Academic Journal
View in EDS

Psychoanalytic Training: Reaching the Promised Land?

Bibliographic Details
Title: Psychoanalytic Training: Reaching the Promised Land?
Authors: Erlich S; Shmuel Erlich, Israel Psychoanalytic Society; and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem., Erlich-Ginor M; Mira Erlich-Ginor, Israel Psychoanalytic Society.
Source: Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association [J Am Psychoanal Assoc] 2026 Aug; Vol. 74 (4), pp. 503-524. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Mar 09.
Publication Type: Journal Article
Language: English
Journal Info: Publisher: International Universities Press Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 7505579 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1941-2460 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 00030651 NLM ISO Abbreviation: J Am Psychoanal Assoc Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s): Publication: 2008- : Thousand Oaks, Ca. : Sage Publications, : International Universities Press
Original Publication: New York, International Universities Press.
MeSH Terms: Psychoanalysis*/education , Psychoanalytic Therapy*/education, Humans
Abstract: The current state psychoanalytic training is marked by excessive diversity, with different approaches and practices often opposed. Huge theoretical differences find common ground under the umbrella of pluralism, creating serious challenges and impediments for educators, supervisors and mentors, affecting the training enterprise and reshaping the future of psychoanalysis. Rather than joining the controversies and arguing what is right or wrong, this paper attempts to define choice-points that underpin this diversity and the consequences of the positions taken on them. The authors argue that controversy needs to be replaced by clarification of such choice-points, which may lead to greater clarity of fault lines, better defined and consolidated psychoanalytic identity, and eventually to more reasonable debate and disagreement. Additionally, the authors look at the impact of pluralism on the state of the psychoanalytic institute, the agency of psychoanalytic training, and its need for clarity in defining its primary task and accordingly the qualifications of faculty, in particular the need to revamp the training analyst system. Finally, psychoanalytic training is becoming more inclusive of social dimensions and group dynamics which is bound to greatly enrich and widen the scope of future psychoanalytic practitioners.
Contributed Indexing: Keywords: candidates; institutes; psychoanalytic training; theoretical choice-points
Entry Date(s): Date Created: 20260309 Date Completed: 20260715 Latest Revision: 20260715
Update Code: 20260715
DOI: 10.1177/00030651261418021
PMID: 41802988
Database: MEDLINE
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
CustomLinks:
  – Url: https://resolver.ebsco.com/c/fiv2js/result?sid=EBSCO:cmedm&genre=article&issn=19412460&ISBN=&volume=74&issue=4&date=20260801&spage=503&pages=503-524&title=Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association&atitle=Psychoanalytic%20Training%3A%20Reaching%20the%20Promised%20Land%3F&aulast=Erlich%20S&id=DOI:10.1177/00030651261418021
    Name: Full Text Finder (for New FTF UI) (ns324271)
    Category: fullText
    Text: Full Text Finder
    MouseOverText: Full Text Finder
Header DbId: cmedm
DbLabel: MEDLINE
An: 41802988
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Psychoanalytic Training: Reaching the Promised Land?
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Erlich+S%22">Erlich S</searchLink>; Shmuel Erlich, Israel Psychoanalytic Society; and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Erlich-Ginor+M%22">Erlich-Ginor M</searchLink>; Mira Erlich-Ginor, Israel Psychoanalytic Society.
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%227505579%22">Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association</searchLink> [J Am Psychoanal Assoc] 2026 Aug; Vol. 74 (4), pp. 503-524. <i>Date of Electronic Publication: </i>2026 Mar 09.
– Name: TypePub
  Label: Publication Type
  Group: TypPub
  Data: Journal Article
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Journal Info
  Group: Src
  Data: <i>Publisher: </i><searchLink fieldCode="PB" term="%22International+Universities+Press%22">International Universities Press </searchLink><i>Country of Publication: </i>United States <i>NLM ID: </i>7505579 <i>Publication Model: </i>Print-Electronic <i>Cited Medium: </i>Internet <i>ISSN: </i>1941-2460 (Electronic) <i>Linking ISSN: </i><searchLink fieldCode="IS" term="%2200030651%22">00030651 </searchLink><i>NLM ISO Abbreviation: </i>J Am Psychoanal Assoc <i>Subsets: </i>MEDLINE
– Name: PublisherInfo
  Label: Imprint Name(s)
  Group: PubInfo
  Data: <i>Publication</i>: 2008- : Thousand Oaks, Ca. : Sage Publications, : International Universities Press<br /><i>Original Publication</i>: New York, International Universities Press.
– Name: SubjectMESH
  Label: MeSH Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Psychoanalysis%22">Psychoanalysis*</searchLink>/<searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Psychoanalysis+education%22">education</searchLink> <br /><searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Psychoanalytic+Therapy%22">Psychoanalytic Therapy*</searchLink>/<searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Psychoanalytic+Therapy+education%22">education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="MH" term="%22Humans%22">Humans</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: The current state psychoanalytic training is marked by excessive diversity, with different approaches and practices often opposed. Huge theoretical differences find common ground under the umbrella of pluralism, creating serious challenges and impediments for educators, supervisors and mentors, affecting the training enterprise and reshaping the future of psychoanalysis. Rather than joining the controversies and arguing what is right or wrong, this paper attempts to define choice-points that underpin this diversity and the consequences of the positions taken on them. The authors argue that controversy needs to be replaced by clarification of such choice-points, which may lead to greater clarity of fault lines, better defined and consolidated psychoanalytic identity, and eventually to more reasonable debate and disagreement. Additionally, the authors look at the impact of pluralism on the state of the psychoanalytic institute, the agency of psychoanalytic training, and its need for clarity in defining its primary task and accordingly the qualifications of faculty, in particular the need to revamp the training analyst system. Finally, psychoanalytic training is becoming more inclusive of social dimensions and group dynamics which is bound to greatly enrich and widen the scope of future psychoanalytic practitioners.
– Name: SubjectMinor
  Label: Contributed Indexing
  Group:
  Data: <i>Keywords: </i>candidates; institutes; psychoanalytic training; theoretical choice-points
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date(s)
  Group: Date
  Data: <i>Date Created: </i>20260309 <i>Date Completed: </i>20260715 <i>Latest Revision: </i>20260715
– Name: DateUpdate
  Label: Update Code
  Group: Date
  Data: 20260715
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1177/00030651261418021
– Name: AN
  Label: PMID
  Group: ID
  Data: 41802988
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=cmedm&AN=41802988
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1177/00030651261418021
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        StartPage: 503
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Humans
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychoanalysis education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychoanalytic Therapy education
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Psychoanalytic Training: Reaching the Promised Land?
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Erlich S
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Erlich-Ginor M
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 08
              Text: 2026 Aug
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 1941-2460
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 74
            – Type: issue
              Value: 4
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association
              Type: main
ResultId 1