License Requirements for Psychoanalysts

The practice of Psychoanalysis or use of the title "Licensed Psychoanalyst" or the title "Psychoanalyst" or any derivative thereof within New York State requires licensure as a Psychoanalyst, unless otherwise exempt under the law.

To qualify for a license as a "Licensed Psychoanalyst" in New York State you must:

• be of good moral character;
• be at least 21 years of age;
• meet education requirements;
• meet experience requirements;
• meet examination requirements; and
• complete coursework or training in the identification and reporting of child abuse offered by a New York State approved provider;

You must file an Application for Licensure (Form 1) and the other forms indicated, along with the appropriate fee, to the Office of the Professions at the address specified on each form. It is your responsibility to follow up with anyone you have asked to send us material.

The specific requirements for licensure are contained in Title 8, Article 163, Section 8405 of the NYS Education Law and Section 52.35 and Subpart 79-12 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education.

You should also read the general licensing information applicable for all professions.

If you are or have been licensed/certified in another jurisdiction(s), you must request the licensing authority of the jurisdiction(s) to provide verification of your licensure/certification on a Verification of Other Professional Licensure/Certification (Form 3). The Form 3 will be reviewed to determine if you have prior disciplinary history which may constitute a question of moral character for the license or limited permit.

Licensure by Endorsement

An applicant seeking endorsement of a license in Psychoanalysis issued by another jurisdiction must present evidence of having completed 5 years of licensed practice in the 10 years prior to applying for licensure in New York State. You must have been licensed in the other jurisdiction by meeting the following requirements:

• being at least 21 years of age;
• holding a graduate degree in Psychoanalysis or a related field that at the time of completion qualified you for licensure as a Psychoanalyst in another jurisdiction;
• completing supervised experience in Psychoanalysis and psychotherapy that qualified you for initial licensure in the other jurisdiction; and
• passing an examination acceptable to the New York State Education Department for the practice of Psychoanalysis.

You must be of good moral character, as determined by the Department, and complete the required course work in the identification and reporting of child abuse or the exemption from such course work, as required in Section 6507(3) of the Education Law.

If you cannot certify 5 years of acceptable post-licensure experience in the 10 years prior to applying for a New York State license, you are not eligible for licensure by endorsement and must apply as an applicant for initial licensure. If your initial license in Psychoanalysis was issued by a jurisdiction that does not have significantly comparable licensure required to New York State, you will need to submit all of the documentation required of an applicant for initial licensure so that the Education Department can determine whether your personal qualifications are substantially similar to New York State’s licensure requirements.

To apply for licensure by endorsement you must submit:

• an Application for Licensure (Form 1) along with the $371 fee; and
• a Certification of Psychoanalytical Study (Form 2); and
• a Certification of Graduate Study (Form 2A); and
• verification of your licensure status from the jurisdiction in which you were initially licensed, and if it is different, from any other jurisdiction in which you are or have been licensed. Each licensing authority must complete and submit a Verification of Other Professional Licensure/Certification (Form 3); and
• an Endorsement Applicant Experience Record (Form 4E); and
• a Certification of Licensed Experience (Form 4F) completed and submitted by the licensed colleague who is attesting to your 5 years of post-licensure experience within the last 10 years.

In addition, you must have CASTLE Worldwide, Inc. submit your examination scores to the Department.

To meet the education requirement for licensure as a psychoanalyst, you must present evidence of completion of the following.

Graduate Study

A master's or higher degree from a program in any field that is registered by the Department or substantially equivalent as determined by the Department.

AND

Psychoanalytic Study

Completion of a program in psychoanalysis that is:

• registered by the Department as licensure qualifying;
• accredited by the American Board for Accreditation in Psychoanalysis (ABAP) or another acceptable accrediting agency; or
• determined by the Department to be the substantial equivalent of such a registered or accredited program.

A program located outside the United States and its territories may be used to satisfy the psychoanalytic study requirement if it:

• prepares individuals for the professional practice of psychoanalysis; and
• is recognized by the appropriate civil authorities of that jurisdiction; and
• can be appropriately verified; and
• is determined by the Department to be the substantial equivalent of an acceptable registered licensure qualifying or accredited program.

The Department will individually evaluate an applicant who has completed a program other than one registered as licensure qualifying or accredited by ABAP. The results of the evaluation will indicate the additional graduate level course work and/or supervised practicum/internship that must be completed to remedy educational deficiencies. An applicant is not eligible for a limited permit or the examination until the education requirements have been satisfied, in the determination of the Department.

