INTEGRATED TRAINING: WHY?

Nilde Parada Franch


INTRODUCTION 
When the International Psychoanalytic Association (IPA) created the Child and Adolescent Psychoanalysis Committee (COCAP) in 1997, it was the recognition of the importance of child and adolescent psychoanalysis, already practiced for almost 100 years, when the notable analysts Anna Freud and Melanie Klein commenced their work in analyzing children. 

One of the main objectives of COCAP is to promote awareness of the psychoanalysis of children and adolescents - both inside and outside the IPA. As we know, psychoanalysis is simultaneously a body of knowledge, a theory and a technique.  The three are closely related and equally important for the training of future analysts. It is impossible to separate in its theoretical body, which was acquired in of analyzing adults, from the result of working with children.

Since its creation, much work has been done by COCAP to collaborate with the Institutes of Psychoanalysis who wish to have a specific training in analysis with children and adolescents. 
Participating since the first moments of COCAP, when invited by Anne-Marie Sandler, I am witness to the great effort dedicated to promoting and disseminating knowledge obtained from the experience of analyzing children and adolescents. 
In the almost 23 years since the creation of the Committee, we can observe that this knowledge from experience has been expanded, and its effects are present in the technique.
Especially in recent decades, the growing acceptance by the various theoretical currents of the notion of a psyche open to interchange with the 'other' (and its various 'others') since the beginning of life has led to recognition of the importance of the first object relations in the constitution of the psyche. The knowledge about the primitive mental functioning, the construction of the symbolization process related to the development of the ego, the observation of the oedipal situation present since very early, the process of separability / alterity, the importance of the projective identification mechanism, among others, are considered fundamental to the training of the future analyst.
In other words, to prepare the future analyst to “listen” to the echoes of the primitive mind. As a result of many years of clinical experience, COCAP members took the initiative to propose an integrated training program, which was accepted by the IPA Board. We owe a lot to Virginia Ungar and Florence Guignard for building this idea and an integrated training program.


THE INTEGRATED TRAINING MODEL 
This model can be used by all Institutes, Societies and Organizations that are part of the IPA for the training of analysts of children, adolescents and adults. 

Each institution that wants to implement it is free to design the program that best suits its reality. The idea is not to add more mandatory courses; it can be built to align with the model that already exists in each Institute. 
We don’t expect that all candidates/analysts will want to work with children and adolescents. However, it could be proposed that parts of the specific program for the analysis of children and adolescents be open electively to all candidates and members of the Society and that this would expand their working toolbox. 
Thus, an Institute's training program could offer three options:

1. Psychoanalytic training for working with adults,
2. Training in psychoanalysis with adults and participation in specific training courses of analysis of children and adolescents,
3. Integrated training for working with adults, adolescents and children. 

Many Societies in the three IPA regions are already offering integrated training programs, such as: Swiss Society, Hellenic Society, ASOVEP (Venezuela), Guadalajara (Mexico) and in Brazil, SBPde Porto Alegre, the first Brazilian Society to have its integrated training approved by the IPA.

The IPA Integrated Training Model proposes some minimum standards with regard to analysis of children and adolescents: 
• Development model in Freud and in the post Freudian; psychic structure and functioning,
• Theory of technique and clinical seminars that include children, adolescents and adults,
• Psychopathology in childhood, adolescence and adulthood,
• The child and its context: in the family, in the community and in the culture,
• Ethics in the analysis of children and adolescents; 
• Supervision of two cases for one year each (minimum) of a child and an adolescent.



How can an Institute apply for COCAP / IPA recognition of its program?
If there is interest in the recognition by IPA of its training program in psychoanalysis of children and adolescents, or that of integrated training, the authorities of the Institute should contact the Chair of COCAP and submit their project. 

In the case of integrated training, a subcommittee comprising a COCAP member and one from the Education Committee will be set up for a first review of the proposal, and this subcommittee will work with colleagues from that Institute to resolve doubts and / or make suggestions. 

Based on the report of this subcommittee, the entire COCAP group / Education Committee will issue its opinion, fully accepting the program or offering suggestions.

At the end of the process, the COCAP Chair will send a report to the Board recommending acceptance of the program and the Board will make the final decision.

Since July 2017, as Chair, and with the collaboration of 3 colleagues from each region to compose the Committee, we have been working intensively to assist analysts and / or Societies that want help or collaboration in the organization of their programs, whether for the training of child and adolescent analysts, for integrated training, or even for their individual qualification.  

I hope I can help to clarify what is Integrated Training and the importance on the analyst’s training.

If you require further information, I can be contacted at [email protected]

COCAP’s Chair
September 2020