Becoming a Training and Supervising Analyst: Interviews from the Columbia Postgraduate Analytic Practice Study

Although much has been written about the training and supervising analyst system (TSA), its role in analysts' professional development has not been empirically studied. The Columbia Psychoanalytic Practice Study (CPAPS) is a longitudinal study of the careers of graduates from the Columbia Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research. Interviews with 29/37 (78%) analysts graduating from 2003-2009 were analyzed using grounded theory. Our research question was: Are Columbia Center graduates interested in becoming TSAs and what factors influence their success in reaching this goal?Many analysts express interest in pursuing TSA appointment (22/29, 76%), however, a vast majority (26/29, 90%) experience challenges with finding cases, finances, and the work involved at a life stage with competing priorities. Fewer graduates become TSAs than express initial interest, suggesting that graduates find alternate pathways for professional development. While it is vital that institutes mentor graduates to take on a variety of postgraduate roles as educators, researchers, clinicians and scholars, our findings suggest that if the TSA qualification process were more user-friendly (less time-consuming, financially viable, and in step with current practice norms) more graduate analysts would sustain their interest in this career path.