Harlem Family Institute (HFI)

The Harlem Family Institute (HFI) is a nonprofit psychoanalytic training institute in New York City, founded in 1991, that trains psychoanalysts while providing free or low-fee, long-term psychoanalytic therapy to children, adolescents, parents and adults in schools, community centers and houses of worship, particularly in underserved neighborhoods ^[1][3][4]. The Institute is chartered by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York and is a 501(c)(3) organization ^[1][5][6]. Its training programs combine coursework with clinical placement in community-based treatment sites, and it describes itself as a multicultural training institute serving aspiring psychoanalysts from diverse backgrounds ^[3][4].

History

• 1991 — the Institute was founded to serve impoverished and low-income children and adolescents in Harlem schools and their families ^[3].
• Its origin was a children’s program created by psychoanalyst Stephen Kurtz, LCSW-R, at the Children’s Storefront, an independent, tuition-free Harlem school ^[3].
• Founding trustees included Margaret Morgan Lawrence, MD, described by the Institute as the nation’s first African-American woman pediatrician and psychoanalyst, who served on the board until her death in December 2019 at age 105, and Robert Coles, MD ^[3][5].
• 2014 — the psychoanalytic training program received national accreditation from the American Board for Accreditation in Psychoanalysis on May 17 ^[3].
• 2015 — the New York State Education Department approved the Institute’s licensure-qualifying program on August 12 ^[3][7].

The Institute marked the first anniversary of Kurtz’s death with a memorial in March 2025 ^[8]. It has since relocated its clinical and administrative offices to the Interchurch Center in Morningside Heights ^[2][8].

Training programs

The Institute offers three psychoanalytic training programs and two clinical-experience programs ^[9].

• Program in Psychoanalysis — the full training program, open only to licensed health professionals holding at least a master’s degree; it encompasses child, adolescent, parent and individual adult work and usually takes five to six years part time, leading to a Certificate in Psychoanalysis ^[9][10].
• Licensure-Qualifying Program in Psychoanalysis — open to anyone holding a master’s degree in any field from a program recognized by New York State, licensed or not, and intended for those seeking the New York State License in Psychoanalysis; it usually takes five years part time (as few as four) and leads to a Certificate of Completion ^[9][7].
• Program in Child & Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy — for licensed mental-health professionals seeking specific training in work with children, adolescents and their parents or caregivers; usually two to three years part time, leading to a Certificate in Child & Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy ^[9][11].
• Psychology Externship / Internship Program — clinical placement for students enrolled in graduate psychology programs registered with the New York State Education Department as licensure-qualifying, working under the supervision of a licensed psychologist ^[9].
• Clinical-Experience Program — clinical placement for limited-permit holders in psychoanalysis, social work, creative-arts therapy, marriage and family therapy and mental-health counseling, under weekly supervision appropriate to the scope of the permit ^[9].

Candidates in the Program in Psychoanalysis begin with child and adolescent work, including play therapy and collateral sessions with parents or primary caregivers, before proceeding to adult work in the final years ^[12][10]. Requirements include a minimum of 450 hours of coursework; at least 750 core psychoanalytic client-contact hours (of which at least 250 must be with adults) as part of 1,500 hours of experience in the practice of psychoanalysis; at least 225 clock hours of casework supervision with at least three different supervisors; and at least 300 clock hours of personal psychoanalysis two to four times a week ^[10]. Candidates must maintain an Institute-supervised caseload of at least five cases and, in the final phase, must see two cases two to four times a week and present a case in a collegial setting ^[12][10].

The licensure-qualifying program covers the 1,350-hour education component required for the New York State license, comprising at least 430 hours of post-master’s coursework, 300 hours of clinical practice, 150 hours of individual supervision (including 50 hours with one supervisor on a single case), and 300 hours of personal psychoanalysis ^[7]. The separate 1,500-hour clinical-experience component required for licensure may be completed at the Institute ^[7].

The child and adolescent program substitutes 225 hours of child- and adolescent-focused coursework, 100 hours of weekly supervision (including 50 hours on a control case seen two to four times a week), and 300 core client-contact hours with at least five children a week plus at least 75 consultative hours with parents or caregivers ^[11].

