PiP Components

Components of the PIP:

Program Mentorship:

A psychodynamically-oriented mentor will oversee each resident’s progress throughout training. Available mentors will include MGH-McLean faculty and BPSI-affiliated psychoanalysts.

Clinical Work:

Long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy will be part of residents’ clinical caseloads.  PGY 3 and 4 residents will see at least one patient in intensive treatment (2X/week).  Where feasible, residents will videotape some sessions and participate in ongoing clinical research on psychotherapy process and outcome.

Supervision:

Residents will be paired with psychodynamically-oriented supervisors for supervision of appropriate cases; supervision will include review of videotaped therapy sessions that may provide data for research projects. Supervisors will include faculty from MGH, McLean, and BPSI.

Advanced Training Opportunities:

Participation in the BPSI Fellowship in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy or equivalent program is required in the PGY4 year. Scholarships for tuition are provided to all PiP residents.

Scholarly Mentorship:

Residents who choose to do a scholarly project that is psychodynamically informed will work with a psychodynamically-oriented scholar/researcher will oversee the project. This will include help with preparation of publications and/or national presentations, and (where appropriate) preparation of grant applications for continued research (e.g., Kaplan, Dupont-Warren).

Travel Awards:

Residents may apply for travel grants to attend the Annual Meetings of the American Psychoanalytic Association, the Psychoanalytic Research Training Program (Yale Child Study Center or University College London), or other relevant national conferences.

Individual Tutorials/seminars:

Elective individual or small-group tutorials/seminars will be developed, based on interest, to study the psychoanalytic literature and/or review empirical work on psychodynamic treatment.

Program Dinners:

At monthly dinners in faculty homes, residents join faculty members to socialize and discuss a range of topics related to psychodynamic psychotherapy.

Teaching Experience:

Interested PGY 4s may be paired with a faculty member to teach psychotherapy courses offered to junior residents.

Training in Supervision:

Instruction in clinical supervision of psychodynamic psychotherapy will be available to interested residents.

Special Programs:

PIP residents are invited to be guest members of the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute, which includes access to BPSI psychoanalyst mentors, a subscription to the PEP-web (Psychoanalytic Electronic Publishing), and special evening and weekend lectures at BPSI.

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"The Program in Psychodynamics helps residents develop expertise in psychodynamic thinking and apply it to all of their interests in psychiatry — everything from substance abuse to global health to the practice of psychodynamic psychotherapy. And the Program does this in a very personal way, with lots of contact between PiP faculty and residents."

Bob Waldinger, Co-Chair of PiP

PiP at a Glance

Pip-at-a-glance

2 Phases of the PIP

PGY 1 and PGY 2

Entry to the program is flexible, based on a resident’s evolving interests. Application to the program will only require a written statement of interest and your CV.
Residents will:

  • Work with a clinical mentor
  • Participate in elective seminars and tutorials if desired
  • Work with a scholarly/research mentor to develop academic interests if desired
  • Attend program dinners at faculty homes

PGY 3 and PGY 4

Participation in the program in the PG3 and PG4 years will reflect a more serious commitment to the development of specialized expertise in psychodynamic research and treatment. Application to the program for the PG3 and PG4 years will require a statement of clinical interests, a statement of scholarly interests, and a CV. PIP residents will participate in the clinical, scholarly, and didactic activities described above.
One seminar experience will be required in each year:

  • A weekly psychotherapy process seminar for PGY 3 residents where the group watches and discusses videotaped sessions of expert therapists doing psychodynamic treatments
  • The BPSI Fellowship in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (or equivalent program) for PGY 4s