cmps training program
Course Descriptions
PT 7 Individual Psychoanalysis An approved training analysis is required of all candidates during their enrollment in the CMPS training program. (See graduation requirements.) Documentation of analytic hours must be provided annually.
Download PT 7/ PT 8 Statement of Training Analysis form 
PT 8 Group Analysis Sessions of an approved group
therapy analysis may be applied
toward requirements for graduation.
GT 190 Group Experience in Modern
Psychoanalysis (30 clock hours
credited as PT 8, Group Analysis) Through participation in a two semester
experiential group,
beginning students explore multiple
transferences, the use of the group in
recognizing individual repetitions,
and the techniques that apply to
group leadership and group
membership.
GT 190 Advisement Orientation
Group This is a one-year experience
to orient students with each other and
the learning process at CMPS.
The class provides students the
opportunity to consider and discuss
all aspects of their training.
(Recommended for the first two
semesters of training.)
I. THEORIES OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT: THE MATURATION PROCESS
This group of courses offers students
an opportunity to learn how
repetition unfolds in psychoanalysis.
Maturation courses investigate
knowledge of normal and
pathological development, as well as
theories of regression, and relate cases
to stages in the developmental
process. Neurophysiological sequences are related to the
vicissitudes of instinctual life as they
affect emotional development.
PT 140 Socio-Cultural Influences on
Maturation and Psychopathology
(45 clock hours) This course explores the effect of the
social world on the individual.
It examines how socio-cultural
experiences and affiliations shape
personality and the effect that family,
ethnic group, gender, culture, and
race have on identity development
and psychopathology are examined.
In addition to the class work, there is
a weekly lab component in a setting
chosen by the student.
PT 141 and PT 142 required for Certificate Candidacy.
PT 141 Human Development: How
the Mind Unfolds, Semester 1
(30 clock hours) This course explains
the constitutional and environmental
factors that contribute to maturation
in the first stage of life. It considers
patterns of infantile experience from
the earliest conflict states, symbiosis,
omnipotence, envy, and oral/anal
eroticism. Aspects of character
structure emanating from the
preverbal infantile experience with
an exploration of destructive and
constructive drives are examined
in order to study normal and
pathological development.
PT 142 Human Development: How
the Mind Unfolds Semester 2
(30 clock hours) The emotional
dynamics of the child in the oedipal
stage are paramount to development.
Children in this age group struggle
with beginning transformations of
the destructive drive and its influence
on character, including oppositional
syndromes and other defenses that
develop to deal with aggressive
impulses. The course examines early
somatization struggles as well as the
role of fantasy and screen memories
in maturation. It looks at specific
forms of the Oedipus complex within
the family romance.
Two of the following three courses
are required for graduation:
PT 143 Latency (30 clock hours) This course focuses on the operation
of the drives during latency through
adolescence to early adulthood.
It includes normal and abnormal
patterns, reorganization of the
psychic structure during puberty,
and use of regression.
The maturational process is studied
as it unfolds in the development
of an individual body and mind.
PT 144 Adolescence (30 clock hours) In adolescence, the struggle toward
maturation causes psychic turmoil.
The goal is to study maturation as it
unfolds in the development of an
individual’s body and mind, to
explore adolescent drive issues,
conflicts, and resolution, and to
understand the second reworking of
early issues within the framework of
greater biological maturity.
As unresolved early childhood
conflicts reemerge, resistances to
adulthood can lead to various social
and psychological problems. The
course explores adolescent conflicts,
difficulties with object relations, and
possible solutions to the conflicts and
difficulties.
PT 147 Adulthood (30 clock hours) This course identifies the central
developmental tasks and inherent
conflicts typical of adulthood. Young
adults struggle with pregenital and
genital aims, including the repetition
of incestuous longings and the fear
of intimacy. Middle-aged and older
adults face new realities: limitations
of possibility, physical and sexual
changes, menopause, the departure
of children, marital readjustments,
and the awareness of death.
Also examined are early conflicts that
re-emerge in the aging process and
transference/countertransference and
resistance issues in the treatment of
aging patients.
II. PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY
This area of study gives students a
broad foundation in classical and contemporary
theories of psychoanalysis.
Four courses required for Certificate
Candidacy.
PT 150 Concepts of Group
Psychoanalysis (Elective) (30 clock
hours) This course considers the
phenomenology of the setting, the
handling of resistances, and the role
of management of impulses in group
interactions as they pertain to the
modern psychoanalytic treatment of
groups, families, and couples.
