Course Handbook: BJAA Training

The BJAA Training Committee (TC) has overall responsibility for managing the training programme and for safeguarding the best interests of trainees and their future patients. The Committee is formed from members of the bpf and works closely with several specialised sub-committees, each handling important aspects of the training.

The training and curriculum are kept under regular review, with the interests of trainees and their future patients in mind. The bpf reserves the right to make any changes considered necessary during the course of training.

The BJAA training programme is administered by a dedicated Training Officer, who serves as the primary point of contact for all trainee enquiries.

Teaching Staff

Teaching within the BJAA is provided by experienced Jungian Analysts affiliated with the bpf, complemented by input from external clinicians and published authors. This ensures that trainees receive a comprehensive and diverse perspective on both theoretical and clinical practice.

Theory Seminar Leaders

Giles Allen is a general adult psychiatrist, a Jungian Analyst and an EMDR therapist, working in both the NHS and private sector. He lectures for the BJAA, British Psychotherapy Foundation (Psychotherapy Today course), and Brighton and Sussex Medical Schools, with special interests in neuroscience, trauma and addiction. Giles runs a weekly Balint reflective practice group for GP and psychiatry trainees in Sussex and co-facilitates workshops on trauma informed practice and psychological safety for NHS staff in various settings.

Steven Flower is a Training Analyst and Supervisor for the BJAA. He previously served as Chair of the BJAA, of the British Association of Psychotherapists and of the British Psychotherapy Foundation, the BPF. Before becoming a Jungian Analyst, he worked as a Humanistic and Transpersonal psychotherapist, teaching and supervising. He also applied these approaches widely to organisational consultancy and anti-racist training. He has written a number of papers and conference presentations.

David Gardiner is a Senior Member and Training Analyst of the BJAA/BPF. He read English at Cambridge, after which he worked in a psychiatric hospital, before he began teaching in East London schools, eventually specialising in psycho-social interventions with adolescents. After training, he set out as a psychotherapist in the NHS. He was a Consultant Psychotherapist in community mental health settings for ten years, during which he became involved in running therapeutic groups; teaching and supervising junior doctors, nurses and social workers; treating complex presentations and personality disorders, including working with suicide, and developing a particular interest in doing therapy with mothers of children in care. His current interests include post-Bion developments; ideas about attention in analysis; and bodily presence/absence in our work since Covid.

Giorgio Giaccardi is a training analyst with the BJAA (London) and a member of ARPA (Milan). He is inter- ested in Jung’s approach to psychic processes and a contemporary revision of Jung’s ideas, with particular reference to themes like gender and sex, syzygy, the numinous and the sublime, the objective psyche, al- chemy and music, on which he has presented, taught and published. His most recent publications (with Routledge, 2020 and 2021) describe an archetypal and symbolic approach to same-sex desire. He is a pre- senter at the 2023 Zurich Jung’s Institute Conference “I Feel Therefore I am: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Emotions and their Impact” with a paper on a clinical application of symbolism from Mysterium Coniunctionis.

Jane Johnson is a psychotherapist and Jungian Analyst who works in private practice in Hampshire. She is a senior member of the BPF, training analyst for the BJAA and a past director of MSc Psychodynamics of Human Development (Birkbeck College and BPF). She has presented, published and taught on difference and diversity in the context of analytic thought and specifically on racism and Jung. Her Master’s research was a critique of Jung’s concept of the animus. She has recently worked on a BJAA research project investigating the relationship between theory and Jungian clinical practice with reference to concepts of ‘primitivity’, contra-sexuality, inner and outer worlds, and participation mystique.

Carol Leader is a training and supervising Jungian Analyst and a Senior Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist, both with the British Psychotherapy Foundation. She has recently become a Fellow of the Neuropsychoanalysis Association. Carol was awarded the British Journal of Psychotherapy’s Roszika Parker prize in 2014 for her paper on William Blake and his relevance to clinical practice. She worked extensively in theatre, TV and radio before re-training as a therapist twenty-five years ago. Carol is in full time private practice, consults in business and for projects in the arts and writes, lectures and leads workshops and seminars for a number of public platforms and professional trainings.

Julian Masters is a Jungian analyst and member of BJAA. He works in full time private practice in Oxford. He teaches regularly on BPF’s ‘Psychotherapy Today’ program, BJAA’s MSc course, and dream workshops as well as on the West Midlands Institute of Psychotherapy training program in Birmingham. Julian has a background in music and the arts. He is currently engaged in composing, performing and creative writing.

Helen Morgan is a Fellow of the British Psychotherapy Foundation and a training analyst and supervisor for the British Jungian Analytic Association within the BPF. Her background is in therapeutic communities with adolescents and in adult mental health. She was chair of the British Association of Psychotherapists from 2004 – 2008 and chair of the British Psychoanalytic Council from 2015-18. She has published a number of pa- pers including several on racism, and her book ‘The Work of Whiteness. A psychoanalytic perspective’ was published by Routledge in Spring 2021.

Julia Ryde works as a Jungian analyst and supervisor in private practice. She is a training analyst for BJAA and IPCAPA, training supervisor for the BJAA. She originally trained as an art therapist and, over the years, has been involved in the training and teaching of both art therapists and Jungian analysts. Recently she has been involved in a research project, and the writing of a paper, to do with discussions that took place, on Jungian contemporary practice and theory with reference to certain concepts.

Katerina Sarafidou is an honorary member of the British Jungian Analytic Association and the current Head of Research (former Director) of the MSc Psychodynamics of Human Development, run by Birkbeck College and the British Psychotherapy Foundation. She is carrying out academic research at the Warburg Institute and her areas of interest are the role of imagination and symbolic experiences in analytic practice, Jung’s Red Book, and the history and context of analytical psychology. She has carried out educational consultancy work on behalf of several psychoanalytic trainings in England, and is one of the three founders of The Circle of An- alytical Psychology, which offers a 2-year study on Jung’s Liber Novus to analysts and psychotherapists.

David Richards is a psychodynamic psychotherapist and supervisor in private practice. Over the last 35 years he has worked extensively in the public and private sectors, initially in the HIV field and later managing a community counselling service for older adults. He has particular experience of working with the LGBTQ+ communities, and within his wide theoretical interests has a particular focus on issues of sexuality and identity. He has been a senior tutor on the MSc in psychodynamic therapy at Birkbeck, and continues to teach and write on his specialist areas. He has also served on the Board of the British Psychoanalytic Council and is a long-standing member of the BPC advisory committee on sexual and gender diversity.

Emilija Kiehl, MSc., is a Jungian Analyst in private practice in London. She is a training and supervising analyst, former Chair of the British Jungian Analytic Association (BJAA), and senior member of the British Psychotherapy Foundation (BPF). Emilija is a former Honorary Secretary and Vice President of the International Association for Analytical Psychology (IAAP). She is on the board of the Journal of Analytical Psychology (JAP). She lectures, teaches, and supervises in the UK and abroad.

Reflective Group Facilitators

Neil Farrelly is a Jungian Analyst and Senior Professional Member of the BJAA/BPF. He is also a Psychoana-lytic Couples Psychotherapist (Tavistock Relations) and a Group Analyst (Institute of Group Analysis). He works both in private practice and as a senior psychotherapist in the NHS. Neil has worked with older adults as well as working age and younger adults with complex presentations and personality disorders. He has also worked in university counselling services. Neil has conducted analytic groups and reflective groups in a variety of settings including the NHS and university counselling services. Before training as an analyst Neil worked as a lawyer in the City both in private practice and in an investment bank.

Neil Hamer is a Jungian analyst in private practice in Emsworth, Hampshire. He is a BJAA Training analyst and bpf Senior member. Neil trained in psychoanalytic psychotherapy with the Guild of Psychotherapists (where he has recently taught Jungian seminars), completed the introductory course at the Institute of Group Analysis and trained as a psychodramatist. He previously worked in NHS psychotherapy departments, a com- munity mental health team, therapeutic communities and in psychiatry, providing individual and group-ana- lytic psychotherapy, psychodrama and an art work group. Neil has conducted reflective groups for the bpf Psychotherapy Today, Balint groups for junior doctors and GPs, supervision groups, and led a seminar group in his private practice for several years.

