A National Survey of Candidates: II. Motivations, Obstacles, and Ideas on Increasing Interest in Psychoanalytic Training

A national survey of candidates was conducted to identify motivations for pursuing psychoanalytic training, obstacles that prevent progression or completion, and candidates’ ideas on how best to increase interest among potential trainees. In 2009–2010, 40 percent of candidates on the affiliate membe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association 2012-10, Vol.60 (5), p.1015-1055
Main Authors: Katz, Debra, A., Kaplan, Marcia, Stromberg, Sarah, E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied psychoanalysis. Miscellaneous
Biological and medical sciences
Curriculum
Data Collection
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Motivation
Psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis - education
Psychoanalytic Therapy - education
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Surveys and Questionnaires
Citations: Items that this one cites
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Summary:A national survey of candidates was conducted to identify motivations for pursuing psychoanalytic training, obstacles that prevent progression or completion, and candidates’ ideas on how best to increase interest among potential trainees. In 2009–2010, 40 percent of candidates on the affiliate member e-mail list completed an anonymous web-based survey. Candidates strongly endorsed contact with a personal psychotherapist, psychoanalyst, or supervisor as the most important influence in discovering psychoanalysis and deciding to pursue training. They identified the total cost of analytic training as the greatest obstacle. This was followed by the cost of personal analysis, loss of income for low-fee cases, time away from family, and difficulty finding cases. To enhance training, local institutes should work to improve institute atmosphere and provide assistance with finding cases; national organizations should increase outreach activities and publicize psychoanalysis. Psychoanalytic institutes could recruit future candidates by working to increase personal contact with psychoanalysts, reducing the cost of training, improving institute atmosphere, assisting with case-finding, enhancing outreach activities, and widely publicizing psychoanalysis. Narrative comments from candidates and the implications of these findings regarding engagement of future trainees are discussed.
ISSN:0003-0651
1941-2460
DOI:10.1177/0003065112460090