151a Basic Psychoanalytic Theory:
Part I (30 clock hours) Core psychoanalytic concepts are
defined, as are the central issues on
which psychoanalysts have found a
common base. Changes in structure
from preverbal to verbal periods of
life are studied; the expression of
drives, their role in character
development, and the implications
of the pleasure principle and the
repetition compulsion for behavior
are considered.
PT 151b Basic Psychoanalytic
Theory: Part II (30 clock hours) This course continues the study of
major theoretical concepts in
psychoanalysis, focusing on human
motivation, the nature of mind, and
the important forces in character
development. Emphasis is on the
interplay of the drives in specific
character types and its implications
for the psychoanalytic process and
the nature of cure.
PT 152 Structural Theory: Madness
in Literature. (30 clock hours) Using characters from literature,
the student seeks psychoanalytic
understanding of severe charactertype
structures, including:
1) paranoid-depressives with
obsessional or catatonic defenses;
2) confused mental states found in
the schizophrenias; and 3) the
addictive perverse personalities who
repeat conflicts of which they remain
unaware.
PT 154 Comparative Psychoanalysis.
(30 clock hours) Major trends in
psychoanalytic theory including
Melanie Klein, Jacques Lacan, ego
psychology, object relations, selfpsychology,
and modern
psychoanalysis are studied in
relation to a general theory of human
motivation. The course explores how
concepts of drive, object, and self
combine to form a current
motivational theory. Theoretical
similarities and differences as to
concepts such as transference,
countertransference, and resistance
are also explored.
PT 155 Dream, Fantasy and
Symbolic Communications.
(30 clock hours) Freud’s concept of
the wish-fulfilling function of dreams
is studied along with some of the
current neurobiological research on
dreaming. Understanding of
primary process and the language of
the unconscious (condensation,
displacement, reversal, visual
imagery, symbolism) are
used to illustrate how Freud and
contemporary analysts interpret
dreams, delusions, fairy tales,
symptoms, and creative work.
PT 156 Modern Psychoanalytic
Theory of Technique.
(30 clock hours) Prerequisite:
Certificate Candidacy. Many
concepts have been developed
regarding the range of the analyst’s
behavior in beginning treatment, in
recognizing and confronting
resistance, and in discovering what
leads to cure. Students consider how
verbal and nonverbal interventions
can be derived from analysis of
induced countertransference
reactions and used to establish and
work through narcissistic and object
transferences.
PT 157 Transference and PT 158
Countertransference. (30 clock hours
each) These courses encompass an
in-depth study of the concepts of
transference and countertransference.
The history of development and use
of the terms will be studied from their
beginnings to the present. Both
clinical and theoretical literature will
be read to elucidate the concepts and
to give examples of how they are
used. Case material contributed by
class members will further illustrate
theory and application.
PT 159 Unconscious Fantasy.
(30 clock hours) Unconscious fantasy
as it operates between drive pressure
and reality is studied as it is
manifested in literature, myth,
scientific research, clinical material,
and seemingly rational thought.
Readings will include the theoretical
controversies that have grown up
around this concept, which is basic
to psychoanalytic thinking.
PT 160 Narcissism and Aggression.
(30 clock hours) The relationship
between narcissism and aggression is
studied in depth with particular
attention to those disorders in which
self-hate predominates over self-love.
The meaning of the narcissistic
defense is clarified and the treatment
techniques that have been devised
to work with narcissistic disorders
are discussed with reference to
clinical material.
III. THE HISTORY OF PSYCHOANALYSIS
This sequence of courses traces the origins and development of Freud’s psychoanalysis, from its beginnings to his last paper in 1939.
Two courses required for Certificate Candidacy.
PT 161 History of Libido Theory in
Freud. (30 clock hours) Freud's
papers on human sexuality and libido
theory, from the seduction theory to
infantile sexuality, the perversions,
transference love, and the concept of
Eros as a binding force are studied.
Contemporary ideas are discussed in
relation to Freud’s understanding of
the part played by the libido in
sexuality, civilization, and the binding
of destructive forces.
PT 162 History of Drive Theory in
Freud. (30 clock hours) Freud's later
papers are studied: the dual drive
theory and the repetition compulsion;
the division of the psyche into ego, id
and superego; the sources of anxiety;
the effects of innate destructiveness
on the prospects for civilization;
interminable analysis; and Freud's
final summing-up of the state of
analysis in 1939. The continuing
influence of these papers on
contemporary thought is examined in
relation to current treatment methods
and the appreciation of the role of
destructive aggression.