Lisa Rose O. Akanuma is a Child & Adolescent Psychotherapist (British Association of Psychotherapists) and a Group Analyst and Supervisor (Institute of Group Analysis). Alongside her private practice and supervision, she also works part-time for the NHS CAMHS. She has special interest in trauma, migration and somatization. She currently co-facilitates the Therapeutic Playground for asylum seekers, refugees, and migrants at 10 Windsor Walk, South London. She is also a member of the Infant Observations committee at the BPF. She has conducted analytic groups for adolescents and adults, and reflective groups in NHS settings. She worked with adults with complex trauma and severe complex presentations in the NHS. She has also worked at the Anna Freud Centre as a seminar leader and as a co-facilitator of a Therapeutic Parent Toddler Group. Lisa Rose was a schoolteacher, counsellor, and human resources specialist in the private and international sectors before training as a psychoanalytic psychotherapist and as a group analyst

Nick Jones is a psychotherapist working in private practice with individuals, couples, and groups. He also offers supervision for therapists and clinical teams. He trained at WPF Therapy and in addition to private practice, has worked in forensic psychotherapy, therapeutic communities, and within higher education. He has an interest in the intersections of personal, cultural and political realms; gender and sexuality; and in creative expression as an integral facet of human experience.

Clinical Seminar and Clinical Placement Seminar Leaders

Clare Simmonds Clare’s initial career was in the field of teaching in New Zealand. She then completed a PhD in the philosophy of education at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Alongside her subsequent work in educational research and medical education in the UK, Clare trained as a psychodynamic psychotherapist (WPF) and then as a Jungian analyst with the British Jungian Analytic Association (BJAA) at the BPF. She now works in private practice in London and Buckinghamshire.

Giles Allen is a general adult psychiatrist, a Jungian Analyst and an EMDR therapist, working in both the NHS and private sector. He lectures for the BJAA, British Psychotherapy Foundation (Psychotherapy Today course), and Brighton and Sussex Medical Schools, with special interests in neuroscience, trauma and addiction. Giles runs a weekly Balint reflective practice group for GP and psychiatry trainees in Sussex and co-facilitates workshops on trauma informed practice and psychological safety for NHS staff in various settings.

Karen Gold is a Jungian analyst, psychoanalytic psychotherapist and Music Therapist, now working in private practice in Cambridgeshire. She has been a therapist and supervisor in the NHS, schools, secure units, care homes, charities and family centres for over 15 years.

Suzanne Whitehouse did her first training as a psychodynamic psychotherapist at WPF Therapy. Sometime later she trained with the BJAA as a Jungian Analyst. She works full-time in private practice in London. 

Urvashi Chand is a Jungian Analyst (BJAA) and Psychodynamic Psychotherapist (WPF Therapy), registered with the BPC and IAAP. She works in private practice in NW London, offering psychotherapy and supervision, and is Director of the Foundation Course at the British Psychotherapy Foundation. She also teaches on analytic and psychodynamic trainings at the BPF and the Guild of Psychotherapists where she is also on the training committee. Her clinical interests include trauma, identity, and intercultural experience, with a focus on how cultural narratives shape the inner worlds of marginalised individuals. She was awarded the Jafar Kareem Intercultural Therapy Bursary in 2016.

Neil Hamer is a Jungian analyst in private practice in Emsworth, Hampshire. He is a BJAA Training analyst and bpf Senior member. Neil trained in psychoanalytic psychotherapy with the Guild of Psychotherapists (where he has recently taught Jungian seminars), completed the introductory course at the Institute of Group Analysis and trained as a psychodramatist. He previously worked in NHS psychotherapy departments, a com- munity mental health team, therapeutic communities and in psychiatry, providing individual and group-ana- lytic psychotherapy, psychodrama and an art work group. Neil has conducted reflective groups for the bpf Psychotherapy Today, Balint groups for junior doctors and GPs, supervision groups, and led a seminar group in his private practice for several years.

Group Supervisor for the Psychotherapy training

Caroline Oakes is a senior member and training analyst for BJAA, and has worked in private practice for many years. She also had experience in the NHS during and after training. She has been involved in the BJAA training for ten years and until recently was on the Training Committee. She has a particular interest in Infant Observation, was a member of the BPF Infant Observation Committee and taught on the joint Birkbeck BPF MSc course.

Jacqueline Egli is a senior member of the BPF and a training analyst for the BJAA. She was on the training committee for 7 years prior to becoming a group supervisor. She worked for the NHS (with children and adolescents) as well as in private practice (adults) for almost 10 years prior and during the BJAA training as a once weekly psychodynamic practitioner. A foundation course in group and systemic practice sparked an ongoing interest in group/family dynamics. With origins in Europe, having lived in different environments abroad, currently living in and with three languages, cultural differences and use of language in psychotherapy and analysis are of particular interest.

Serena Willmott

Committee Structures

The BJAA Training Committee (TC) oversees all progression decisions and has overall responsibility for managing the training programme, working closely with the following members and sub-committees:

All applicants are assessed against the same core entry areas: personal therapy or analysis, clinical experience, psychiatric experience where applicable, and suitability for Jungian clinical training. The required level differs by route.

All applicants must be established in personal therapy or analysis before beginning training and must maintain the required frequency until qualification. The required frequency and the approved practitioner differ by route.

Psychotherapy applicants must be established in personal therapy at a minimum frequency of once weekly for approximately a year at time of application, with a BJAA approved therapist or BJAA approved training analyst. Applicants should note that some future professional opportunities, including later analytic qualification or approval as an approved therapist, may require a higher frequency of personal analysis; trainees should discuss this with their Training Tutor when planning their longer-term professional pathway.

Analytic applicants must be established in personal analysis at a minimum frequency of three times weekly, for at least 12 months by the point of application, and must maintain this frequency until qualification, with a BJAA approved training analyst.

MES applicants must have completed intensive personal analysis at a frequency of at least three times weekly for a minimum of a year before application, optimally more, and must remain in three-times-weekly analysis before and during training, with an analyst approved by the BJAA.

All trainees are required to complete a two-year infant observation for qualification. This involves weekly, hour-long observations of a mother or primary caregiver and baby in the family setting, beginning as close to birth as possible and continuing for two years as agreed with the family. Trainees must be well established in their infant observation before they can seek permission to begin work with their first training patient. Further details are available through the Infant Observation course information.

MES applicants are normally expected to have completed an approved infant observation before entry. If this has not been completed, the trainee must complete the infant observation during training, to the same requirements — including weekly observations, written work and seminar participation — as the full training routes.

Applicants are expected to have relevant experience of one-to-one work with adults in emotional or psychological difficulty. This may have been gained through professional roles, voluntary work, counselling, psychotherapy, mental health, education, social care, pastoral work or related settings. The level and nature of experience expected differs by route.

Psychotherapy applicants should be able to demonstrate sufficient experience of supporting adults to show readiness for postgraduate Jungian psychotherapy training. Analytic applicants should be able to demonstrate adult clinical experience and personal readiness for the greater intensity of analytic training. MES applicants should already hold a recognised mental health or psychodynamic psychotherapy qualification, or equivalent substantial prior clinical training and experience.

Psychotherapy trainees complete a psychiatry seminar or a whole bpf psychiatry day during training. Analytic trainees complete a six-month psychiatric placement, undertaken during training. MES applicants are expected to have substantial prior psychiatric experience; where this is not evident, the trainee will be required to undertake a psychiatric placement during training, typically for at least half a day per week over a six-month period.

