Center for Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis of New Jersey (CPPNJ)

The Center for Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis of New Jersey (CPPNJ) is a nonprofit psychoanalytic training institute based in Madison, New Jersey ^[6][2]. It was formed in 2009 through the merger of two earlier New Jersey psychoanalytic training institutes, the Contemporary Center for Advanced Psychoanalytic Studies (CCAPS) and the Institute for Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy of New Jersey (IPPNJ) ^[7][8]. CPPNJ offers a sequence of postgraduate certificate programs in psychodynamic clinical practice, psychoanalytic psychotherapy, and psychoanalysis for licensed mental health professionals ^[5], and is an approved provider of continuing education for psychologists, social workers, and counselors ^[9].

History

CPPNJ was founded in 2009 as the result of a merger between two predecessor psychoanalytic training institutes: CCAPS, established in 1992, and IPPNJ, founded as an independent organization about three years earlier ^[7][8]. IPPNJ had earlier existed as a New Jersey division of the New York Center for Psychoanalytic Training (NYCPT) ^[8].

According to an institute-published history by Dennis J. Krumholz, the roots of IPPNJ lie in discussions among New Jersey psychologists in the late 1970s about forming a New Jersey branch of NYCPT, prompted by demand among New Jersey psychotherapists who sought psychoanalytic training without traveling to New York City or Philadelphia ^[8]. NYCPT’s director agreed to the establishment of a New Jersey division, though without financial assistance ^[8]. The same history notes that it is incomplete in part because many early IPPNJ documents were destroyed in the 2012 flooding associated with Hurricane Sandy, and it deliberately concludes with the 2009 creation of CPPNJ ^[8].

The institute states that its organizational roots trace back to New York City before it expanded into New Jersey and merged with other institutions ^[7]. CPPNJ describes its mission as bringing psychoanalytic and psychodynamic training and continuing education to New Jersey and increasing the diversity and accessibility of psychoanalytic training and services ^[7]. It identifies three "pillars" — training programs, continuing education, and a professional community — and states that CPPNJ and its predecessor institutes promoted an egalitarian atmosphere rather than the hierarchies their founders had encountered in earlier training programs ^[7].

Institute meetings and activities take place at a variety of locations throughout New Jersey ^[7]. Archived versions of the CPPNJ website show that conferences and workshops were for many years held at Lenfell Hall and Hartman Lounge on the Florham Park campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison ^[10][11][12], with programs shifting to virtual delivery via Zoom from 2020 onward ^[13][14].

Training programs

• Postgraduate Training in Psychodynamic Clinical Practice — a one-year introductory program of four courses, offered virtually and open both to candidates and to continuing education students ^[5][15].
• Program in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy — comprehensive training in psychoanalytic psychotherapy, consisting of twelve courses and two clinical process mini-courses ^[5], with supervision and personal psychotherapy requirements ^[16].
• Program in Psychoanalysis — a continuation of the Program in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, which candidates may enter only after completing all requirements of that program ^[17][5].
• Teacher Training Program — a series of four 90-minute workshops for faculty and advanced candidates on conducting class meetings, creating a syllabus, and providing feedback to students; it is not eligible for CE credit ^[3].

The Postgraduate Training courses are Understanding Human Behavior through a Psychoanalytic Lens, Psychoanalytic Ideas in Everyday Practice: Introduction to Clinical Process, The Relevance of Freud and Ego Psychology for Psychotherapists Today, and Listening Between the Lines: Clinical Moments in Psychoanalytic Process ^[15]. Two of the four are offered in the fall and two in the spring, held on Wednesdays for 90 minutes between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Eastern time ^[5]. Completion of all four yields a Certificate of Completion in Postgraduate Training in Psychodynamic Clinical Practice; after an admissions interview the student is eligible to continue as a candidate in the Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Program ^[15][18].