PT 163 The Emergence of Contemporary
Psychoanalysis (Elective)
(30 clock hours) This course
introduces students to the historical
context in which contemporary
schools emerged and evolved.
It traces the lines of development
within each theoretical system and
notes how theorists from different
schools influenced each other.
Students investigate the a priori
conceptions that underlie each
theoretical system: the basic
constitutive building blocks of
experience; what is primary and what
is derivative; and the implications of
each system for explaining
motivation, personality development,
and the role of the psychoanalyst.
IV. CLINICAL STUDIES
After taking PT 184, a course focusing
on the diagnosis of psychoses and
severe mental disorders in the
Fieldwork Level of the program,
students select a placement at a
psychiatric hospital or similar
institution. During the placement,
students take three semesters of
PT 185, a seminar in which patient
dynamics and student concerns about
the fieldwork placements may be
discussed. PT 186, a final diagnostic
course dealing with less severe
pathologies, is taken before
advancing to the Consultation and
Referral Service level. At the
Certificate Candidacy Level,
clinical studies focus on resistance,
transference and countertransference
issues.
Casework at the Consultation and
Referral Service is conducted under
supervision.
Clinical courses required for
Certificate Candidacy application:
three semesters plus one summer of
PT 111; PT 184; three semesters of
PT 185; PT 186.
PT 184 Primitive Mental States.
(30 clock hours) This course imparts
a psychodynamic understanding of
symptoms, core conflicts, and
characteristic defenses in psychotic,
narcissistic, and personality disorders.
It is taken before the fieldwork
placement. Students who will not
have fifty sessions of analysis upon
completion of PT 184 should defer it
until they are able to meet this
requirement.
PT 185 Clinical Experience in
Institutional Settings
(Three semesters). (30 clock hours
each) Prerequisites: One semester of
training analysis and PT 184.
Taken with fieldwork placement, this
course integrates understanding of
basic psychoanalytic
psychopathology, including the
vicissitudes of primitive conflicts and
defenses, with student experiences of
observing patients in mental
hospitals or other placement settings.
All aspects of the fieldwork
placement experience, from
administrative procedures to
interacting with patients, are
discussed in this seminar.
PT 186 Beyond Psychosis:
Conflict and Defense In the
Neuroses and Character Disorders.
(30 clock hours) This course deals
with a range of pathologies likely to
be met in patients at the Consultation
and Referral Service and in current
private practice. It is taken after at
least one year at the fieldwork
placement.
The following clinical courses
require Certificate Candidacy
and Consultation and Referral
Service status.
PT 2610 Beginning Treatment: Psychopathology and
Psychodiagnosis. (30 clock hours) This practicum is a forum for
discussions of any aspect of early
treatment ranging from concerns with
establishing a contract and dealing
with treatment-destructive
resistances to the recognition of
characterological repetitions in both patients and therapists that impede
progress. This course is open to
students who have achieved
Certificate Candidacy and
Consultation and Referral Service
status. Two semesters are required
for graduation.
PT 2611 Advanced Case Practicum.
(30 clock hours) This advanced case
seminar is open to students who have
achieved Certificate Candidacy and
who have had at least two semesters
of PT 490, Consultation and Referral
Service. It focuses on the dynamics
and treatment of ongoing
psychoanalytic cases through the use
of joining, reflection, confrontation,
and interpretation. Two semesters are
required for graduation.
PT 2612 Advanced Case Practicum.
(15 clock hours) Prerequisite:
Research Candidacy. As in PT 2610
and PT 2611, cases will be presented
and discussed, but with a particular
focus on the deepest level of
unconscious motivation. The course
will provide a setting for advanced
candidates to discuss and elucidate
the psychodynamics of a variety of
cases in the middle and later stages of
treatment. Level 3 students register
for PT 2612 every semester until
graduation.
PT 210 Forming and Maintaining
Psychoanalytic Groups: Resolution
of Group-Destructive Resistances.
(30 clock hours) (Elective) This course will focus on appropriate
selection of group members, group
transference and resistance, and
countertransference issues that lead to
the development of group cohesion.
V. RESEARCH IN PSYCHOANALYSIS
The research curriculum guides
candidates from an understanding
of trends in research within the
human sciences to an introduction
to psychoanalytic research methods.
