post Graduate Certification in Psychoanalysis program recognized by the New York State Education Department ^[8][9].

History

Blanton-Peale traces its origins to 1935, when Rev. Dr. Norman Vincent Peale concluded that faith alone was insufficient to address the emotional and relational suffering of those seeking help during the Great Depression, and partnered with the psychiatrist Dr. Smiley Blanton, who had undergone analysis with Sigmund Freud ^[6][8]. Their collaboration led to the founding of a counseling clinic in 1937 that integrated psychology and faith ^[6][7]. According to the institute, the center gained national recognition, was licensed by New York State in 1953, and contributed to the emerging pastoral counseling movement through international leadership and training; in 1963 an associate organized what the institute describes as the first international conference for pastoral counseling ^[6][7]. The organization has carried the names of its two founders since 1996 ^[6][7].

The first psychoanalytic training program began in New York City in the 1960s; according to the institute, when New York State established a license for the profession of psychoanalysis, Blanton-Peale became the first institute in the state registered with the New York State Education Department to offer licensure psychoanalytic training ^[8]. Under earlier names, including Blanton-Peale Graduate Institute, the organization awarded certificates in pastoral psychotherapy, marriage and family therapy, and psychoanalysis from the late 1960s onward ^[2][10].

In 2017, the organization leased and opened an additional floor at its Midtown location in response to demand that had outstripped its roughly 4,000-square-foot facility ^[6]. In 2020 it converted to a fully virtual counseling and training center during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it subsequently adopted a hybrid model offering both in-person and virtual services ^[6][7]. A three-year strategic plan was adopted in 2021 ^[7].

Training programs

• Post Graduate Certification in Psychoanalysis — the institute’s psychoanalytic training program, whose coursework can be completed in four years ^[8][11].
• BIPOC Fellowship Program — a clinical fellowship for advanced-year Master of Social Work (MSW) students ^[12].
• Care and Counseling Program — a counseling training program, historically offered in Korean and later in an English version ^[6][7].
• Clinical Training Conferences and workshops — offered each semester for program residents, alumni, society members, and other professionals ^[8].

The psychoanalytic program consists of three components: coursework, supervised clinical experience, and the candidate’s own personal psychoanalysis ^[8]. The institute states that the program operates in accordance with the core competencies of the American Board for Accreditation in Psychoanalysis (ABAP) and that it is grounded in classical psychoanalytic theory while exposing candidates to major psychoanalytic schools of thought ^[8][11]. Faculty are drawn from New York City and from Italy, France, Brazil, Portugal, Austria, and the United Kingdom ^[8].

Psychoanalytic training tracks

• The Already-Licensed Track — for applicants whose license includes psychoanalysis within its scope of practice, which in New York State includes LP, LCSW, PhD or PsyD in psychology, MD, NP, and PA ^[8].
• The LCSW Track — for holders of an LMSW license or an MSW degree with a New York State-issued limited permit who seek the LCSW; these residents treat patients at the Blanton-Peale Counseling Center under LCSW supervision ^[8].
• The LP Track — for those who will sit for the New York State License in Psychoanalysis; required of applicants who are unlicensed or hold a New York State license that does not include psychoanalysis in its scope of practice, such as LCAT, LMHC, or LMFT ^[8].

Coursework and the personal analysis requirement are the same across all three tracks, and track selection depends on the candidate’s background and prior training ^[8]. Graduates of the Licensed Psychoanalyst track may sit for the New York State License in Psychoanalysis ^[8].

BIPOC Fellowship Program

The BIPOC Fellowship Program places advanced-year MSW interns in clinical training from September to May, with individual and group supervision, a dynamic learning curriculum, and a reflective process group addressing identity formation, culture, positionality, power dynamics, and equity ^[12]. Fellows work primarily with Black, Latin, Indigenous, Asian, and other historically marginalized communities and provide diagnostic assessments, individual and family therapy, groups, and community engagement, carrying a caseload of approximately ten clients per week ^[12]. The fellowship is open only to MSW interns from Columbia University, Fordham University, Hunter College, and New York University, and it meets those programs’ field placement requirements ^[12]. Applicants must be recommended by their graduate school field placement office to interview during the spring semester ^[12].

As of the 2023 annual report, fellowship training included weekly individual supervision, weekly clinical training workshops, a monthly course titled Introduction to Psychodynamic Thinking, and a weekly BIPOC process group ^[7].