Substantial Equivalence for Psychoanalytic Study

To be considered substantially equivalent, your course of study must have been taken at an acceptable psychoanalytic institute or degree granting college and must have included coursework substantially equivalent to coursework required in a master's or higher degree program in a health or mental health field of study. The study must have included at least 1,350 clock hours of study distributed as follows:

• coursework - at least 405 clock hours of classroom instruction including at least 45 clock hours in each of the following areas:
  1. personality development;
  2. psychoanalytic theory of psychopathology;
  3. psychoanalytic theory of psychodiagnosis;
  4. sociocultural influence on growth and psychopathology;
  5. practice technique (including dreams and symbolic processes);
  6. analysis of resistance, transference, and countertransference;
  7. case seminars on clinical practice;
  8. practice in psychopathology and psychodiagnosis; and
  9. professional ethics and psychoanalytic research methodology;
• personal psychoanalysis - at least 300 clock hours of personal psychoanalysis;
• supervised analysis - at least 150 clock hours of supervised analysis of the student's psychoanalytic cases as follows:
  1. 50 clock hours of individual supervision with one supervisor working on one case; and
  2. at least 100 clock hours of individual supervision with another supervisor working on one or more additional cases; and
• clinical experience - at least 300 clock hours of supervised clinical experience in the practice of psychoanalysis (see Experience Requirements section for additional information regarding requirements for supervised clinical experience).

Evidence of receipt of your graduate degree must be presented on a Certification of Graduate Study (Form 2A) and evidence of receipt of your certificate of completion of psychoanalytic study must be presented on a Certification of Psychoanalytic Study (Form 2). These forms must be submitted directly to the Office of the Professions by the school or institute where you obtained your degree/certificate. In most cases, an official transcript is also needed.

A degree or advanced certificate in counseling, psychology, social work or a related field does not meet the education requirements for psychoanalysis. An applicant with a degree in another field must be individually evaluated to determine what additional graduate coursework, including supervised internship/practicum, must be completed to constitute an equivalent program.

The State Education Department must conduct an individual transcript evaluation of an applicant for licensure as a Psychoanalyst who graduated from a program that, at the time of graduation, was not an advanced certificate of at least 1,350 clock hours distributed in accordance with the Commissioner’s Regulations that was either:

• Registered by the State Education Department as leading to licensure in Psychoanalysis; or
• Accredited by the American Board for Accreditation in Psychoanalysis (ABAP) under its 2002 Standards.

In addition to the professional education requirement, every applicant for Psychoanalysis licensure or a limited permit must complete coursework or training in the identification and reporting of child abuse in accordance with Section 6507(3)(a) of the Education Law. See additional information and a list of approved providers for this training.

Please note: New York State candidates for the Psychoanalyst licensing examination must have completed their graduate program and received the graduate degree as a condition for admission to the examination. Applicants for licensure will not be approved to take the examination prior to receipt of the graduate degree.

To meet the examination requirements for licensure as a Psychoanalyst in New York State, you must pass the New York State Case Narrative Examination administered by CASTLE Worldwide, Inc.

New York does not accept examinations in other professions (e.g., professional counseling, social work, or psychology) as meeting the examination requirement in Psychoanalysis.

Before being admitted to an examination for New York State licensure, you must:

1. Submit an Application for Licensure (Form 1) and fee ($371) to the New York State Education Department.
2. Ask your schools to verify your education directly to the Department on the Certification of Professional Education form (Form 2) and the Certification of Graduate Study form (Form 2A).
3. Receive notification of approval of your education and all application materials from the Department. (We will notify you and the examination administrators when you have satisfied the examination eligibility requirements.)
4. Register directly with the examination administrator to take the examination after being notified of your eligibility by contacting them at:

   Scantron Assessment
   Attn: NY Exams
   P.O. Box 570
   Morrisville, NC 27560
   Phone: 800-655-4845 or 919-572-6880
   E-mail: candidatesupport@scantron.com
   Web: www.scantron.com/programs/new-york-state-department-of-education-psychoanalysis/

The New York State Case Narrative Examination consists of submission of two case narratives that describe the assessment and treatment of separate clients. This will allow you to demonstrate a basic level of competence in applying the knowledge and skills necessary to practice Psychoanalysis in New York State. You will be able to select your own cases in advance, but you will write the case narratives in a supervised, secure test center. Each narrative will be reviewed and scored by the State Board or its designees to determine the thoroughness and appropriateness of your interactions with and your therapeutic approach to the treatment of a client. Additional information regarding this examination is available in the New York State Psychoanalyst Case Narrative Licensing Examination Packet.

NOTE: New York State will not accept an examination given under non-standard conditions except per the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act. An example of such non-standard conditions includes the use of a dictionary or extra time for applicants whose primary language is other than English. If a candidate passed an examination under non-standard conditions for another jurisdiction, that candidate may be required to retake an examination under standard conditions.