Courses are held on weeknight evenings across two semesters from September to June, generally starting between 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., with at least two weekly courses offered to each candidate; summer courses and weekend workshops may also be offered ^[10]. The curriculum is divided into introductory, child and adolescent, and adult and concluding phases ^[10].

Admissions

• Applicants to the Program in Psychoanalysis must hold a current New York State license in clinical psychology, clinical social work or medicine, or as a licensed psychoanalyst, physician’s assistant, registered professional nurse or nurse practitioner; LMSWs may also apply ^[9][12].
• Applicants to the Licensure-Qualifying Program must hold at least a master’s degree in any field from a program recognized by the New York State Education Department and be at least 21 years of age ^[7].
• Applicants holding licenses or master’s degrees in mental-health counseling, creative-arts therapy or marriage and family therapy are directed to the licensure-qualifying program, because those licenses do not include psychoanalysis in their legal scope of practice ^[9][7].
• Required materials include copies of licenses, transcripts of at least one graduate degree, and at least two letters of recommendation ^[12][7].
• Applicants to the child and adolescent program are interviewed by two or three Institute analysts, who make a recommendation to the Training Committee ^[11].

Admission cycles begin in February and September ^[9]. Advanced standing is available in the child and adolescent program for applicants who have completed some prior child and adolescent training at a recognized psychoanalytic institute ^[11]. According to the Institute, interviewers look for broad humanistic interests, seriousness of intent, potential clinical skill, intellectual development and capacity for empathy ^[12][7].

Tuition and fees

• Application fee — $75 with the application form for the child and adolescent program ^[11].
• Psychology Externship / Internship Program — administrative fee of $2,400 to $2,900 a year, with a minimum two-year commitment ^[9].
• Clinical-Experience Program — administrative fee of $2,400 to $2,900 a year, with a minimum two-year commitment ^[9].
• Harlem Psychoanalytic Society membership — $200 a year in 2025 ^[13].

The Institute states that because candidates provide a free or low-fee community service, they pay reduced fees for supervision and coursework, and that the Institute tries to help candidates obtain affordable personal psychoanalysis ^[10].

Clinical services

• Location — clinical services are offered at the Institute’s offices in Suite 432 of the Interchurch Center, 475 Riverside Drive, with scheduled entry at 61 Claremont Avenue ^[2].
• Fee — $45 per 45-minute psychotherapy session, with a sliding scale for those who can demonstrate financial need ^[2].
• Insurance — the Institute does not currently accept insurance, though some insurers may accept its receipts for partial reimbursement; Medicaid recipients are generally referred elsewhere ^[2].
• Community sites — treatment rooms are also located in schools and community-based organizations, equipped with toys, games and other materials for weekly sessions ^[7].

Services are provided to children, teens, parents and other adults by psychoanalysts-in-training, by appointment ^[2]. Although named for Harlem, the Institute’s charter authorizes it to offer services anywhere in New York City ^[2].

Harlem Family Services

The Institute has a 501(c)(3) nonprofit subsidiary, Harlem Family Services, Inc., which established the Margaret Morgan Lawrence Family and Child Development Center at 20 East 110th Street, Suite 201, New York, NY 10029 ^[3][8]. The center held its grand opening on March 26, 2026, and offers mental health care to children, teens and adults, along with Reflective Network Therapy for special-needs preschoolers ^[3][8].

Harlem Psychoanalytic Society

Graduates holding a Certificate in Psychoanalysis are eligible for full membership in the Institute’s Harlem Psychoanalytic Society, as are other psychoanalysts who assist the Institute; faculty and clinical supervisors are required to be members ^[13]. Graduates holding a certificate in psychotherapy or psychoanalytic psychotherapy may join as non-voting affiliate members ^[13]. Full members elect, by secret ballot for two-year terms, half of a four-member advisory committee that advises the Institute and its board and works with the alumni-affairs coordinator ^[13]. Membership also provides access to a referral network for cases that candidates cannot take ^[13].