Admissions

• A master’s degree is required for entry to the psychoanalytic training program ^[8].
• Applicants come from psychology, social work, and medicine, as well as religion, education, the arts, humanities, and law ^[8].
• Applicants from outside New York State, and those holding a master’s degree from another country, are directed to consult the Director ^[8].

Clinical services

The Blanton-Peale Counseling Center is an outpatient mental health center serving clients from across New York City, with services available in the office and by telehealth ^[13][7]. Its multidisciplinary staff includes social workers, mental health counselors, psychoanalysts, psychiatrists, and marriage and family therapists, and the institute reports more than 70 healing professionals ^[13][1].

• Individual psychotherapy ^[13]
• Couples counseling ^[13]
• Family therapy ^[13]
• Group therapy ^[13]
• Psychiatric evaluation and medication management ^[13]

Therapy sessions are usually 45 minutes and are generally scheduled weekly, with more frequent sessions in the case of psychoanalysis ^[14]. Clients are matched with a therapist based on information provided at intake ^[14]. The center accepts a range of private insurance plans and New York State Medicaid as an in-network provider ^[13][14]. The institute states that it offers an income-based scale for those without insurance and does not turn away clients because of inability to pay ^[6][7].

According to its 2023 annual report, Blanton-Peale provided 33,863 sessions in fiscal year 2023, with clients drawn from all five boroughs — 37 percent Manhattan, 31 percent Brooklyn, 14 percent Queens, 10 percent Bronx, and 2 percent Staten Island ^[7].

Fees

As listed on the institute’s counseling center page, set fees for initial interviews are:

• Individual initial interview: $150 ^[13]
• Couple initial interview: $175 ^[13]
• Psychiatric evaluation: $225 ^[13]

Ongoing rates are listed as $125 for individual therapy, $150 for couple therapy, $50 for group therapy, and $125–$200 for medication management ^[13].

Affiliations and accreditation

• New York State Education Department Office of the Professions — the psychoanalytic training program is recognized by the department, and the institute has held an approved-entity waiver permitting professional services including licensed psychoanalysis, social work, mental health counseling, marriage and family therapy, creative arts therapy, psychology, and behavior analysis ^[2][8].
• American Board for Accreditation in Psychoanalysis (ABAP) — candidate status for accreditation ^[8].
• National Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis (NAAP) — membership ^[8].
• British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) — membership ^[8].
• Sigmund Freud University, Vienna, Austria — partner ^[8].
• New York State Office of Mental Health — Blanton-Peale operates as an OMH-licensed clinic under Article 31 (MHOTRS) ^[12][8][9].
• New Brunswick Theological Seminary (NBTS) — credit-sharing agreement effective January 2026 ^[11].

The New York State Education Department record for Blanton-Peale Graduate Institute lists waiver number 825, with a waiver period running from October 31, 2018 to October 31, 2021, and an additional-setting certificate number 7707 at the same address ^[2].

Under the agreement signed on December 12, 2025, New Brunswick Theological Seminary recognizes up to twelve credits earned by Blanton-Peale graduates toward its 36-hour Doctor of Ministry degree with a concentration in Pastoral Care and Counseling ^[11].

Blanton-Peale Psychoanalytic Society

The institute established the Blanton-Peale Psychoanalytic Society in 2024 as a learning community for psychoanalysts, clinicians, faculty, and trainees ^[15]. The Society is guided by an elected Steering Committee of professionals and residents and offers lectures, peer supervision groups, and member support ^[15]. Membership is free for current residents in training and for alumni and faculty in good standing; other interested professionals may join for a $100 yearly fee ^[8][15].

Governance

• Dr. Shawna Aarons-Cooke — President and Chief Executive Officer ^[1][11]
• Timothy Roberts — Vice President and Chief Financial Officer ^[1]
• Dr. Kismyth Shuler — Clinical Director ^[1]
• Dr. Marcelo Gomes — Dean of Education ^[1][11]
• Dr. Wilda Mesias — Assistant Director of Training, psychoanalytic program ^[8]
• Elizabeth Peale Allen — Chair, Board of Trustees ^[6]

The Board of Trustees also includes a Vice Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary, together with additional trustees and trustees emeriti ^[6].

Events

Blanton-Peale presents the annual Norman Vincent Peale Awards for Positive Thinking, a gala fundraiser recognizing individuals and organizations for advancing mental and spiritual well-being; honorees have been named annually since 1990 ^[16][17]. The institute also holds graduation ceremonies for its psychoanalytic, Care and Counseling, and BIPOC Fellowship programs, along with clinical conferences and open houses ^{[18][19][20][21]}.