Membership

The IPA is a membership organisation – we exist because of our members, and for their benefit. One of our primary aims is to foster and enhance members’ sense of participation in and belonging to an international psychoanalytic organisation and community. The IPA exists to advance psychoanalysis. It is the world’s primary accrediting and regulatory body for the profession, and our mission is to ensure the continued vigour and development of the science of psychoanalysis. The IPA fulfils this mission through a range of activities, and through services to its members.

Download the PDF document: What the IPA does for you (available in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese)  

Easy access to information and resources

  • The IPA website has a wide range of information and services, including its members-only, password protected area. 
  • Our monthly e-newsletter gives updates on IPA news, events, publications, opportunities, psychoanalytic developments and member societies.
  • The shared partnership of the online journal Psychoanalysis Today covers a wide range of issues and regularly calls for contributions.
  • The IPA research database contains hundreds of research papers by members.
  • We offer reduced rates for IPA-published books.

Opportunities for career development

  • A certificate of membership of the organisation.
  • We offer a range of grants and loans, e.g. to help with training or to enable members to visit other Societies.
  • IPA prizes for academic papers are awarded on a regular basis.
  • IPA research grants can help you further your professional development.
  • IPA Publications Committee offers you the opportunity to publish your books with Routledge.

 

Expanding your professional networks

  • Members gain automatic access to an online member roster with over 13,000 members from around the world.
  • We offer reduced rates to the biennial IPA Congress and other conferences.
  • Our large number of Working Parties explore topics arising from Congresses.
  • Members receive regular information on IPA member organization events around the world.
  • The IPA Annual Research and Training Programme event provides opportunities for consultation and discussion of ongoing research projects and training in empirical and conceptual approaches to research.
  • We host webinars on a range of topics and invite members to take part.

Advice and support

Members are always welcome at our offices in central London, which are easily accessible from air and railway transport hubs and which provide a comfortable location for meetings and networking.

We can provide direct support and advice to members on professional and governance issues.

Eligibility

Membership of the IPA is usually open only to psychoanalysts who trained at one of the IPA’s Constituent Organizations. Completing training successfully at such an organization normally gives you automatic membership of the IPA.

If you are considering applying to become an IPA psychoanalyst, please contact your local IPA Constituent Organization, which will also have information on annual membership fees. If there is no Constituent Organization in your country, please email the IPA about the possibility of becoming a Direct Member. The criteria for this are similar to those for membership through a Constituent Organization.

Candidates

Candidates are eligible for membership once they have completed training within IPA constituent organisations or study groups There are also a number of training institutes that are authorised to train candidates for the practice of clinical psychoanalysis in areas within their region where there are currently no IPA constituent organizations or study groups. Click here for a full list of training institutes or use this search tool to find a specific institute or all those within a country.

The International Psychoanalytical Studies Organization (IPSO) works to represent the interest of candidates, and invites and encourages all psychoanalysts-in-training at IPA-affiliated societies and study groups to become members. Click here for more information.