Reasonable Testing Accommodations

If you have a disability and may require reasonable testing accommodations for the examination, you must complete and submit a  Request for Reasonable Testing Accommodations form ( 40 KB). You must mail the Request for Reasonable Testing Accommodations form to the address printed on that form, along with the required documentation. You will be notified in writing as to whether or not your request for accommodations has been approved. If your request is approved, it will be valid for 1 year from the date of the approval notification. A copy of your accommodation approval must be attached to your CASTLE examination registration form. You may not test until your request for accommodations has been processed by the Department. If you schedule a test before your request for accommodations has been processed, you may lose any fee paid to the examination administrator. Please be sure to check the box in item 8 of your Application for Licensure (Form 1) if you are requesting accommodations.

To meet the experience requirement for licensure as a Psychoanalyst, you must complete at least 1,500 contact hours of supervised experience in the practice of Psychoanalysis. The experience may only be completed under a limited permit issued by the Department or as part of the licensure qualifying education program, for experience in New York; experience completed in other jurisdictions must be completed legally in accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction. You and your supervisor must submit documentation of completion of a supervised experience of at least 1,500 clock hours providing Psychoanalysis in a setting acceptable to the Department. Supervised experience obtained in the education program required for licensure as a psychoanalyst may meet all or part of this requirement but must be documented by the supervisor on Form 4B.

The practice of psychoanalysis is defined as:

• the observation, description, evaluation, and interpretation of dynamic unconscious mental processes that contribute to the formation of personality and behavior in order to identify and resolve unconscious psychic problems which affect interpersonal relationships and emotional development, to facilitate changes in personality and behavior through the use of verbal and nonverbal cognitive and emotional communication, and to develop adaptive functioning; and
• the use of assessment instruments and mental health counseling and psychotherapy to identify, evaluate and treat dysfunctions and disorders for purposes of providing appropriate psychoanalytic services.

Not less than 750 clock hours of such required experience, or one-half of the hours in any setting, must consist of direct contact with clients. The remaining experience may consist of other activities that do not involve direct client contact, including but not limited to, supervision, personal analysis and professional development. It is not acceptable to complete direct and indirect activities in different settings under different supervisors and attempt to combine these hours to meet the experience requirement.

Experience for licensure must be completed in a legal manner, under a qualified supervisor in a setting that is authorized to provide professional services. Hour calculations are based on a typical 40-45 hour work week to ensure that the applicant meeting the experience requirement obtains the appropriate supervision, client contact, and supervisor feedback in an educationally sound manner. Obtaining experience in an unreasonable amount of time is not acceptable as it compromises the learning process. In New York State, the experience must be under a limited permit issued by the Department for a specific setting under a qualified supervisor (see below). Experience in other jurisdictions will be evaluated to determined if the equivalent requirements have been satisfied in a legal manner.

You must apply for a license and have your education approved to be eligible for a limited permit. For additional information about limited permits, see the Limited Permits Section.

To be acceptable to the Department, your supervised experience in New York State must meet the following supervision and setting requirements.

Supervision of Experience

Your supervisor must be licensed and registered in New York State to practice Psychoanalysis, medicine, as a physician assistant, psychology, licensed clinical social work, or as a registered professional nurse or nurse practitioner and competent in the practice of Psychoanalysis, or must have the equivalent qualifications as determined by the Department for experience completed in another jurisdiction.

You must obtain experience for licensure while under the general supervision of a qualified supervisor. General supervision means that a qualified supervisor is available for consultation, assessment and evaluation when professional services are being rendered by an applicant and the supervisor exercises the degree of supervision appropriate to the circumstances.

The supervisor must provide at least one hour per week or four hours per month of in-person individual or group supervision where the supervisor:

• reviews your assessment, evaluation and treatment of each client under his or her general supervision; and
• provides oversight, guidance and direction to you in developing skills as a Psychoanalyst.

In addition, the supervisor is responsible for appropriate oversight of all services provided by a limited permit holder under his or her general supervision. No supervisor can supervise more than five limited permit holders at one time.

All supervised experience must be verified by your supervisor(s) using a Certification of Supervised Experience (Form 4B). Acceptable verification should include an attestation by the actual supervisor. In cases where such attestation is not available, the Department may accept an attestation of the duration and frequency of the supervised experience and the qualifications of the supervisor submitted by a licensed colleague.

Setting for Experience

The setting where the experience is obtained must be a location where legally authorized individuals provide services that constitute the practice of Psychoanalysis, as defined in Education Law, and must be responsible for the services provided by individuals gaining experience for licensure. The setting cannot be a private practice owned or operated by the applicant. If the experience is completed in a setting other than the permit setting, you must submit an operating certificate or certificate of incorporation that indicates the entity is authorized to employ licensed professionals and provide services that are restricted under Title VIII of the Education Law.