It helps the student in the selection
of areas for study in an individual
case and in the writing of the research
project.
Completion of PT 171 and PT 172 or
PT 271 and PT 272 is required for
Certificate Candidacy.
PT 171 Systematic Investigations and
Ethics. (30 clock hours) This course
provides students with theoretical
and practical knowledge of research
methodology. Students examine
what is basic to scientific inquiry and
study how the human sciences
investigate emotion. Ethical issues
that arise in the practice of
psychoanalysis are discussed.
PT 172 Clinical Investigations and
Ethics in Psychoanalysis. (30 clock
hours) Prerequisite: PT 171.
This course introduces students to a
variety of research methodologies that
have been used to study
psychoanalytic questions.
Contemporary methodological
concepts are introduced and the
problems inherent in psychoanalytic
investigations involving clinical
material are explored. Students learn
how psychoanalytic methods are used
to infer hidden meanings behind
irrational behaviors, beliefs,
perceptions, and emotions. Ethical issues that arise in the practice of
psychoanalysis are discussed.
PT 271 Research Practicum and
Ethics (30 clock hours) The objectives of this course are to
discuss how psychoanalytic research
is conducted on a single case, to learn
how to write the narrative, including
a description of dynamics and an
unanswered question about the
meaning of the transferences, to
study how the therapist listens in
order to form an impression of the
patient’s emotional experience, to
discuss how to select relevant clinical
literature, and to examine the ethical
issues involved in the practice of
psychoanalysis.
PT 272 Findings in Psychoanalytic
Research and Ethics (30 clock hours) Course objectives are to study the
application of the proposed research
methodology to the collection of
observable data in the single case
study, to infer from the observed data
answers to the research question, to
study how inferences lead to further
questions and elaborations of the
methodology, and to examine the
ethical issues involved in the practice
of psychoanalysis.
PT 524 Psychoanalytic Writing
Practicum (30 clock hours) This course provides a small class
environment in which Research
Candidates can work productively
toward completion of the beginning
chapter(s) of the final project.
PT 527 Research Supervision (15
clock hours) This course, which
replaces PT 525 and PT 526 Directed
Research, provides six 50-minute
sessions of individual work with a
Research Supervisor, scheduled
approximately every two weeks
throughout the duration of one
semester at the mutual convenience
of the Research Candidate and
Research Supervisor.
Level 3 students register for either
PT 524 or PT 527 every semester until
graduation. The decision as to which
of these options should be selected is
based on the recommendation of the
Research Committee and the Fellow.
VI. CLINICAL SUPERVISION
Case supervision is required from
the fieldwork externship through
graduation. One hundred fifty hours
of psychoanalytic supervision are
required. PT 111 and PT 211 are
taken in groups of three. The group
setting allows students to observe the
supervisory process, and gain experience
with cases other than their own.
PT 111 Fieldwork Placement Case
Supervision. Required: A minimum
of two semesters plus one summer.
Registration limited to groups of
three. Taken concurrently with
PT 185. Discussion of cases from the
fieldwork placement. This course is
designed to facilitate understanding
through listening and identifying
dynamics.
PT 211 Supervision of Consultation
and Referral Service Cases. Taken concurrently with first year
internship at the Consultation and
Referral Service. Required: a minimum
of two semesters. Registration limited
to groups of three. Special emphasis
is placed on early resistances in
psychoanalytic treatment.
PT 311 Individual Supervision of
Consultation and Referral Service
Cases. (Privately arranged).
Prerequisite: A minimum of one year
at the Consultation and Referral
Service and of PT 211, and approval
of the Fellow. Students present their
Consultation and Referral Service
cases in individual supervision.
A minimum of fifty hours with one
supervisor other than the PT 411
supervisor is required.
PT 411 Control Analysis of a
Consultation and Referral Service
Case. (Privately arranged).
Prerequisite: Fellow approval.
The candidate presents one case to
an approved control analyst, a
minimum of one hour for every four
hours of patient contact. In-depth
study of the single case focuses on
resolution of resistances in the
treatment and comprehensive
understanding of the patient’s
dynamics. A minimum of fifty hours
with one supervisor other than the
PT 311 supervisor is required.
PT 490 Consultation and Referral
Service Laboratory. Prerequisite: Certificate Candidacy
and Consultation and Referral
Service approval. Students meet
weekly with their fellows to practice
presenting cases, learn treatment
service procedures, and receive
academic advisement. Fellows
monitor student progress through
the program and approve registration
each semester.
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