Selection is determined by evaluating each applicant’s readiness for the relevant route and their potential to develop as a Jungian psychotherapist or analyst. The selection process considers personal qualities, capacity for reflection, clinical experience, emotional robustness, ethical awareness, ability to make use of training, and capacity to meet the academic demands of postgraduate-level study.

Applicants commonly hold an academic or professional qualification, but applicants without formal higher education may also be considered if they can demonstrate the capacity to undertake postgraduate-level theoretical and clinical work. All applicants must submit a formal application, attend two interviews and provide references. Further details about the application process and route-specific expectations are available online.

MES applicants are assessed individually in relation to their professional qualification, prior clinical experience, personal analysis, infant observation, psychiatric experience and readiness for advanced Jungian analytic training. Any additional requirements, exemptions or modifications will be confirmed in the offer letter.

The application form is available on the bpf website. Before applying, applicants must have an initial conversation with the BJAA Training Officer. Analytic and MES applicants must also complete an online expression of interest form before this conversation.

Following the conversation, applicants submit the application form, pay the application fee, and provide any required supporting information, including references. Applications are then reviewed through the selection process for the relevant route.

An Induction Day takes place in September each year and is held in person at the bpf house. The Induction Day introduces new trainees to the training structure, key staff and contacts, expectations for participation, Moodle and online systems, clinical and academic requirements, and available support. Further joining information and any preparatory tasks will be sent to trainees before the start of the academic year.

The annual application deadline is 21 April. A non-refundable application fee of £170 is payable when the application is submitted. Applicants should check the website and communications from the Training Officer for the current year’s confirmed dates, application instructions and any route-specific requirements.

Course Objectives

The course aims to develop practitioners who can draw together theoretical knowledge, clinical experience, reflective capacity and ethical judgement in the practice of Jungian analysis and psychotherapy. The theory programme aims to provide trainees with a comprehensive and critically informed understanding of Jungian analytical psychology and related psychoanalytic, psychodynamic, relational and interdisciplinary perspectives, supporting the integration of theoretical knowledge with clinical practice, personal development and ethical reflection.

Clinical Objectives

These competencies describe the qualities and capabilities expected of a newly qualified member of the BJAA, offered as a guide for trainees, the Training Committee, supervisors and seminar leaders. They are not intended as a tick list, but as a way of gaining a sense of the therapist as a whole, throughout and at the end of training.

The training combines weekly clinical work, monthly Saturday theory teaching, and ongoing supervision and tutorial support. The recurring elements of the weekly and termly timetable are:

The theory programme is delivered over four years. The clinical component continues until all clinical, written and assessment requirements have been completed and the trainee has qualified; trainees also continue with their tutorials until qualification. Timelines vary according to clinical readiness, training patient availability, infant observation completion and route-specific requirements. If a trainee continues onto Year 5 or beyond, having completed the theory programme, the fee will be reduced to the Year 5+ fee.

Holidays and Absences

Trainees must attend at least 80% of all scheduled clinical and theory seminars, and are expected to attend all seminars and meetings on the academic programme. Seminar leaders should be informed in advance of any non-attendance, as should at least one of the trainee’s colleagues. Holidays may normally only be taken during academic holiday periods; the Training Tutor should also be notified if absences occur during term time. Trainees are required to notify their Training Tutor if their Training Analyst/Approved Therapist or supervisor is away for more than two weeks outside a normal holiday period.

In the event of two or more missed theory days (including the creative seminar), a 1,000-word reflective piece on the reading for one of the missed days will be required, to be submitted to the Training Officer before the end of the term.

Deferment

Trainees who are experiencing personal, professional, financial, health-related, or other circumstances that may affect their ability to engage fully with the training are encouraged to discuss the matter at an early stage. Trainees should refer to the relevant bpf Student Handbook policies on deferment and any associated Foundation procedures before making a request.

Requesting a Deferment

The first step in seeking a deferment is for the trainee to discuss the matter with their Training Tutor, who acts as the trainee’s primary source of support and guidance throughout the training. The Training Tutor can help the trainee consider available options and discuss the implications of a period of deferred study.

Where a trainee feels unable to discuss the matter with their Training Tutor, or where the issue involves the Training Tutor directly, the trainee should contact the Training Manager, who will provide guidance on the next steps and ensure that the request is considered appropriately.

Consideration by the Training Committee

Requests for deferment are considered by the Training Committee (TC). The Committee will take into account the trainee’s individual circumstances, stage of training, clinical responsibilities, and any requirements necessary to protect both the trainee and the integrity of the training programme.

The Training Committee reserves the right to attach conditions to a period of deferment and/or to a trainee’s return to training. Such requirements will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may include, but are not limited to:

• A return-to-training meeting or re-interview.
• Evidence of continued personal analysis or psychotherapy.
• Additional training, reading, or written work.
• Updated supervisor, tutor, or clinical reports.
• Completion of specific outstanding training requirements.
• Any other conditions considered necessary to support a successful return to training.

Deferment Agreement

Where a deferment is approved, the trainee will be required to sign a Deferment Agreement outlining the terms of the deferment, including any conditions attached to the period of leave and the requirements for returning to training.

Trainees must also pay the applicable deferment fee in accordance with current bpf and BJAA regulations. Failure to comply with the conditions of the deferment agreement may affect a trainee’s ability to return to the programme.

Returning to Training

Prior to returning from a period of deferment, trainees should contact the Training Manager and Training Tutor within the timeframe specified in their deferment agreement. The Training Committee will review whether all conditions attached to the deferment have been met before confirming the trainee’s return to active training.

The Training Committee reserves the right to determine whether a trainee is ready to resume training and whether any additional support, monitoring, or requirements are necessary following a period of deferment.

The purpose of the deferment process is to support trainees during periods of difficulty while ensuring that professional, clinical, and training standards are maintained for the benefit of trainees, patients, and the wider profession.

Failure to Meet Deferment Conditions

Where conditions have been attached to a period of deferment, trainees are expected to satisfy those requirements before returning to active training. Such conditions may include attendance at a return-to-training meeting, completion of additional training requirements, evidence of ongoing personal analysis or psychotherapy, submission of reports, or participation in a re-interview process.

If the Training Committee determines that the conditions of deferment have not been satisfactorily met, it may:

• Delay the trainee’s return to training.
• Require additional conditions to be met before re-admission.
• Extend the period of deferment.
• Request further reports, meetings, or evidence of readiness to return.
• Require a re-interview with members of the Training Committee.
• Consider whether continuation of training remains appropriate in light of the trainee’s circumstances and progress.

The final decision regarding a trainee’s return to training rests with the Training Committee.

Extensions to Deferment

A period of deferment may be extended where circumstances indicate that additional time away from training would be beneficial or necessary. Trainees seeking an extension should discuss the matter with their Training Tutor or, where appropriate, the Training Manager before the end of the agreed deferment period. The request will then be considered by the Training Committee.

When considering an extension, the Training Committee will take into account:

• The reasons for the original deferment.
• The trainee’s current circumstances.
• Progress towards meeting any attached conditions.
• Clinical responsibilities and patient considerations.
• The trainee’s readiness to re-engage with training requirements.

The Training Committee reserves the right to approve, refuse, or modify a request for an extension and may attach additional requirements or revised conditions to any extended deferment period.

The purpose of any extension is to support the trainee’s successful return to training while maintaining the professional, clinical, and educational standards of the BJAA training programme.

Saturday theory seminars are held in person; a hybrid or fully online format is offered in the event of large-scale train strikes or inclement weather affecting the majority of attendees. Group supervision and clinical seminars are held online, although some seminar leaders may require a monthly or termly in-person session. Analytic and MES supervision can also be conducted online.

Theme: What is ‘psyche’ in analytic thought — being a body and having a mind. The Platform Year begins with a broad introduction to Jung’s model of the psyche and a framework for critical evaluation of key concepts, tracing the understanding of the psyche across intra-psychic, inter-personal and more recent relational models. Fundamental concepts of analytical psychology are introduced, including Jung’s notion of the objective psyche in and beyond the individual, alongside the mind-brain system as a bridge between neural and psychological processes, and analytic theories of the body-mind relationship.

