The Postgraduate Fellowship Program – West

MIP is very fortunate to have a sister program to the Boston-based Fellowship. The Postgraduate Fellowship Program – West was developed in the Pioneer Valley to enrich opportunities for psychoanalytic education in western Massachusetts. The program is designed for mental health providers and scholars interested in deepening their understanding of psychoanalytic psychology. Using a contemporary, comparative approach, the Fellowship explores a variety of models of the treatment process (Classical, Object Relations, Self Psychology, and Relational), with equal attention to theory and its clinical application. The Fellowship aims to enrich participants’ understanding of human nature and to promote a more vital and effective clinical practice. Clinical material shared by fellows and faculty is used to elucidate and animate theoretical concepts and models as they are applied in the discussion of clinical issues and the psychotherapy process.

CURRICULUM OVERVIEW

Coursework for the PGFP-West consists of two closely integrated seminars, one didactic and the other clinical. The program is divided into four terms, comprising a total of nineteen sessions, including a final review and evaluation. To ensure optimal seminar interaction, the number of participants in the program is limited.

SCHEDULE & LOCATION

The Postgraduate Fellowship Program – West meets in person on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 pm–9:30 pm in Amherst, MA.

WHO CAN APPLY?

The PGFP is tailored for early to mid-career mental health professionals and scholars who harbor a keen interest in psychoanalytic psychotherapy. We aim to cultivate a diverse and dynamic cohort of participants who enrich the learning environment of the fellowship.

TUITION & FEES

Tuition for the first year of the fellowship in 2023/24 is $1000. Please note that tuition includes a full year of membership in MIP. A $25 fee is due with a completed application. Need-based scholarships are available.

Below is an overview of the PGFP curriculum. Following the fifth unit there is a class for evaluations and reflections. Issues of race, culture, and gender have been integrated throughout our overall curriculum. This is part of our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion at MIP. Syllabi and faculty are subject to change from year to year.

Curriculum

FIRST UNIT

The Radical Nature of Freud’s Thought and Its Evolution in Classical Theory and Ego Psychology

SECOND UNIT

Winnicott, Klein, and Object Relations: Alternative Visions of the Mind and How They Shape the Treatment Process

THIRD UNIT

Self Psychology: From Kohut to Contemporary Perspectives

FOURTH UNIT

Contemporary Relational Theory: How Current Relational Theorists Are Influencing the Practice of Psychotherapy

FIFTH UNIT

Comparative Seminar

Additional Fellowship Details

  • The PGFP is approved for 50 CEUs, CMEs, or CEs.

    Per APA requirements, psychologists must attend 100% of a course to be eligible for continuing education credit. Per NASW requirements, social workers must attend 80% of a course to be eligible for continuing education credit.

  • Referrals for individual supervision coordinated with the fellowship will be available on request. Each fellow will have an individual MIP advisor available to consult on any issues related to the program and professional plans.

  • MIP fellows automatically become members of MIP during their Fellowship and have the benefit of reduced membership fees for two years following completion of the program. As MIP members, fellows can participate with other MIP members in short courses held during the winter, utilize MIP referral lists, and vote in MIP elections.

  • After completing the first year of the fellowship, graduates may be eligible for an optional second-year two-term seminar if offered.

Postgraduate Fellowship Program West Faculty

Admissions

We accept and process applications on a rolling admissions basis until the class is full. Applications are reviewed as they are received.

ADMISSION DEADLINES

July 15, 2025

ADMISSIONS PROCESS

The Admissions process involves the following components:

  • Completed application with supporting materials (CV, Statement of Interest, 2 Letters of Reference, and optional Scholarship Requests)

  • Application fee: $25 (due with the completed application)

TUITION ASSISTANCE

A small amount of funds are available to help reduce the cost of tuition for those applicants who have a financial need. Requests for tuition remission should be submitted on your application. We will ask you to submit an essay explaining your scholarship needs and your request will be considered separately from the admissions process, with no bearing on admission.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

If you have any questions about the Postgraduate Fellowship Program please feel free to contact us.

The Massachusetts Institute for Psychoanalysis has a strong and consistent commitment to equal opportunity and does not discriminate in any of its policies on the basis of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identification, nationality, race, religion, and sexual orientation.

Training and Education at MIP

Four-Year Training Program in Psychoanalysis

Train in our unique program of in-depth study in comparative psychoanalysis, both theory & practice. In addition to our academic and clinical courses, candidates are free to choose their clinical supervisors & personal analysts.

Postgraduate Fellowship Program – Boston

The MIP Postgraduate Fellowship Program is a one-year program for mental health providers and scholars designed as a broad introduction to a range of psychoanalytic approaches and clinical applications.

Stechler Child & Adolescent Therapy Fellowship

The Stechler fellowship is a one-year postgraduate program covering topics in child and adolescent psychotherapy designed to help clinicians master the inherent challenges of working with children.

Postgraduate Fellowship Program – Western Mass

This one-year, weekly fellowship in Western Massachusetts' Pioneer Valley region offers mental health providers and scholars the chance to explore diverse psychoanalytic psychotherapy models and theories.

Advanced Candidate Training Program in Psychoanalysis

The Advanced Candidate Training Program in Psychoanalysis is designed for senior clinicians who have already attained substantial psychoanalytic training, in formal or informal ways.

Continuing Education Opportunities at MIP

We provide diverse opportunities for both members and non-members to engage in continuing education. Clinicians, academics, scholars, and anyone interested in comparative psychoanalytic thinking are welcome.