The Program in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy curriculum includes 100-level introductory courses, 200-level courses in object relations, transference, countertransference and resistance, and psychoanalytic theories of personality, and four of six 300-level electives covering self psychology and intersubjectivity, development, interpersonal psychoanalysis, psychopathology, relational theory, and dreams and unconscious process ^[16][19]. Classes, supervision, and personal treatment take place on Zoom or in faculty offices ^[16][5]. Candidates are assigned an advisor and a mentor drawn from the Candidates’ Organization ^[16]. Requirements include a minimum of 175 hours of twice-weekly personal psychotherapy with a CPPNJ faculty member and 120 hours of supervision in three blocks of 40 hours, one block dedicated to a patient seen twice weekly for 80 continuous hours ^[16][18]. A case presentation to a faculty committee serves either as a capstone or as the route into the Program in Psychoanalysis ^[16][18].

The Program in Psychoanalysis requires further coursework in Clinical Applications of Psychoanalytic Theory, Special Topics and Advanced Theoretical Perspectives, a Final Case, and two four-week clinical process mini-courses ^[17]. Candidates complete 120 hours of supervision in three blocks of 40 hours, see a patient three times weekly for 240 continuous contact hours, and complete a minimum of 225 hours of personal analysis at a frequency of three times per week with an analyst who is at least five years past certification ^[17][18]. The written report on the training case is submitted to the Chair of the Final Case Preparation Committee, and the Final Case must be presented within two years of completing all other requirements ^[17][18]. Graduates receive a certificate of completion in psychoanalysis ^[17].

Archived versions of the institute’s website indicate that CPPNJ also previously listed a New Jersey Couples Therapy Training Program (NJCTTP) ^[20][21][22], a Supervision Training Program described in 2019 as a biannual one-year course in psychodynamic supervision ^[22], and a Graduate Student Externship ^[21][13].

Admissions

• Applicants must hold, or be eligible to hold, legal entitlement or licensure to practice psychotherapy in a recognized mental health profession, including psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, marriage and family therapists, psychiatric nurses, pastoral counselors, and licensed professional counselors ^[2].
• Applicants with an appropriate graduate degree who are not yet licensed may enter the Postgraduate Training in Psychodynamic Clinical Practice with a provisional license or if employed by an agency where they may practice legally; certificates are granted once licensure is obtained ^[2].
• Applications may be completed online, or prospective candidates may contact the institute by telephone or mail ^[2].
• Applicants interview with two members of the Training Committee, who where possible are located in the applicant’s geographic area ^[2].
• Requests for advanced standing must be made in writing to the Chair of Admissions and the Director of the Training Committee, and may require prior training certificates or course syllabi ^[2].

Applications are reviewed by the Chair of Admissions and the Training Committee ^[2]. The institute’s July 2022 application form required a copy of the applicant’s New Jersey professional license and private practice insurance, a curriculum vitae or chronological work history, details of supervised clinical and treatment experience, disclosure of ethics complaints, and a personal statement of at least 250 words ^[4]. Continuing education students enrolling in the introductory courses are asked to email a CV and license to the institute ^[5].

Tuition and fees

The fee schedule published by CPPNJ on its admissions and training pages lists:

• Application fee: $35 ^[2]
• Course fee: $400 for CPPNJ members, $550 for non-members ^[2][5]
• Candidates’ Organization dues: $40 per academic year ^[2]
• Non-matriculation fee: $50 per academic year, if not enrolled in at least one course ^[2]
• Affiliate membership: $100 per year, which allows payment of the member course rate ^[5]

The institute’s July 2022 admissions form also stated an application fee of $35 ^[4].

Continuing education

CPPNJ offers continuing education credits for psychologists, social workers, and counselors through selected analytic coursework and educational programs, with eligibility varying by offering ^[9]. Credits are earned by attending and completing the requirements of CE-eligible courses or workshops, including attendance verification and required evaluation materials ^[9]. The institute states that its continuing education courses cover topics such as classic and contemporary psychodynamic theory, case formulation, treatment process, psychological defenses, and the therapeutic relationship ^[9]. Continuing education programming includes annual conferences, workshops, seminars, and mini-courses open to mental health professionals generally ^[7].

Clinical services

• CPPNJ Psychotherapy Center — the institute’s clinical service, which offers referrals for affordable psychotherapy in northern and central New Jersey ^[23][24].