Term 1

The first term introduces key aspects of Jung’s model of the psyche, alongside the historical, scientific and philosophical foundations of analytical psychology, and explores controversial aspects of Jungian and psychoanalytic theory in relation to race, gender and sexuality.

• Analytical psychology in historical and philosophical context
• Structure and dynamics of the psyche in Jung’s psychology
• Analytical psychology in social and political contexts

Term 2

The second term traces a central arc of thinking about the constitution of the human psyche in psychoanalysis, beginning with the pioneering intrapsychic view of Freud and Klein, moving to the inter-relational perspective of Winnicott and Bion, and concluding with more recent relational approaches that focus on what emerges when two minds meet.

• Intrapsychic perspectives: Freud, Klein, Jung
• Inter-relational perspectives: Bion, Winnicott, Jung
• Relational perspectives (including Benjamin, Stack Sullivan, Mitchell)

Term 3

The third term deepens understanding of the notion of “psyche” through Jung’s concept of the objective psyche, a series of seminars on neuroscience and the neurobiology of attachment, and analytic theories on the body-mind relationship.

• The objective psyche: archetypes and the collective unconscious
• Body-mind relationship: the bodily mind and the body-mind conflict
• Neuroscience and attachment theory (including Solms, Panksepp, Damasio, Schore)

Theme: What am I saying when I say ‘I am’ — the emergence of a self. Building on the first year’s grounding in the notion of the psyche, Year 2 explores analytic theories about the development of personality as this leads to the emergence of a sense of self, considering how Jung and major psychoanalytic thinkers each place the capacity for symbolisation, fantasy, imagination, and the tolerance of uncertainty at the centre of this creative process.

Term 1

The first term traces developmental perspectives on the growth of personality from Freud and Klein to Winnicott and post-Jungian developments, following the centrality of symbolic processes as an inextricable part of psychological development and the maturation of personality.

• The development of the personality in Freud and Klein
• The development of the personality in Winnicott
• Beyond object relations: the development of the psyche from Bion to Fordham

Term 2

The second term focuses on Jung’s model of psychological growth, providing an in-depth understanding of the creative Self, the prospective nature of the psyche, and the transcendent function, and considers the dynamics between the ego and the Self.

• The relations between the “I” and the unconscious
• The integration of the personality (including shadow, anima/animus and the conjunction of opposites)
• The transcendent function and symbolic capacity

Term 3

The third term elaborates on Jung’s ideas of psychological development and individuation as set out in his formulation of psychological types and in the alchemical metaphor, and considers the implications of these ideas for the practice of analytical psychology and the conception of the “third” in the analytic field.

• Psychological types and their relation to individuation
• Alchemy and its relation to individuation
• Analytic field and analytic third

Theme: The mind that ails, the work that heals. Year 3 traces how psychological ailments and suffering have been understood analytically, and how analytic practice has evolved in response to what patients present — including trauma, psychosis, depression, anxiety and the defences against them — together with recent advances in thinking about and treating complexity.

Term 1

The first term explores how different strands of analytic thought have conceptualised psychopathology and psychological health, how the psyche responds to developmental deficiencies, trauma, and structural or environmental difficulties, and what analytic theory says about complex presentations such as personality disorders, addiction and severe trauma.

• Psychiatric, analytic and cultural perspectives on “pathology” and the capacity of the psyche to change, grow and transcend (including neurosis, psychosis, depression, narcissism, transgenerational influences)
• Modes of defences and their manifestations in therapy
• Complex patients: personality disorders, addiction, trauma, “perversion”

Term 2

The second term traces the major psychotherapeutic techniques used across psychoanalysis, analytical psychology and psychodynamic psychotherapy for facilitating change and alleviating suffering — beginning with interpretation and narrative linking, moving to relational approaches, and concluding with core Jungian approaches such as active imagination, amplification and the constructive method.

• Treatment approaches: the role of dreams, interpretation, and narrative linking
• Treatment approaches: exploring transference and countertransference, co-transference and new relational experiences
• Treatment approaches: active imagination, amplification (including fairytales, myth) and the constructive method

Term 3

The third term focuses on the analytic relationship and how it facilitates the aims of therapy, considering how the analytic frame and attitude are envisaged and applied across different schools of thought, before concluding by looking at Jung as a clinician in the context of the wider field and contemporary practice.

• Analyst/patient relationship and its role in achieving the analytic aims: affect regulation, capacity for symbolisation and mentalisation, a sense of self agency, construction of new sense of self
• Analytic attitude, analytic frame, analytic third / interactive field / “participation mystique”
• Jung as a clinician

Theme: Illness as metaphor — the ‘I’ in the world. Year 4 recognises that the consulting room, like the psyche itself, is not a sealed space but sits within a social and political context, bringing into sharper focus how social dynamics and dynamics of power manifest in the consulting room and underpin the analytic relationship and therapeutic work.

Term 1

The first term turns the analytic lens on itself, examining whether illness or health can be considered outside a given cultural context, how major analytic ideas have been shaped by political, social and cultural developments across the 20th and 21st centuries, and the analytic framework’s own evolution and relevance in contemporary times.

• Madness and civilization: thinking of health and illness in cultural and socioeconomic contexts
• The linguistic turn in psychoanalysis in the 20th and 21st centuries: Lacan and beyond
• What is psychoanalysis? The vision of psychoanalysis as a science

Term 2

The second term considers the conscious and unconscious dynamics that structure sameness and difference within and beyond the consulting room, exploring how such dynamics reveal social, political and power structures, and attending specifically to racialised identities, gender, sexuality, relationship diversity and cultural difference as they appear in clinical work.

• The problem of sameness and difference and its relation to power: cultural complexes and intersectionality
• Sexuality and Gender: complex desires, unconscious fantasies, and social constructs
• Racialised identities and the work of analysis

Term 3

The third term applies the analytic lens to wider social and cultural issues affecting patients and analysts alike, considering how these manifest in the consulting room and the tensions they create for individuation and clinical work, and exploring the usefulness of analysis in managing ethical tensions and contributing to social change.

• Social change and the consulting room: politics, environment and the role of the person
• Religions, spiritualities and individuation: the relevance and challenge of established value systems in the work of individuation
• The ethical individual in a volatile world: managing the tensions of moral agency and the capacity for harm

Role of the Personal Tutor

The Personal Tutor acts as the trainee’s main and first point of contact for all training-related support, providing personal contact details (email and phone) to allow for open communication. The Tutor offers help with both technical/logistical issues and personal decision-making related to training, and acts as a link between the trainee and the Training Committee — helping relay structural feedback about training content, scheduling and systems beyond the formal feedback forms. The Tutor reviews seminar feedback and training progress reports regularly to proactively address emerging issues or support needs, and serves as the trainee’s ambassador to the Training Committee, ensuring their concerns and insights are heard and considered.

Trainee Responsibilities

Trainees are required to meet with their Tutor at least once per term. These meetings are essential for building a productive, supportive working relationship, reviewing progress on the training, and discussing any concerns or support needs. Trainees should take the initiative in reaching out, asking questions, and using their Tutor as a resource throughout training. If a trainee has further queries not answered by the Tutor, they should contact the Training Manager to arrange a time to discuss.

Psychotherapy trainees are required to be in personal therapy at least once weekly throughout training with a BJAA approved training analyst or approved therapist. Analytic and MES trainees are required to be in analysis at least three times weekly throughout training with a BJAA approved training analyst.

Psychotherapy trainees should note that some future professional opportunities, including later analytic qualification or approval to become an approved therapist, may require a higher frequency of personal analysis; trainees should discuss this with their Training Tutor when planning their longer-term professional pathway.