Public programs and publications

• The State of the World — an online Saturday talks series; installments in 2024 addressed community psychoanalysis in Colombia (September 2024) and institutional prejudice against children (December 2024) ^[8].
• Open houses — periodic in-person and virtual information sessions on the training programs, held in 2025 and 2026 ^[8].
• The Harlem Psychoanalytic Review — described by the Institute in 2022 as a forthcoming online journal of community-focused psychoanalytic training and services ^[14].

Certain public programs carry New York State continuing-education contact-hour credit for licensed psychoanalysts, social workers and psychologists ^[8].

Affiliations and accreditation

• American Board for Accreditation in Psychoanalysis — accredited the Institute’s psychoanalytic training program on May 17, 2014 ^[3].
• National Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis — member ^[3].
• International Forum for Psychoanalytic Education — member ^[3].
• Alliance of Psychotherapy Training Institutes of New York — member ^[3].
• New York State Education Department — approved the Licensure-Qualifying Program in Psychoanalysis, leading to the License in Psychoanalysis, on August 12, 2015 ^[3][7].
• Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York — granted the Institute’s charter ^[5][6].

The Institute acknowledges the New York Psychoanalytic Society & Institute and the New York School for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy & Psychoanalysis for support of its community work and that of its Harlem Family Services unit ^[3][6].

Governance

The Board of Trustees holds ultimate responsibility for the Institute’s affairs and generally meets quarterly ^[3][5]. Trustees serve three-year staggered terms, with one third standing for re-election each year; students may elect one representative to the board annually for a one-year term, and officers face re-election every year ^[3][5]. Board activities are governed by the Institute’s bylaws and conflict-of-interest policy ^[5]. An Advisory Council of senior psychoanalysts and other experts offers counsel as needed ^[3][5].

Named officers and administrators include:

• Michael Connolly, MPA, LP, NCPsyA — President and Executive Director ^[1][5][15]
• Sheila Johnson, LP, MPS — Deputy Executive Director ^[15]
• David M. Abrams, PhD — Training Director ^[15]
• Robin Rayford, MA, MLLP — Academic Dean ^[1][15]
• Ernest P. Smith, LCSW-R — Clinical Director ^[1][15]
• Sandra Fell, MA — Program Administrator and Administrative Director ^[1][15]
• Lee Jenkins, PhD, LP — Board Secretary and Chair Emeritus ^[5]
• Thomas Wagner, LP, NCPsyA — Chair, Ethics and Standards Committee, and Librarian ^[15]

Standing committees include Training and Admissions, Finance, Standards and Ethics, and Development ^[15]. The Institute describes its administration as small, in keeping with an intention to operate inexpensively; the president/executive director oversees management and financial affairs, the clinical director oversees clinical work and supervision, and the program administrator administers training programs ^[3][15].

Faculty

Faculty and clinical supervisors are drawn from a range of New York psychoanalytic institutes and serve as instructors, case supervisors, trustees and advisors ^[16]. All supervisors of psychoanalytic candidates are licensed graduates of psychoanalytic institutes and must have practiced as psychoanalytically competent licensed clinicians for at least three years ^[16]. Adult psychoanalytic work is supervised by graduates of full psychoanalytic programs, while some child and adolescent supervisors are graduates of psychoanalytically oriented child and adolescent programs ^[16]. The Institute states that each supervisor is rarely assigned more than one or two trainees ^[16].

Finances

The Institute is a publicly supported organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and states that donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law ^[1][6]. It reports that its income traditionally derives from foundations, trustees and other individual contributors, corporate matching grants, houses of worship, and its students, and that it is working to increase revenue from the schools and community organizations hosting its clinical-treatment centers ^[6][17]. Annual financial reports are filed with the New York State Attorney General’s Charities Bureau, and the Institute has published general annual reports for years including 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2019, 2020–22 and 2023 ^[1][3].

A scholarship fund, the Margaret Morgan Lawrence Fund, supports candidate training ^[6]. Fundraising events have included an annual holiday benefit; tickets for the December 2025 benefit were priced at $80 for regular admission and $180 for patron admission ^[8][6]. The Institute acknowledges pro bono legal assistance from the Lawyers Alliance for New York and support from News Corp and Impact Deposits Corp ^[6].