Admissions Criteria

Admissions Criteria 2026-2027

Fundamentals of Psychoanalytic Thought (FY)

This program is open to mental health clinicians, professionals from allied disciplines, college graduates, and others interested in psychoanalysis.

Acceptance into the Fundamentals Year (FY) does not guarantee acceptance in any other program at CPI. Interested clinicians will need to re-apply and re-interview for any additional program (e.g., C&APP, PEP).

While FY is open to applicants from both clinical and non-clinical backgrounds, admission requirements differ accordingly.

For clinicians, the successful applicant will have:

  • A graduate degree in a clinical mental health field or an affiliated discipline (e.g., medicine)*

  • Appropriate licensure and professional liability insurance in their place of practice


*For applicants from China, completion of CAPA or an equivalent program will be considered in lieu of a graduate degree. Completion of courses through Simple Psychology / Jiandanxinli will not be considered in lieu of a graduate degree.

For non-clinicians, the successful applicant will have:

  • A bachelor’s degree or higher
  • Demonstrated interest in psychoanalytic thinking and practice

A completed application includes:

  • A $200 deposit

  • Academic transcripts

  • A personal essay

  • Two letters of recommendation 

  • Demonstrate proficiency in English (written, spoken, and reading)

Applicants will be contacted for an interview once the application file is complete.

Child and Adult Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy: A Dual Track Program (C&APP)


The psychotherapy programs at CPI are designed for clinicians seeking to deepen their immersion with psychoanalytic theory and practice for work with children and adolescents (Track 1) or adults (Track 2). Applicants may be early-career clinicians or more established practitioners. The ideal applicant has already been introduced to psychodynamic theory through courses, reading, and/or supervision, and now wants a more structured learning experience that integrates theory with practice.

A successful applicant for the Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Programs will have:

  • A graduate degree in a clinical mental health or affiliated field*

  • At least two years of post-graduate clinical experience seeing patients weekly or more frequently

  • Appropriate licensure and professional liability insurance where they practice, permitting clinical work independently or under supervision

  • Access to patients who can be seen once weekly or more frequently in 45–60 minute sessions

  • Internet connection sufficient to support Zoom

  • Proficiency in English (spoken, written, and reading)
  • Supervision with a psychodynamically informed consultant (highly recommended but not required)

  • Personal psychotherapy with an analyst or psychodynamically trained clinician (highly recommended but not required)


For applicants to the Child/Adolescent Track:

  • Children under the age of 9 must be seen in person.
  • Children and Adolescents from 9–18 may be seen in a mix of in person and video.
  • Adolescents age 14 and older may be seen by video only.
  • Access to reliable, consistent office space for seeing patients is required.
  • Legal consent to treatment by guardian as required in the applicant’s geographic area and profession.

*For applicants from China, completion of CAPA or an equivalent program may be considered in lieu of a graduate degree. Coursework completed through Simple Psychology / Jiandanxinli will not be considered equivalent. A completed application includes:

  • A $200 deposit

  • Academic transcripts

  • A personal essay

  • Two letters of recommendation from clinical supervisors or teachers who can attest to the applicant’s professional and personal competences


Applicants will be contacted for an interview once the application file is complete.

Admission Criteria for the Psychoanalytic Education Program (PEP)

The Psychoanalytic Education Program does not replace clinical training, and applicants should already have a solid clinical foundation in psychotherapy. Applicants must demonstrate suitable professional and personal readiness for psychoanalytic training.

The successful applicant to the Psychoanalytic Education Program will have:

  • A graduate degree in a clinical mental health field, including psychiatrists (MD or DO), licensed clinical psychologists (Ph.D. or Psy.D.), licensed clinical social workers (LCSW or Ph.D.), and licensed clinical professional counselors (LCPC).*

  • Current, non-provisional licensure and malpractice insurance as required in their place of practice

  • Begun personal analysis at the time of application. All candidates are required to be engaged in a personal psychoanalysis at a minimum frequency of four sessions per week. This analysis must be conducted with a Training Analyst at the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute, or with an analyst eligible for a waiver.

  • A strong foundation in psychotherapy, evidenced by a combination of the following:

    • Clinical Experience: 5 years of full-time clinical experience practicing psychodynamic psychotherapy

    • Clinical Supervision: Ongoing weekly supervision with a psychoanalyst or psychoanalytic psychotherapy supervisor, focused on patients seen in individual psychodynamic psychotherapy. This experience should reflect the applicant’s capacity to establish and sustain a clinical process and to engage productively in supervision.

    • Didactic Education: Postgraduate coursework in psychoanalytic theory and technique.

  • Access to a clinical practice setting that permits in-person treatment at a frequency of four sessions per week, when clinically indicated during training.

  • Internet connection sufficient to support Zoom

  • Proficiency in English (written, spoken, and reading) is required


*For applicants from China, completion of CAPA or an equivalent program will be considered in lieu of a graduate degree. Completion of courses through Simple Psychology / Jiandanxinli will NOT be considered in lieu of a graduate degree.

A completed application includes:

  • A $200 deposit

  • Academic transcripts

  • A personal essay

  • Three letters of recommendation from clinical supervisors or teachers who can attest to professional and personal competencies


When your file is complete, you will be contacted for an interview.

Admission Criteria for Transfer Students

Students applying to transfer into C&APP after completing the Fundamentals Year (FY) are required to:

  • Review their original application materials to ensure they contain the information requested above, and update them if necessary
  • Provide a recent letter of recommendation from a supervisor
  • Write a brief update to your Personal Essay

Applicants will be contacted for an interview once the file is complete. No additional application fee is required. Please understand that because of the clinical and supervision requirements for graduation, students may need to continue in supervision and coursework beyond the second year.

Admissions Criteria for Open Classes

Students applying to transfer into C&APP after completing the Fundamentals Year (FY) are required to:

  • Review their original application materials to ensure they contain the information requested above, and update them if necessary
  • Provide a recent letter of recommendation from a supervisor
  • Write a brief update to your Personal Essay

Applicants will be contacted for an interview once the file is complete. No additional application fee is required. Please understand that because of the clinical and supervision requirements for graduation, students may need to continue in supervision and coursework beyond the second year.

Admission Criteria 2026Download