New York Psychoanalytic Society & Institute (NYPSI)

The New York Psychoanalytic Society and Institute (NYPSI) is a psychoanalytic society, training institute, and treatment center on the Upper East Side of Manhattan ^[1]. It traces its origins to the New York Psychoanalytic Society, founded in 1911 by Abraham Arden Brill, and to the New York Psychoanalytic Institute, established in 1931; the two organizations merged in 2003 ^[3][4]. The institute describes itself as the oldest psychoanalytic society in the United States ^[3]. It offers training in adult and child and adolescent psychoanalysis, a licensure-qualifying program, psychology externships, internships and fellowships, and a non-clinical Scholars Program, and operates a low-fee treatment center, a research center, and the Abraham A. Brill Library ^[2][3][1].

History

• New York Psychoanalytic Society — founded February 12, 1911; incorporated March 2, 1911 ^[4].
• New York Psychoanalytic Institute — established September 24, 1931; incorporated June 24, 1931 ^[4].
• New York Psychoanalytic Society & Institute — incorporated September 17, 2003 following the merger of the two bodies ^[4][3].

The Society was founded by Abraham Arden Brill, an early translator of Freud’s writings into English, who also served as its first president from 1911 to 1913 ^[3]. As increasing numbers of Americans trained at institutes in Vienna, Budapest, and Berlin after World War I, demand for formal instruction in the United States led the Society to hold its first series of lecture courses in 1922 and to create an educational committee in 1923; education was organized on the tripartite model of personal analysis, seminars, and supervision of analytic cases ^[3].

The Institute established in 1931 was patterned after the Berlin Psychoanalytic Institute, from which it recruited its first educational director, Sandor Rado, and was intended from its inception to be educationally autonomous and financially self-supporting ^[3]. Emigration from Europe in the 1930s brought analysts including Heinz Hartmann, Ernst Kris, Rudolf Loewenstein, Edith Jacobson, Robert Bak, and Kurt Eissler onto the faculty, and Berta Bornstein, Marianne Kris, and Margaret Mahler into leadership in child analysis ^[3].

In 1946 the Institute obtained a New York State license to open its psychoanalytic Treatment Center, which initially functioned as a Veterans’ Mental Hygiene Clinic and by 1948 had expanded its services to the community ^[3]. Presidents of the merged organization have included Paul Rosenbaum (2003–2007), Roger Rahtz (2007–2013), Ian Buckingham (2013–2016), Michele Press (2016–2019), and Adam Libow (2019–2022) ^[3].

Training programs

• Adult psychoanalysis — the institute’s principal four-year psychoanalytic training program ^[2][5].
• Child and adolescent psychoanalysis — offered through the Child and Adolescent Analysis Division; candidates may train in child and adolescent analysis alone or alongside adult training ^[6][2].
• Licensure-Qualifying Program in Psychoanalysis (LP Program) — training toward practice as a psychoanalyst for academics, psychologists holding a master’s degree, and physicians who are not psychiatrists ^[2].
• Scholars Program — non-clinical psychoanalytic education for members of academic disciplines ^[2].
• Psychoanalytic Fellowship — a year-long introduction to psychoanalytic ideas for psychiatric residents and graduate students in psychology and social work ^[2][3].
• Psychology externship, internship, and postdoctoral fellowship — clinical experience and seminars for psychology doctoral students and postdoctoral trainees ^[2][3].
• Peter Blos Fellowship — a two-year clinical fellowship in psychoanalysis in the child and adolescent division ^[6].
• Preparatory Program in Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychotherapy — a preparatory track whose students attend the first-year Wednesday evening course sequence ^[7][5].
• The Horowitz-Sondheim Fellowship for the Treatment of Theater Artists ^[7].
• Extension Division — courses for mental health practitioners and the interested public ^[3][5].

All educational programs are conducted under the auspices of the Dean of Education, the Associate Dean of Education for Child and Adolescent Analysis, and the Education Committee ^[2].

The Peter Blos Fellowship, funded through the Peter Blos bequest, provides weekly supervision by a supervising child and adolescent analyst, attendance at the full child and adolescent academic program, and a second-year project developed with an advisor, which may involve research, community outreach through the institute’s "Dialogues" program, or consultation with local institutions serving adolescents ^[6]. Applicants must hold an M.D., Ph.D., or MSW ^[6].

Curriculum

The adult analytic curriculum is organized by year of candidacy, with Monday and Wednesday evening course sequences and numbered courses running from the 100-level (first year) to the 400-level (fourth year) ^[8][5]. Core sequences include a four-part reading of Freud (courses 102, 103, 200, and 202) ^{[9][10][11][5]}, a technique sequence spanning assessment of analyzability, beginning and middle phases, later phases, termination, and advanced analyzability ^[12][13][5], continuous case seminars ^[14][15], child development courses covering infancy, latency, and adolescence ^[16][17][18], and a writing sequence in describing psychoanalytic process ^[19][20][21]. Courses on ethics in clinical practice examine the American Psychoanalytic Association code of ethics, the codes of the professions from which candidates come, and the legal requirements for psychoanalytic practice in New York State ^[22][23].

Second-year courses require candidates to have at least one case in supervised psychoanalysis, and upper-level courses require at least two ^{[13][19][7][21]}. Elective and alternating courses have covered Kleinian and contemporary Kleinian thought, Winnicott and Bion, Fairbairn and borderline states, interpersonal and relational psychoanalysis, transference-focused psychotherapy, psychic trauma, psychosomatics, gender, sexuality, race and other diversities, empirical research methods, and neuropsychoanalysis ^{[24][25][26][27][28][29][30][7][31][32][33][5]}. Some coursework is available to candidates remotely by videoconference ^[16][13]. Child analytic courses were not offered in the 2023–2024 or 2024–2025 academic years, although the Child and Adolescent Advanced Seminar series continued ^[8][5][34].