An acceptable setting is defined in the Commissioner’s Regulations as:

1. a professional corporation, registered limited liability partnership, or professional service limited liability company authorized to provide services that are within the scope of practice of Psychoanalysis;
2. a sole proprietorship owned by a licensee who provide services that are within the scope of his or her profession and services that are within the scope of practice of Psychoanalysis;
3. a professional partnership owned by licensees who provide services that are within scope of practice of Psychoanalysis;
4. a hospital or clinic authorized under Article 28 of the Public Health Law to provide services that are within the scope of practice of Psychoanalysis;
5. a program or facility authorized under the Mental Hygiene Law to provide services that are within the scope of practice of Psychoanalysis;
6. a program or facility authorized under Federal Law to provide services that are within the scope of practice of Psychoanalysis;
7. an entity defined as exempt from the licensing requirements or otherwise authorized under New York State law or the laws of the jurisdiction in which the entity is located to provide services that are within the scope of practice of Psychoanalysis.

The setting where the experience is gained is responsible for the services provided by individuals gaining experience for licensure. The setting is also responsible for providing adequate supervision to such individuals and for assigning a qualified supervisor, as defined in this section, to individuals gaining experience for licensure.

The fee for licensure and first registration is $371.

The fee for a limited permit is $70 (the limited permit fee is not refundable).

Fees are subject to change. The fee due is the one in law when your application is received (unless fees are increased retroactively). You will be billed for the difference if fees have been increased.

• Do not send cash.
• If you apply for licensure electronically using the online Application for Licensure, you will be required to pay by credit card.
• Other payments must be made by personal check or money order payable to the New York State Education Department. Your cancelled check is your receipt.
• Mail any required forms and fees to the indicated address on the form.

NOTE: Payment submitted from outside the United States should be made by check or draft on a United States bank and in United States currency; payments submitted in any other form will not be accepted and will be returned.

A limited permit allows an individual who has submitted an Application for Licensure (Form 1) and who, in the determination of the Department, has satisfied all the requirements for licensure as a Psychoanalyst except the examination and/or experience requirements to practice Psychoanalysis under the appropriate supervision while meeting the requirements.

Limited permits are only issued for specific practice sites in New York State under a qualified supervisor acceptable to the Department. The setting must be authorized to employ licensed professionals and provide services that are restricted under Title VIII of the Education Law. Appropriate supervision and allowable practice sites are the same as those for the experience requirements specified above. Effective January 1, 2006, one must be licensed or otherwise authorized to practice Psychoanalysis or supervise a permit holder.

The limited permit is valid for a period of two years. The permit may be extended for up to two additional one-year periods at the discretion of the Department if the Department determines that the permit holder has made good faith efforts to successfully complete the examination and/or experience requirement but has not passed the licensing examination or completed the experience requirement, or has other good cause as determined by the Department for not completing the examination and/or experience requirement. To request an extension of your limited permit, you must submit a new Application for Limited Permit (Form 5) and a fee of $70 along with a justification for the extension.

You may apply for a limited permit by submitting the Application for Limited Permit (Form 5) and fee of $70 at the same time or any time after you submit your Application for Licensure (Form 1), licensure fee of $371, and evidence of satisfactory education using a Certification of Psychoanalytic Study (Form 2) and evidence of a Masters or higher degree acceptable to the Department using a Certification of Graduate Study (Form 2A). Practice without a permit is not allowed and any experience obtained without a limited permit may not be acceptable for licensure. You may not practice until the limited permit is issued by the Department.

When you are leaving employment, for maternity leave or other reason, your employer must return the permit to the State Board office immediately with an explanation as to why the permit is being returned. We will void the permit at that time and "clock will stop". You will have the remaining time available for a future permit. If you are not returning to the setting, your supervisor should submit verification of experience on a Certification of Supervised Experience (Form 4B). When you return to work at that setting or another, you would submit a new permit application for review and approval by the Department. The subsequent permit would be issued for the remainder of the valid period.

Individuals who withdraw their licensure application may be entitled to a partial refund.

• For the procedure to withdraw your application, contact the Psychoanalysis Unit by e-mailing opunit5@nysed.gov or by calling 518-474-3817 ext. 592 or by faxing 518-402-2323.
• The State Education Department is not responsible for any fees paid to an outside testing or credentials verification agency.

If you withdraw your application, obtain a refund, and then decide to seek New York State licensure at a later date, you will be considered a new applicant, and you will be required to pay the application fee and meet the licensure requirements in place at the time you reapply.

You may print and keep this checklist as a reminder of what forms you need to file. This is for your reference and should not be submitted with your application forms. You should also keep a copy of all application forms submitted.