A two-year infant observation must be completed for qualification. This can be undertaken with the bpf (a separate interview is required for this) or with another organisation; trainees should check with their Tutor or the Training Officer whether an external infant observation meets the BJAA’s requirements. A final infant observation paper (5,000–8,000 words maximum) is written once the observation has finished.

If a recognised infant observation has already been completed prior to starting training, a shorter written paper (2,500 words maximum) reflecting on the observation is required in the first term of training, before permission is given to start with a training patient.

Theory Seminars

Theoretical seminars are held as monthly full-day Saturdays during academic terms, with some extra Saturday mornings. In addition to the monthly theoretical seminars, there is a further Saturday workshop each term (10:00–13:00): a rolling programme of seminar days covering ethics, psychiatry, research and assessment with the PPA (the bpf’s adult psychoanalytic training), a creative workshop, and a day with the Society of Analytical Psychology (SAP) training addressing contemporary issues of debate. These joint Saturday workshops with the SAP and PPA, and the additional creative practice workshops, are a compulsory part of the theoretical curriculum for Years 1–4. Trainees are expected to factor in a minimum of six hours or more per week of reading for their various seminars.

Trainees in Year 5 and above may express an interest in attending one of the experiential Saturday sessions through the Training Officer. Attendance will be subject to availability, and approved places will be offered at no cost.

Trainees from the Independent Psychoanalytic Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy Association (IPCAPA) training at the bpf may join BJAA theory seminars and Reflective Groups as part of their training pathway. As a result, IPCAPA trainees may be present within seminar groups alongside BJAA trainees.

The extent of participation varies according to the individual trainee’s training requirements and choices. Some IPCAPA trainees may attend for a single academic year, while others may participate in multiple years of the BJAA theory programme.

The inclusion of IPCAPA trainees contributes to a rich and diverse learning environment, providing opportunities for interdisciplinary dialogue and the sharing of perspectives from different areas of psychodynamic and psychoanalytic practice.

Reflective Group

All trainees meet to share their experience of the training day in a confidential Reflective Group, facilitated by an analyst, at the end of the Saturday theory seminars. Trainees will normally remain with the same Reflective Group leader, the same cohort of trainees, and in the same room throughout their training. This continuity forms an important part of the reflective process and supports the development of a stable and reliable learning environment.

On occasions where it is not possible to maintain the same group leader, trainee group, or room arrangements, trainees will be given as much advance notice as possible. Any changes will be communicated by the Training Officer and will only be made where necessary due to operational or organisational requirements.

Reflective Groups are confidential, and no individual feedback on trainees is provided to the Training Committee. However, where trainees wish to raise issues affecting the training experience, the Reflective Group leader may be asked to communicate these themes to the Training Committee on behalf of the group.

Clinical Placement Seminars

Clinical Placement Seminars are held online, weekly, during academic terms in the first year, and comprise Platform Year trainees only from both the Analytic and Psychotherapy routes. They focus on issues arising from clinical placements, supporting trainees in developing the clinical, reflective and professional capacities required for psychodynamic and Jungian practice, and encouraging an increasing ability to link theory with clinical experience. The seminars also contribute to assessing a trainee’s readiness to progress through key stages of clinical training, including taking on a first training patient.

Clinical seminars are held weekly online from Year 2 through to qualification, bringing together trainees from Year 2 onwards for clinical discussion and learning across different stages of training. Psychotherapy and Analytic trainees attend separate clinical seminar groups: Psychotherapy clinical seminars usually take place on Monday or Wednesday evenings, and Analytic clinical seminars usually take place on Tuesday evenings. MES trainees join the appropriate clinical seminar route from Year 1, unless their offer letter specifies otherwise.

Facilitated by an experienced seminar leader, the seminars serve as a collaborative and reflective space for in-depth clinical discussion with peers at similar or more advanced stages of training. They are not a substitute for supervision, but are complementary — designed to enhance clinical thinking and foster the integration of theory with practical work, covering experiences and challenges from both placement work and training patient cases.

Psychotherapy Training

Psychotherapy trainees receive fortnightly supervision of training patients in supervision groups, for each training patient, until qualification — in addition to the weekly clinical seminar groups already in place. Additional supervision may be arranged between the supervisor and trainee during long breaks, such as the summer break, as needed. From Year 2 onwards, a trainee may ask permission to take a training patient, subject to route-specific requirements and discussion with their clinical seminar leader and Tutor. Over the course of training, trainees will attend two supervision groups, one for each training patient, each with a different supervisor and possibly a different group make-up, formed in small groups of two or three at most.

The aim of the supervision groups is to support trainees in becoming confident and competent Jungian psychotherapists, helping them develop and strengthen their analytic attitude, clinical technique, ability to use peers and supervisors to reflect on clinical work, and application of theoretical understanding to clinical practice.

Analytic/MES Training

Analytic and MES trainees receive weekly one-to-one supervision for each training patient they see, and are responsible for arranging and funding their own supervision. A list of approved BJAA supervisors is available on Moodle, and Tutors can provide guidance in selecting a supervisor appropriate to the trainee’s stage of training and clinical needs. Trainees are required to have a dedicated supervisor for each training patient.

Clinical Placements

Clinical placements are foundational to BJAA training. They must include proper organisational supervision, in-person clinical work with adults, and ethical, boundaried, reflective practice, preparing trainees for deeper analytic work and eventual qualification. Clinical responsibility for placement patients lies with the placement organisation, not the BJAA.

Psychiatric Experience

Psychotherapy trainees complete a psychiatry seminar or a whole bpf psychiatry day during training, arranged by the training and communicated to trainees in advance; this requirement may be completed at any point before qualification. Analytic trainees complete a six-month psychiatric placement. MES trainees are assessed individually at entry: those with sufficient prior psychiatric experience may be exempt, while those without sufficient experience will be required to complete a psychiatric placement.

An essay of 2,500–3,000 words, on a title of the trainee’s choosing, must be written to demonstrate the trainee’s learning from theoretical seminars during the first year of training and its application to clinical work. MES trainees are exempt. The trainee may choose either the overall theme of their first year of theory seminars, or a topic from a seminar that particularly interested them; in either case, they are asked to critically evaluate the theory and use clinical vignettes — drawn from clinical work with adults or from infant observation — to support their theoretical argument. Satisfactory completion of this essay is one of the elements used to assess the trainee’s readiness to embark on the clinical component of training.

Submission: the essay is submitted electronically to the Training Officer in the first week of May (exact date supplied by the Training Officer). The title page should identify whether the trainee is addressing the overall theme for the year or a particular seminar topic, and should include the trainee’s name, word count, and a confidentiality statement.

Confidentiality: where clinical material is used, it must be anonymised, with a statement on the front page confirming that all names and identifying information have been changed; the essay must be password protected.

Plagiarism: trainees must adhere to bpf plagiarism guidelines.

Referencing: the Harvard system of referencing must be used throughout, following the guidelines developed by Anglia Ruskin University.

Assessment Criteria

The essay is evaluated on its content (a focused selection of theory and clinical examples evidencing theoretical understanding), structure (a coherent theoretical argument backed by theoretical and clinical evidence, with all requirements such as referencing and confidentiality met), clarity (ideas and terms expressed and explained succinctly), and analysis (the ability to analyse and critique theoretical concepts and link them appropriately to clinical vignettes). The marksheet is available on Moodle for reference.

Essay Support & Outcome

A senior member of the BJAA provides an essay workshop, and it is recommended that trainees review their essay with their Training Tutor before submission. The essay is independently marked by two readers, who decide together whether it meets the required standard and make a recommendation to the Training Committee; if the readers disagree, a third reader will be asked to read and mark the essay. The mark sheet will contain guidance on resubmission if required.