Admissions

Applications for psychoanalytic training are invited from ^[2]:

• Physicians licensed in New York State who are enrolled in or have completed an approved full-time psychiatric residency.
• Psychologists with a Ph.D., or a Psy.D. from a program accredited by the American Psychological Association, and social workers with a Ph.D. or D.S.W. from a doctoral program recognized by G.A.D.E., in each case licensed in New York State.
• Social workers holding a New York State LCSW, or an LMSW within a year of LCSW eligibility.
• Psychiatric nurse practitioners licensed in New York State.
• Mental health counselors with a master’s degree licensed in New York State.
• Advanced students for the M.D., D.O., Ph.D., Psy.D., or D.S.W. enrolled in programs that will qualify them for licensure in New York State.

The Admissions Committee assesses applicants’ education, clinical work, and personal readiness for psychoanalytic training, and states that all applicants are considered without regard to national and ethnic origin, religion, age, gender, marital status, disability, or sexual orientation ^[2]. Candidates are required to be in a personal training analysis, and decisions about the start of coursework and of supervised analytic work are made by the Progression Committee with the approval of the Education Committee ^[2]. The application deadline for the 2026–2027 academic year is May 15, 2026 ^[2]; the deadline to apply to the Child Analytic Program is May 15 ^[6].

Fees and stipends

• Application fee — $135 for the analytic training program, non-refundable and not credited toward tuition, as listed for the 2026–2027 admissions cycle ^[2].
• Blos Fellowship stipend — $10,000 for each of two basic years of candidacy, with the fellowship re-evaluated after two years and an option for renewal for one or two further years ^[6].
• Extension Division course fee — a four-session extension course offered in April 2021 carried a fee of $180 ^[35].

Continuing education

The institute offers continuing education credit to several professions ^[13][12][14]:

• Psychologists — recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider (#PSY-0073), and approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education programs for psychologists ^[13][14].
• Social workers — recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider (#SW-0317) ^[13][14].
• Physicians — activities are planned and implemented in accordance with the requirements of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through joint providership with the American Psychoanalytic Association, which is ACCME-accredited ^[13][14].

Individual courses carry designated AMA PRA Category 1 credit amounts; for example, the 2025–2026 offering of Technique III was designated for a maximum of 15 credits, Technique II for 16.5, and the second-year Continuous Case Seminar for 30 ^[13][12][14].

Clinical services

The Treatment Center, licensed by New York State in 1946, provides psychoanalytic treatment to the public and supports the teaching of clinical psychoanalysis to candidates ^[3]. It is administered by a Treatment Center Manager and has a dedicated telephone line ^[1].

Library and research

• Abraham A. Brill Library — staffed by an archivist and assistant librarians, with access to the collection by appointment ^[1].
• Research Center — provides research opportunities in conjunction with the psychoanalytic training program ^[3].
• The Pfeffer Center for Neuro-Psychoanalysis — hosts discussions of the mind/brain interface ^[3].
• The Pacella Research Center — provides consultation, education, and support for mothers of small children ^[3].

Research activity at the institute is also reflected in the curriculum, which includes courses introducing systematic empirical research and the study of recorded analyses ^[32][33][36].

Governance

The 2025–2026 Education Committee comprises Howard Bliwise, M.D. as Dean of Education; Mary Sickles, M.D. as Associate Dean for Child and Adolescent Analysis; Lincoln Hess, M.D. as Chair of the Progression Committee; Lynne Zeavin, Psy.D. as Chair of the Curriculum Committee; Susan Sherkow, M.D. as Chair of the Faculty; Lori Pellegrino, M.D. as Chair of the Admissions Committee; and Gabrielle Silver, M.D. as Chair of Postgraduate Studies, together with additional members ^[2]. Administration is directed by an Administrative Director, with staff including an Education Program Manager, a Treatment Center Manager, and a Director for Communications ^[1].

Faculty ranks include Training and Supervising Analysts, who are recommended by the Education Committee and authorized by the Board of Directors to conduct preparatory analysis and to supervise students’ clinical work; Child and Adolescent Training and Supervising Analysts; Associate Child and Adolescent Analysts, who may supervise all clinical work except the first case of child candidates; and general, guest, and visiting faculty ^[37]. A Psychoanalyst Assistance Committee addresses matters concerning impaired clinicians, and ethics complaints are handled through the institute’s own procedures alongside those of professional associations ^[23].

Affiliations and accreditation

• American Psychoanalytic Association — joint provider of the institute’s accredited continuing medical education; its ethics code is taught in the institute’s ethics courses ^[13][22][23].
• Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) — accrediting body for the CME activities offered through that joint providership ^[13].
• American Psychological Association — approves the institute to sponsor continuing education programs for psychologists ^[13].
• New York State Education Department — its State Board for Psychology and State Board for Social Work recognize the institute as an approved continuing education provider (#PSY-0073 and #SW-0317) ^[13].
• Columbia University Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research and the Psychoanalytic Association of New York — partners in the child analysis Special Topics course ^[38].

The ChA. 13 Special Topics course in the child and adolescent program is given in partnership with the child analysis programs of Columbia and PANY, drawing on guest instructors from those programs ^[38].