Master of Arts (MA) Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy

The MA in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy is a recognised component which contributes to a post-graduate specific modality training in psychoanalytic Psychotherapy. A combination of this Masters’ programme with the Post-Masters’ Specific Modality Training in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy in The School of Psychotherapy at St Vincent’s University Hospital meets the minimum 4-year postgraduate training requirement to enable graduates to apply with confidence for accredited membership of a professional body in the field.

Psychoanalysis is a clinical practice which attends to the hidden, or unconscious, processes of the mind. Its epoch-marking insights shed invaluable light on the fragility of meaning in our lives and on the dynamics of mental health and its collapse in illness. Psychoanalysis stands at the origin of all the major developments in psychotherapy over the past 100 years. It is designed to introduce students in a thorough and rigorous way to clinical settings and practice and so is a solid basis for work in the field of mental health as well as being a foundation for training in the field of psychoanalytic psychotherapy.

Key Features of the MA in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy

• Aims to direct learners in establishing and maintaining a psychoanalytically informed therapeutic position for the practice of psychoanalytic psychotherapy.

• Aims to provide extensive placement experience – each 15 weeks, one-day-a week –   in psychiatric, educational, and social care settings to allow learners to develop a psychotherapeutic position under supervision.

• Designed paying due attention to requirements of psychoanalytic psychotherapy professional bodies and to discussions regarding statutory and European regulation in the field of psychotherapy.

• Offers an opportunity to engage with professionals in fields related to psychoanalysis and psychotherapy through attendance at a weekly Psychiatric Case Conference with a multidisciplinary team in St Vincent’s University Hospital.

• Classes are typically conducted on Thursday afternoon, followed by two small group tutorials on Thursday night.

• The three pillars of the programme are personal psychoanalysis/psychoanalytic psychotherapy, academic study, and clinical experience with clinical supervision.

• The psychoanalytic orientation is Freudian-Lacanian.

• The programme is entirely staffed by practitioner-teachers.

Delivery

All learners are expected to attend in person in class.

Entry Requirements

To be considered for admission to the MA in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, applicants must:

• Hold a minimum second-class honours (2.2) in an undergraduate degree in the psychological and medical sciences, humanities, arts or social sciences.

• Have the minimum requirement in English Language which is greater or equal to B2+ in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages for admission where full-time study has been conducted in a language other than English or applicants whose first language is not English.

• Complete a personal statement of approximately 400 words outlining why they wish to pursue this particular course.

• Attend two one-to-one interviews with psychoanalytic practitioners, one of whom is typically the Programme Leader.

Applicants with an undergraduate degree in other areas may be considered on a case-by-case basis. 

 

Accreditation

This programme is recognised by Association for Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy in Ireland (APPI) as a Master’s component of a four-year minimum training in psychoanalytic psychotherapy. The combination of this DBS Master’s programme, together with the Post-Master’s Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Specific Modality Training Programme in The School of Psychotherapy (TSOP), St Vincent’s University Hospital, forms an APPI recognised, TSOP Specific Modality Training Programme in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy. APPI is a constituent member of ICP (Irish Council for Psychotherapy). Graduates of the TSOP Specific Modality Training Programme in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy may apply for accredited member status in APPI. As accredited members of APPI, graduates are automatically members of the Irish Council for Psychotherapy (ICP). In turn, these graduates meet requirements to apply for membership of the European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP).

Garda Vetting

The National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012-2016 make it mandatory for people working unsupervised with children or vulnerable adults to be vetted by the Garda Siochana National Vetting Bureau.  Under the Acts, anyone whose work or activity involves unsupervised access to children or vulnerable adults must be vetted.  Workers include staff, volunteers and those on student placements working for a relevant organisation where they have access to children and/or vulnerable adults. 

DBS offers a number of educational Programmes that require students to undertake placements with external agencies, which will bring them into contact with the public and in which they will assume positions of trust.  It is for this reason that students on these type of programmes are required to undergo vetting prior to commencing placements (or visits).

New entrants on to these programmes will receive the relevant form and information in their orientation packs and will need to complete the process before their final registration on the course can be completed.   At the time of application, students will be required to declare as to any previous convictions.   Students can start on the course before their Garda clearance is completed but may be withdrawn if the vetting does not produce a satisfactory finding.

Where a vetting process identifies a previous conviction the case will be referred to an internal College Vetting Committee.   This committee will consider all relevant information in relation to a disclosure from the vetting process and make a determination on the case on behalf of the College.

If a student has started on the course and is withdrawn because of a conviction that was not declared at the time of application, any fees paid will not be refunded.

DBS will charge a fee of €25 to each student for the administration and costs of obtaining Garda clearance. This fee is payable at the commencement of the programme and is non refundable.