Each year, trainees are required to write a self-reflective piece on their experience of that year, to be discussed with their Training Tutor. The aim is to reflect on the trainee’s development, setbacks, concerns and achievements over the past year. This is a mandatory but non-assessed piece of writing, intended to help the trainee identify personal areas of development that may need more attention, and to help the Training Committee support the trainee as they progress through training. It is not a vehicle for feedback on the training itself — other channels exist for that — but a piece of self-reflection on the trainee’s own development.

The Training Committee encourages every trainee to keep a private, non-mandatory reflective journal throughout the year, which may inform this piece. The piece is expected to be approximately 1,000 words, and trainees are free to approach it as they wish — for example, as a considered overview of the year, or by considering different aspects of training in turn (theoretical, clinical, training patient, supervision, support structures, etc.).

The piece is due ahead of the trainee’s end-of-summer-term meeting with their Training Tutor; this is a soft deadline determined by when the tutorial falls, with a recommended deadline of 30 June. Having read the piece, the Training Tutor will respond and share their response with the trainee; the reflective piece and the Tutor’s response are then shared with the Training Committee by the tutor and added to the trainee’s file by the Training Officer.

Numbers and Duration

Psychotherapy trainees are required to treat two training patients once weekly: one for at least eighteen months and one for at least twelve months. Analytic and MES trainees are required to treat two training patients three times weekly: one for at least twenty-four months and one for at least eighteen months, unless an MES offer letter specifies a different requirement.

Trainees may apply to take a first training patient from Year 2 at the earliest, subject to route-specific requirements and Training Committee approval; MES trainees may be eligible from the point of entry where this is specified in their offer letter. Readiness is developmental and varies by trainee — there is no automatic timeline. Sufficient placement experience is generally expected to include at least a year of placement work, which must include in-person work.

Permission for a First Training Patient

Before making a formal request, trainees must first initiate a conversation about readiness with their Training Tutor, who will advise whether the trainee appears ready to proceed. Trainees are also expected to discuss readiness with their Training Analyst or Approved Therapist as part of their reflective process, though the Training Committee will not itself contact the Training Analyst or Approved Therapist to confirm readiness. Responsibility for initiating and confirming readiness lies entirely with the trainee.

Before applying for permission, trainees must have appropriate professional indemnity (malpractice) insurance in place and suitable consulting room arrangements identified, discussed at an initial meeting with Clinical Services in Year 2 — Analytic and MES trainees consult Eleanor Mongey, and Psychotherapy trainees consult Caroline East. No application will be considered without confirmation of insurance and room arrangements. For Psychotherapy trainees, once permission is granted they are allocated to a supervision group; Analytic and MES trainees identify their own supervisor, from the list of approved BJAA training supervisors on Moodle, prior to requesting permission.

Trainees will also meet with Clinical Services to discuss the operation of the Low Fee Scheme and receive support in preparing to establish a private practice and engage with potential training patients — topics also introduced in Year 1’s Clinical Placement Seminars and potentially revisited in clinical seminar groups. A template letter for requesting permission to take a training patient is provided on Moodle.

Permission for a Second Training Patient

Trainees may apply to take a second training patient only once the first has been seen for at least six months, and the first six-monthly clinical report and supervisor/supervisee feedback forms have been submitted, discussed and accepted by the Training Committee. Before applying, trainees must discuss readiness with their current supervisor. As with the first patient, approval is not automatic and remains at the discretion of the Training Committee. A step-by-step procedure breakdown is available on Moodle.

Converting a Private Patient to a Training Patient

The Low Fee Scheme, part of bpf Clinical Services, processes referrals of those who may be suitable as training patients. Where Clinical Services has been unable to provide a reduced-fee training patient within a reasonable period, the BJAA Training Committee will consider an application for an existing private patient to be converted into a training patient, on an individual basis, taking into account the trainee’s previous experience of practice and current progress in training.

Trainees considering conversion should first discuss with their Training Tutor whether this is an appropriate move at their stage of training, and then discuss the patient with their nominated supervisor. If the supervisor agrees, the trainee writes a short report on the patient (approximately 1,000 words) covering the reasons and thinking behind the conversion, and sends a copy signed by the supervisor to the Chair of Training and the Training Tutor, together with a covering letter requesting permission. Only after Training Committee approval can the trainee speak to the patient; the patient then makes contact with Clinical Services directly, at which point the patient becomes the responsibility of the bpf and is assessed and agreed by a BJAA assessor through the Low Fee Scheme pathway. It is essential that the Low Fee Scheme Organiser is kept informed at all points in this process.

Patients Seen in Private Practice (Other Than Training Patients)

For trainees with no prior training in psychotherapy who wish to see a patient in private practice, the trainee must write to the Training Committee, via their Training Tutor, providing: who has referred the patient (patients should be assessed by someone qualified to assess suitability, such as a psychotherapist or psychoanalyst); who is providing medical cover; who is supervising the trainee (the supervisor must be approved by the Training Committee and must not be the supervisor for either of the trainee’s training patients); confirmation of malpractice insurance cover for the work; and a few sentences about the patient, with their identity disguised. The Training Committee responds, via the Training Tutor, giving its consent. The trainee must inform the Training Committee, via the Training Tutor, when the patient starts treatment and when treatment is terminated.

Consulting Room

Trainees should give careful consideration to providing a suitable consulting room for their training patients. If a suitable room in their own home is not available, consulting rooms for rent are sometimes advertised in the bpf Newsletter, and the Training Tutor may be able to provide further information. In exceptional circumstances, private consulting rooms at a trainee’s place of work may be considered by the Training Committee, provided training patients are seen outside ordinary working hours and the same regulations apply as for rooms in the trainee’s own home. Advice should be sought from the Training Tutor in the first instance.

The consulting room should be a separate, private, reasonably soundproof room set aside for the exclusive use of treating patients; where this is not possible, special care should be taken to keep personal possessions and photographs out of view. Privacy, stability and continuity should be maintained at all times, with adequate heating, lighting and ventilation, decor that is not too stimulating, two chairs placed at an angle to one another (not directly opposite), and a couch and tissues. The room should be quiet and free from interruption, and any telephone in the room should be silenced during sessions. There should be easy access to a toilet with the usual facilities, with personal items kept out of view in any combined bathroom, and cupboards and cabinets kept locked. A private, quiet, warm and reasonably comfortable waiting area should be provided where possible, with facilities for hanging coats, and trainees should ensure minimal contact between patients and family members or friends.

Notes and Records

For guidance on confidentiality, disclosure of notes, ethics, and the keeping of notes and records, trainees should consult the relevant policies and statements published by the British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC).

Medical Welfare

Medical responsibility for a patient’s welfare should be clearly established before treatment commences, normally by recording the GP’s name and address on the form completed by the patient, or at assessment. The situation should be discussed with the supervisor and/or Training Tutor to ensure good practice; as a professional courtesy, trainees are advised to notify the GP when treatment starts, unless doing so would not be in the patient’s best interest.

Insurance

Every practising bpf member must subscribe to malpractice insurance; some trainees may already hold professional liability insurance. Trainees who do not must take out professional liability insurance, arranged through their own broker or a suitable provider, before applying for permission to take a first training patient. Howden has worked with the British Psychoanalytic Council to develop insurance cover with reasonable premiums, including cover for people in training who may also have other patients or clients; trainees insured through another provider are responsible for ensuring their cover is adequate.

Clinical Responsibility

A written protocol outlining clinical responsibility must be in place, signed by the trainee, the Training Tutor, the supervisor and the bpf Clinical Services Coordinator at the outset of a trainee taking on a training case (available on Moodle). The signed form should be sent to the Training Officer, who will arrange the additional signatures and send the completed form to the trainee and Clinical Services for their records. When a trainee qualifies and registers with the BPC, clinical responsibility passes to the newly qualified therapist; a letter is available from the bpf Clinical Services Coordinator informing a training patient that their therapist has qualified, which newly qualified therapists should request and hand to the patient at an appropriate time.

