Psychoanalytic Training

Training at Blanton-Peale

Earn a Certificate in Psychoanalysis

Blanton-Peale Institute has a rich history in psychoanalysis, tracing back to Sigmund Freud. Dr. Smiley Blanton, one of its founders, was a psychiatrist who underwent analysis with Freud for over ten years. Blanton, S. (1971). Diary of my analysis with Sigmund Freud. NY: Hawthorne Books. The first Psychoanalytic Training Program began in New York City in the 1960s.

When New York recognized psychoanalysis and established the license for the profession, Blanton-Peale became the first Institute in New York State to become registered with the New York Department of Education to offer a licensure psychoanalytic training. Our 4-year training process is robust and contextual, incorporating the best coursework and clinical experiences for psychoanalytic practice in contemporary settings.

With extensive experience and a clinical presence in the city center, our program offers candidates a thorough training experience, featuring faculty from NYC, Italy, France, Brazil, Portugal, Austria, and the UK. Blanton-Peale is also a registered OMH clinic that provides thousands of psychotherapy sessions monthly, ensuring candidates in training have an ideal clinical environment. This setting combines working with diverse populations while fulfilling the required hours in an approved location for New York State license applications.

At Blanton-Peale Institute, we foster a diverse, collegial, and supportive atmosphere where our candidates receive an education that remains grounded in classical psychoanalytic theory while simultaneously affording exposure to all major psychoanalytic schools of thought. Consistent with the core values of psychoanalytic training, each candidate follows our academic curriculum, receives clinical supervision, and experiences personal psychoanalysis. Our mission is to encourage and support the development of exceptional psychoanalytic praxis.

Dr. Marcelo Gomes, PhD

Director of Psychoanalytic Training

Dr. Wilda Mesias, PhD

Associate Director of Psychoanalytic Training

Blanton-Peale endorses the ABAP Core Competencies

Blanton-Peale offers a multi-modal approach to psychoanalytic training that encompasses classical to contemporary perspectives. Blanton-Peale welcomes anyone with a master’s degree who is interested in psychoanalytic training. Applicants to the program come from a broad range of backgrounds, including the traditional mental health disciplines of psychology, social work, and medicine, as well as religion, education, the arts, humanities, and law.

Graduates of Blanton-Peale’s program hold positions in many professional settings around the world, including mental health agencies, educational and religious institutions, and business entities. Many maintain private practices.

The Program, modeled on traditional psychoanalytic training, consists of three components:

Comprehensive course work, which can be completed in four years,
Clinical Experience under supervision, and
The candidate’s own experience of psychoanalysis.

Training Tracks at Blanton-Peale

There are three Training Tracks in the Blanton-Peale Psychoanalytic Training Program. The course work and personal psychoanalysis components are the same for all tracks. Which track a Resident will enter will depend on the background and previous training of the Resident.

The Already-Licensed Track

The Already-Licensed Track is designed for those who are able legally to practice psychoanalysis within the jurisdiction where they will be completing their clinical experience. In New York State that includes licenses that contain psychoanalysis in the scope of practice (LP, LCSW, PhD or PsyD in Psychology, MD, NP, PA). Applicants from outside New York State should speak with the Director of Training to discuss considerations for the jurisdiction in which that applicant lives and/or will be practicing.

The LCSW Track

The LCSW Track is designed for those who hold an LMSW license or an MSW degree with a New York State-issued Limited Permit, and want to become an LCSW. Since these residents may not practice independently, they will work with patients at the Blanton-Peale clinic under the supervision of an LCSW.

The LP Track (to become a New York State Licensed Psychoanalyst)

The LP Track prepares Residents to sit for the NY State License in Psychoanalysis (LP). Entrance into this track requires a master’s degree in any discipline from a recognized institution of higher learning. Anyone who is either unlicensed or who holds a New York State license that does not include psychoanalysis in its scope of practice (LCAT, LMHC, LMFT) must train in this track. Students in this track may not begin taking courses until they have been fully accepted into the program. Residents in this track practice under psychoanalytic supervision. Students with a master’s degree from another country should speak with the Director of Training.

Licensure as a Psychoanalyst

The Blanton-Peale Psychoanalytic Training Program is recognized by the New York State Education Department. Graduates of the LP Track may sit for the New York State License in Psychoanalysis, in order to become licensed psychoanalysts. Graduates of all tracks are eligible to become members of Blanton-Peale Psychoanalytic Society and registered psychoanalysts with the National Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis (NAAP).