This unique four-year programme is a clinical training and leads to a Clinical Qualification in Couple Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy.
It is available as an MA in Couple Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, University of London award offered by Birkbeck College, University of London (subject to final approval in May 2023).
Send us an email on
Date: October 2023
Course length: Full training 4 years, Advanced Standing minimum of 2 years
Fees: £7,395 per year (which may be subject to annual increase). Cost of personal analysis where this is part of the entry requirement.
For details of bursaries, government loans and monthly fee payments, please see our Counselling & Psychotherapy Courses page, contact our training team via email or use the form at the foot of this page.
How to apply: You apply directly to Birkbeck for this course, using the online application link.
https://www.bbk.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/couple-psychoanalytic-psychotherapy
Location & Timing: One half day per week in person teaching at our premises in central London, close to Liverpool Street station, during standard academic term time.
Course code: CT1
Teaching and supervision is provided by senior staff. All our trainings and supervisions are delivered by highly experienced staff at Tavistock Relationships.
This unique four-year programme is a clinical training and Clinical Qualification in Couple Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy.
This training provides a comprehensive understanding of psychoanalytic theory and techniques as they relate to the adult couple relationship and builds on and deepens the student's existing clinical experience. Clinical work with couples is provided through the Tavistock Relationships' clinical service, some of which is in co-therapy with experienced psychoanalytic couple therapists.
This is the only couple psychoanalytic psychotherapy training that leads to professional membership of the psychoanalytic section of the British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC).
The course is accredited by the British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC)
Students are able to develop their clinical skills through weekly individual supervision provided by senior clinical staff and through weekly clinical seminars. Theoretical seminars on key psychoanalytic concepts and psychoanalytic couple concepts, including narcissistic relating, shared unconscious phantasies and beliefs and the couple state of mind, are explored.
The course also covers research methodologies and critical couple relationship issues such as first babies, infertility, divorce, separation and sexuality.
The course involves:
Four core academic modules in skills, psychoanalytic thought, couple theory 1 & 2
Three core professional modules in clinical technique, essentials and research
Infant Observation Seminars
Weekly supervision of clinical work, a minimum of 6 long-term cases (modified for advanced standing students), 6-10 assessments and weekly clinical seminars while undertaking clinical work until qualification
Written work and support from a personal tutor throughout the course
A requirement of the course is that all students undertake personal psychoanalytic psychotherapy of at least 3 times a week usually commencing at least 1 year before starting the course. This requirement may be modified for entrants with Advanced Standing.
Suitable for people who have had several years of post-qualifying experience in a helping profession such as counselling, psychology, social work or psychiatry.
We also have a popular two-year advanced standing programme for qualified psychoanalytic psychotherapists (child, adult or group). Please see the Advanced Standing tab for more details.
DVD recorded session & process recording, case studies
Couple theory paper, seminar review paper, infant observation summary/paper
A qualifying dissertation and couple assessment report.
Ongoing assessment by supervisors, seminar leaders, co-therapist and tutors
Exemptions may apply for APEL’d components.
Our advanced standing programme will be of interest to child, adult or group psychoanalytic psychotherapists who now wish to extend their clinical practice to the couple. Applicants for advanced standing will be expected to have met the normal requirements for 5 years of 3 x week individual psychoanalytic psychotherapy with a BPC psychoanalytic therapist or analyst, undertaken in the context of training. In the case of group analysts, the requirement may be reduced depending on the amount of group analytic and individual psychoanalytic psychotherapy previously undertaken.
The course involves:
Seminars in Couple Theory
Infant Observation Seminars and Psychiatric Placement
Weekly individual supervision, a minimum of 4 long-term cases and weekly clinical seminars when undertaking clinical work
Co-therapy with experienced couple psychoanalytic psychotherapists
Personal psychoanalytic psychotherapy of at least 3 times a week (unless recently completed an analysis)
Support from a personal tutor throughout the course
The course also covers research methodologies and critical couple relationship issues such as first babies, infertility, divorce, separation and sexuality.
Couple theory paper, oral presentation, infant observation summary/paper
A qualifying dissertation and couple assessment report
Ongoing assessment by supervisors, seminar leaders, co-therapist and tutors
Exemptions may apply for APL’d components.
For further information contact:
Our New Street site allows for flat level entry into the building. The building is DDA Compliant (no longer in effect and now forms part of the equality Act (EA)) and does meet the minimum requirements for wheelchair access. The floors used for training are accessible for both manual and electronic powered wheelchairs. A platform lift with a wheelchair protective barrier is installed for single use and a lift that will accommodate one wheelchair user without an accompanying person.
Note: Please make sure to select the correct course from the 'Range of Courses' dropdown menu in the form below.
Andrew Balfour is a psychoanalytic psychotherapist trained to work with couples and individuals and is also qualified as a clinical psychologist. He has many years’ experience of working psychotherapeutically with couples, developing new projects and conducting research. He has published many papers in the field and has taught and lectured widely both in Britain and abroad. Andrew was appointed CEO in May 2016.
10 New Street, London, UK, EC2M 4TP - Tel: 020 7380 1975
Registered Charity Number: 211058. Tavistock Institute of Medical Psychology.
Company number: 241618.
10 New Street, London EC2M 4TP
Tel: 020 7380 1975
Registered Charity Number: 211058. Tavistock Institute of Medical Psychology. Company number: 241618.