Premature Termination of Therapy

The trainee must inform the Low Fee Scheme Organiser, the Training Tutor and the referrer as soon as it becomes apparent that a training patient has terminated therapy before the agreed time, whether or not this is with the agreement of the trainee and supervisor. Trainees are required to submit to the Chair of the Training Committee, the Low Fee Scheme Organiser, the Training Officer and the Training Tutor a written report, approved by the supervisor, summarising the therapy and giving the reasons for the premature ending; the supervisor will also produce a final report. Any queries regarding future therapy for the patient should be directed to the Low Fee Scheme Organiser — a trainee should not agree to take a Low Fee Scheme patient into private practice while in training. Once the termination report has been approved by the Training Committee, the Training Manager will inform the trainee, who can then contact the Low Fee Scheme Organiser to indicate they are ready to take on a new patient.

Treatment Beyond Qualification

Treatment of training patients continues until the therapy can be brought to a satisfactory conclusion. If, after qualification, the therapist has to discontinue therapy for any reason, it is their responsibility to ensure that the transfer to alternative treatment is carefully arranged.

Finding a Patient (Low Fee Scheme)

The bpf does not hold itself responsible for providing training patients, but the Low Fee Scheme has been set up to process referrals of those who may be suitable. Trainees are encouraged to explore sources of potential training patients for themselves, and to direct suitable enquirers and applicants to Clinical Services. It is essential that all training patients are assessed for trainees through the Low Fee Scheme. Leaflets on the Low Fee Scheme are available from the bpf; contact the Training Officer for more information.

Applicants for treatment who have already had contact with a trainee in another capacity would not be offered to that trainee, should they be accepted, but would instead be referred to another trainee, please see converting a private practice patient section for the exception. On receipt of the applicant’s completed questionnaire, the Low Fee Scheme Organiser will first arrange an assessment interview with an assessor for the scheme, and then refer the patient to a trainee if found suitable.

Patient Fees

Patients taken on under the Low Fee Scheme are expected to pay a fee in the range of £20-£50, paid directly to the trainee. The trainee negotiates the exact fee with the patient according to their circumstances, but it must remain within this range until the trainee becomes a Member of the bpf. A fee increase would ordinarily be discussed annually, or if the patient’s financial circumstances change during treatment.

Six-Monthly Reports

Six-monthly reports are an integral part of the written requirements of the course, helping trainees develop writing skills and the ability to conceptualise and communicate the therapeutic interaction in clinical terms. The reports form the basis for the Reading-In paper and enable the Training Committee to evaluate each trainee’s developing clinical understanding against the list of Competencies.

With the exception of the first report — which should also include a brief history (two pages maximum) — reports should be approximately 2,000 words, double-spaced, encouraging the selection of relevant material and economy in describing the main themes. Detailed interactions should be described with an emphasis on the transference and countertransference, archetypes, object relations and dreams, in an integrated form as the process unfolds, rather than under separate headings, with reference to areas of conflict and anxiety, defences, resistance, enactments, and interpretations and their purpose. Where theoretical concepts are used, the Harvard referencing system should be used.

Trainees submit a completed feedback form with the six-monthly report and discuss it with their supervisor; supervisors also submit a completed feedback form on their supervisee’s work (both forms available on Moodle). The supervisor sends their feedback to the trainee first; the trainee then submits the report, supervisor and supervisee feedback, and front sheet to the Training Officer, copying in the Training Tutor, Chair, clinical seminar leader, the Training Committee’s Clinical Services Lead, and the supervisor. Final copies should be double-spaced and headed ‘CONFIDENTIAL’, and sent password-protected to the supervisor, clinical seminar leader, Training Tutor, Chair of the Training Committee ([email protected]), the Training Committee’s Clinical Services Lead ([email protected]) and the Training Officer ([email protected]). All reports should be submitted within one month of the due date.

If the Training Committee is in any doubt about a report, a separate meeting may be arranged to convey concerns and allow an opportunity for improvement. Where the concern relates to presentation rather than content, separate tutorials may be arranged with the Training Tutor or another BJAA member, supporting the trainee’s writing development in preparation for the Reading-In process.

Final acceptance for membership depends on the approval of the trainee’s two supervisors, the writing of a final clinical Reading-In paper, and a successful Viva. The following guidelines, arising from questions raised by trainees and assessors, are offered to support consistency in the assessment process.

Application to Read-In

The Training Committee’s approval of a trainee’s application to Read-In can only take place once the clinical and written work requirements have been completed, and readiness has been discussed with the Training Tutor and supervisors against the list of Competencies. The trainee then writes a formal letter of application to the Training Committee via the Training Manager. Subject to the Training Committee receiving satisfactory reports from the supervisors and giving permission, the Training Tutor will let the trainee know they can proceed — the supervisors make a recommendation, but the final decision rests with the Training Committee.

The Reading-In Coordinator writes a formal letter to the trainee confirming which two assessors have been appointed for their Viva. The trainee has up to a maximum of six months to complete the Reading-In paper once permission has been granted, with three months as the minimum time normally expected; queries can be discussed with the Training Tutor. If the supervisors’ reports are not satisfactory, a discussion is held between the Chair of the Training Committee and the supervisors, and then at the Training Committee, which could result in a further period of work being recommended. Six-monthly reports should continue to be submitted on both training patients until the trainee qualifies.

Role of the Training Tutor

The trainee is responsible for producing the final draft of the Reading-In paper, first sent to the Training Committee; the Training Tutor can be available to guide and support in this. Following submission, the Training Tutor liaises with the Reading-In assessors and the trainee to arrange a date for the Viva, supports the trainee before and after it, and can attend as an observer if the trainee wishes. The Training Tutor will call the trainee to feed back within 24 hours of the Viva, and chairs the Reading-In Ceremony.

Role of Assessors

Once a final draft of the paper is agreed with the Training Tutor, the trainee sends password-protected copies simultaneously to both assessors, who acknowledge receipt. Any questions or concerns the assessors have about the paper are addressed at the Viva; if concerns are minimal, a small rewriting and resubmission may be requested, while more fundamental concerns may require a substantial rewriting. If concerns cannot be met through rewriting, the matter is referred back to the Training Committee.

Small and Substantial Rewrites

Small rewriting is requested when concerns are small and can be stated simply as a requirement, easily understood and corrected by the trainee — for example, additional evidence, small theoretical corrections, or alterations to specific paragraphs. Substantial rewriting is requested when the paper reveals an inadequate theoretical substructure, substantial errors in or inadequate theory, inadequate linking of theory and practice, or a lack of coherent structure.

Issues Addressable Within the Viva

Any serious issues of clinical concern raised by supervisors in their final reports will need to be addressed directly at the Viva. It is not considered appropriate to address, as part of the assessment procedure at the Viva, the trainee’s work with the training patient who is not the subject of the paper, or work with the patient since completion of the period covered by the paper.

Post-Viva & the Reading-In Ceremony

The Training Tutor phones the trainee as soon as possible after the Viva to talk through their experience of it; no clear decision on the outcome can be reached until the report has been received by the Training Committee. Once the Viva report has been accepted, the Chair of Training writes to the trainee recommending them for membership — this letter is sent to the bpf CEO, the Chair of the BJAA, the Members’ Services Manager, the Clinical Services Coordinator, the Training Tutor and both supervisors. A pack is then sent from Members’ Services containing a proforma and bpf Membership form, as well as a BPC form, which must be returned within a week of receipt for membership to be ratified at the next Board meeting.

Following approval, the trainee is free to invite colleagues and their supervisors to their Reading-In Ceremony at the bpf. Assessors do not attend the ceremony, which is chaired by the Training Tutor and is intended as both a confirmation and a celebration of the trainee’s achievement.

Routes Through the Viva

Where the Viva is successful, the sequence runs: Training Committee approval → BJAA Executive approval → Board approval → Reading-In Ceremony.

