To Be or Not to Be a Psychoanalyst—How Do We Know a Candidate Is Ready to Qualify? Difficulties and Controversies in Evaluating Psychoanalytic Competence

The competent psychoanalytic supervisor: Some thoughts about supervision competences for accountable practice and training

“…The complementary competency framework presented here is an attempt to contribute to that beginning competency definition dialog. Just as it is imperative that the components of competent psychoanalytic practice be more specifically identified (Israelstam, 2011;Junkers et al, 2008;Tuckett, 2005), it is equally imperative that the components of competent psychoanalytic supervision practice be more specifically identified as well (Watkins, 2012b). Only by doing that first will we then be better positioned: (1) to evaluate the actual practice of competence (or lack thereof) in psychoanalytic supervision; and (2) to train supervisors for competency across Areas I through VI.…”

“…He linked each capacity to a particular psychoanalytic frame, respectively, the participant-observational, conceptual, and interventional (or listening, conceptualizing, and interpreting). Using Tuckett's three frameworks for competence conceptualization and assessment, the European Psychoanalytical Federation (EPF) Working Party on Education (WPE) has even held several work groups and forums over the last decade in Budapest, Berlin, and Helsinki to take up the matter of competence and its definition (Junkers, Tuckett, & Zachrisson, 2008). The three proposed frameworks have provided the container for much of the EPF WPE discussion that has occurred, with the belief being that they would ''help us approach more specific definitions of what we mean by psychoanalytic competence, and help us to move away from global judgments, toward more explicit criteria and towards more transparent judgments'' (Junkers et al, 2008, p. 292).…”

Psychoanalytic supervision in the new millennium: On pressing needs and impressing possibilities

“…For example, as indicated earlier, Tuckett's (2005) premier contribution was primarily presented as a stimulus paper to further the competence discussion in psychoanalysis. While his framework has indeed provided the container for European Psychoanalytical Federation Working Party on Education group discussions about psychoanalytic competence over the last decade (Junkers et al, 2008), the extent to which it has been tested across psychoanalytic Psychoanalytic supervision in the new millennium 5 institutes (with the Australian example excepted) and has generated institute-specific debate is unclear. Furthermore, to my knowledge, the ABECSW and Lemma et al frameworks have yet to be evaluated in any practical way.…”

“…Within an adapted USDE conceptualization, competencies would be viewed as being built upon the interactions of three crucial variables: (1) traits and characteristics of the candidate; (2) skills, abilities, and knowledge that are developed through varied learning experiences (e.g., didactic seminars); and (3) integrative learning experiences that maximize the use and potential of those traits, characteristics, skills, abilities, and knowledge (e.g., supervisory analysis) (cf. Junkers et al, 2008). The USDE educational model, presented in Figure 1, seemingly captures that spirit of competency development.…”

“…But for psychoanalytic competence to be most concretely addressed in supervision, it needs to first be concretely defined in practice; that, however, has not proven to be a simple task (Junkers, Tuckett, & Zachrisson, 2008;Szecsody, 2003), and efforts to more specifically address psychoanalytic competence and its meaning have recently ratcheted up to a whole new level of concern, scrutiny, and exacting analysis. Thus, just as the specification of competent practice and delineation of practice competencies have generally become matters of pre-eminent concern in the psychiatric and psychology curriculums (Fouad et al 2009;Kaslow, 2004;Miller, Scully, & Winstead, 2003;Swick, Hall, & Beresin, 2006;Thomason, 2010), so too has making the case for competent and effective psychoanalytic practice become an ever more pressing concern (cf.…”