The Psychotherapy Center is listed among CPPNJ’s clinical services ^[24] and has a coordinator appointed from the membership ^[7]. Archived versions of the website in 2021 and 2023 gave a telephone number of 800-870-5940 for the Center ^[23][25]. Archived pages from 2018 also listed low-cost supervision and clinical consultation groups among clinical services ^[21].

Community and membership

Membership categories include Faculty, Associate, and Candidate, and, as announced by 2022, Affiliate Member for licensed or license-eligible mental health professionals who are not certified psychoanalysts and Student Member for those enrolled in graduate or undergraduate study ^[14]. Affiliate membership benefits listed by the institute include participation in the listserv and study groups, inclusion in the online directory, and reduced fees for conferences and courses ^[5]. The institute also maintains a Candidates’ Organization, a Speakers’ Bureau, and a newsletter ^[24][7].

CPPNJ states that the majority of its members take part in ongoing learning activities such as study groups, peer and mentor-led consultation groups, and post-certification coursework ^[7]. As of a January 2025 archived version of the website, virtual study groups included an Anti-Semitism Group, a group on social justice critiques of psychoanalysis, and a Social Justice Reflections Group ^[24]. Earlier archived pages listed interest groups in child and adolescent therapy, eating disorders, couples therapy, and culture and diversity ^[23][14]. The institute holds three regular annual social events: a fall Welcome Back Brunch, a holiday or winter party, and graduation in June ^[7]. CPPNJ states that its community welcomes people of all races, beliefs, sexual orientations, and gender identities ^[24][7].

Affiliations and accreditation

• American Psychological Association (APA) — CPPNJ is approved by the APA to sponsor continuing education for psychologists and maintains responsibility for its programs and their content ^[9].
• New York State Education Department State Board for Psychology — recognizes CPPNJ as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists, #PSY-0165 ^[9]; the institute announced this approval in January 2022 ^[23][14].
• New York State Education Department State Board for Social Work — recognizes CPPNJ as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers, #SW-0757 ^[9].
• National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) — CPPNJ is an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6863; programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are identified as such ^[9].
• New Jersey Board of Social Work Examiners — recognizes continuing education credits approved by the New York State Education Department ^[9].
• Psychotherapy Action Network (PsiAN) — lists CPPNJ among its psychoanalytic institute partners ^[26].

Governance

CPPNJ is governed by a Board of Directors, supported by a Training Committee, Continuing Education Committee, Continuing Education Credentialing Committee, Program Committee, Social Justice Committee, Affiliate and Student Membership Committee, Fundraising Committee, and Candidates’ Organization ^[7]. Board roles listed by the institute include President/Director Meryl Dorf, Associate Director Lynn Egan, Treasurer/Director of Finance Osna Haller, Director of Training Janet Hoffer, Dean of Students Melanie Karger, Director of Continuing Education Michael Lepak, Director of Programs Lila Redmount, Dean of Faculty Genevieve Shineman, four Co-Directors of Social Justice, a Member-at-Large, and a Candidate Representative ^[7].

The institute’s Form 990 for the fiscal year ending December 2024 listed officers including a Director, an Associate Director, a Director of Training, a Dean of Faculty, a Dean of Students, a Treasurer, a Director of Continuing Education, a Secretary of Policies and Bylaws, an interim Chair of the Program Committee, and a Candidate Representative, none of whom received compensation ^[6].

Finances

CPPNJ Inc. has been a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization since November 2008, with EIN 26-2023346, classified under graduate and professional schools ^[6]. Reported figures from IRS Form 990 filings include:

• Fiscal year ending December 2024: revenue $106,189, expenses $114,756, net income −$8,567, net assets $92,816 ^[6]
• Fiscal year ending December 2023: revenue $126,667, expenses $129,928, net income −$3,261, net assets $101,383 ^[6]
• Fiscal year ending December 2022: revenue $108,316, expenses $99,774, net income $8,542, net assets $104,644 ^[6]
• Fiscal year ending December 2021: revenue $100,125, expenses $98,042, net income $2,083, net assets $96,102 ^[6]

Program service revenue accounted for approximately 97 to 100 percent of total revenue in each of those years, and the filings report no executive compensation, no other salaries and wages, and no total liabilities ^[6]. The institute has solicited donations to a Candidate Scholarship Fund ^[10][12].