Where small rewriting is required, the rewritten paper is resubmitted to assessors within six weeks; if satisfactory, no further Viva is required and the same approval sequence follows (Training Committee → BJAA Executive → Board → Reading-In Ceremony). If unsatisfactory, a second rewriting and resubmission is requested, again within six weeks.

Where substantial rewriting is required, the rewritten paper is resubmitted to assessors within four months, followed by a second Viva. If satisfactory, the same approval sequence follows; if unsatisfactory, the trainee fails the Reading-In and the matter is referred to the procedures for trainees in difficulty.

If the Viva process or the assessment of the paper gives cause for concern and a rewrite is not seen as an option, the matter is referred to the Training Committee, and a meeting may be called between the supervisors, the two assessors, the clinical seminar leader and the Chair of the Training Committee. Their recommendation is presented at the next Training Committee meeting for a final decision, which rests with the Training Committee.

The Reading-In Paper: Aim

The paper should describe the work with one training case, illustrating both the development of the trainee’s clinical skills and their ability to integrate theoretical understanding with clinical work. It should express and argue a point of view in a lively, lucid written form, bringing the work and the patient alive, and should include illustrative vignettes, with the patient appropriately disguised. The paper should be no more than 7,000 words, chronological or theme-based, double-spaced on A4 pages, referenced according to the Harvard system, and spirally bound with a clear cover. The supervisor should be named on the title page, along with the title, the trainee’s name and the word count. It should be able to be read aloud comfortably in approximately 50 minutes, and care should be taken to avoid plagiarism.

The Reading-In Paper: Objectives

The paper should demonstrate the trainee’s skills as they relate to the membership competencies: awareness of and use of self; capacity to maintain an analytic attitude; ability to build and maintain a therapeutic alliance; managing the analytic frame and boundaries; working with transference and countertransference; working with early states; using psychodynamic techniques; working with dreams and symbols; applying theory within a Jungian framework; and maintaining an ethical awareness.

It should further demonstrate the ability to express and argue a point of view at a level appropriate to postgraduate qualification, with clear and critical understanding of different theoretical positions, and communicate an understanding that the Jungian psychotherapeutic relationship is one of mutual transformation, giving reasons for the trainee’s chosen theoretical orientation. The paper should also demonstrate awareness of the impact of the external world and engagement with contemporary thinking; awareness that there may be other ways of understanding the work, including other Jungian and psychoanalytic theories; the ability to acknowledge mistakes and muddles; the ability to move freely between participation in, and reflection upon, the therapeutic process; and attention to areas of conflict or anxiety, defences and resistances, object relations, and archetypal material and dreams where possible, evidencing appropriate selection and application of theoretical texts.

The Viva

Trainees should be able to demonstrate their ability to communicate orally about their clinical work, to reflect upon it within the Viva, and to respond to questions asked, convincing the assessors that they have been fully responsible for formulating the theoretical basis and written presentation of the paper.

• Termly Tutorials: Each trainee is allocated a Training Tutor who acts as the main point of contact and supports the trainee throughout their training. Mandatory meetings take place once each term and provide opportunities to review progress, discuss concerns, consider professional development, and reflect on training experiences. The Training Tutor reviews training progress and seminar feedback and reports to the Training Committee on the trainee’s development.
• Clinical Seminar Leader Reports: Clinical Placement and Clinical Seminar leaders provide feedback twice a year on the trainee.
• Supervisor Reports: Clinical supervisors submit reports on the trainee’s clinical work twice a year using the supervisor feedback form accompanying the six monthly report. Additional reports are required prior to a trainee beginning work with a second training patient, and again when a trainee is approaching qualification.
• Written Work: Throughout the course, trainees submit six-monthly reports on each of their training patients. These are reviewed by a panel including supervisors, tutors, and seminar leaders. The Infant Observation paper and a final clinical paper—each assessed respectively by the Committee and an appointed member—form key milestones in academic evaluation. The First Year Essay (where applicable) is assessed for theoretical understanding and to introduce trainees to the writing style required for when they begin six monthly reports.
• Annual Reflective Piece: Trainees are required to submit an annual reflective piece throughout the training. This written reflection is discussed during the final term meeting with the Training Tutor, who provides a written response. The reflective piece encourages self-assessment, reflective capacity, and consideration of professional development over the previous training year.

All assignments must be submitted in accordance with the prescribed deadlines and formatting requirements set forth by the programme. Trainees are expected to consult their Personal Tutors for guidance on academic standards and submission protocols, and completed work should be submitted electronically via the designated platform, with all relevant documentation included.

The Training Committee oversees this process, ensuring compliance with institutional standards, while the Training Officer is responsible for confirming receipt and addressing any administrative queries. Late submissions or requests for extensions should be communicated promptly to both the Personal Tutor and Training Officer for consideration by the Training Committee. All submission procedures are outlined on Moodle under the respective headings.

Progression and Review

The Training Committee reviews trainee progress at key points throughout training.

Examples include:

• Approval to take a first training patient.
• Approval to take a second training patient.
• Review of six-monthly reports and supervisory feedback.
• Consideration of readiness for Reading-In.
• Final recommendation for qualification and membership.

Where concerns arise, additional meetings, support, monitoring arrangements, or remedial actions may be implemented to support the trainee’s development and maintain training standards

Failure to meet the rigorous requirements of the training at any point may result in the Training Committee, with reference to all available reports and following meetings with the trainee, exercising its right to terminate the training prior to or at the point of qualification.

Final acceptance for membership is dependent on the approval of the trainee’s two supervisors, the writing of a final clinical Reading-In paper, and a successful Viva. While the supervisors make a recommendation, the final decision rests with the Training Committee. In order to prepare a Reading-In paper, the trainee must have the approval, in the form of a full written report, from each of the two supervisors of their two training patients.

Trainee Representatives

Trainees nominate one member of their cohort to act as trainee representative. There is one representative for the Platform Year, one for Rolling Psychotherapy, and one for Rolling Analytic and one for the IPCAPA trainees joining the BJAA theory programme. Representatives are appointed for one year, from December to December; once a representative has been nominated, the cohort should inform the Training Officer, who can also provide cohort names or contact details where required.

Trainee representatives liaise with the Training Committee and attend one Training Committee meeting during the year, allocated a specific agenda slot; Training Committee meetings take place online on Wednesdays from 8.00pm. Representatives act as the link between their cohort and the Training Committee, gathering feedback from their group, organising it under clear headings, and sending it to the Training Officer one week before the relevant meeting so it can be circulated with the committee papers. The Training Officer provides the meeting date with sufficient notice.

Complaints and Formal Concerns

Where trainees wish to raise concerns that cannot be addressed through routine feedback channels, formal procedures are available through the BJAA Trainee Complaints Procedures, the bpf Complaints Procedure, and the Academic Appeals Policy. These procedures ensure that concerns are considered fairly, transparently, and in accordance with institutional policy.

Termly Feedback

Feedback on seminars and training activities is collected termly via Microsoft Forms to collect feedback anonymously from trainees.

Training Tutor Meetings

The Training Tutor serves as the trainee’s principal point of contact throughout training and acts as a link between trainees and the Training Committee. Termly tutorial meetings provide opportunities for trainees to discuss their experience of the training, raise concerns, provide feedback on training delivery, and identify any support needs. Tutors review training progress and seminar feedback and may communicate themes and concerns to the Training Committee where appropriate.

Reflective Groups

Trainees participate in Reflective Groups following theory seminar days. These groups provide a confidential space in which trainees can reflect on learning experiences, consider the impact of teaching, and discuss issues arising from the training experience. Although individual trainee feedback is not routinely reported to the Training Committee, the Reflective Group facilitator may communicate issues to the Committee where trainees request that particular concerns or themes be raised.

Responding to Feedback

Feedback gathered through tutorial meetings, trainee representative meetings, reflective groups, seminar evaluations, annual reflections, and supervisory processes is considered by the Training Committee as part of its responsibility for monitoring and developing training provision.