As mental health clinicians, we belong to a long lineage that requires each generation to share their knowledge and experience with the next — so that each can work to understand and attend to the needs of their time. Mentoring has always been essential to this process.
The Austin Psychoanalytic Mentoring Program connects early-career clinicians and graduate students with experienced psychoanalytic practitioners to build relationships within the Austin Psychoanalytic community, support professional growth, and deepen engagement with psychoanalytic ideas and clinical thinking.
The focus of mentoring varies with each mentee/mentor dyad, and can include case discussion, exploration of readings and clinical/theoretical concepts, navigating agency work, starting a private practice, and clarifying your professional goals.
What to Expect
The program runs for nine months, from February through October. Mentees meet with their mentor monthly, on average. Mentees also attend a welcoming brunch following AP’s first spring conference, a three-part group series focused on building connections with fellow mentees and exploring psychoanalytic ideas together, and a fall gathering to mark the end of the program.
Mentees also receive scholarships to attend all Austin Psychoanalytic conferences throughout the year. Participation in the program is free. Applicants need only live in the Austin area and become members of Austin Psychoanalytic to be eligible.
The mentoring program gave me a welcoming space to process professional challenges, discuss my work with clients, and navigate the realities of being an early-career therapist. Beyond the mentorship itself, I’ve made friends and professional connections through Austin Psychoanalytic and found a meaningful sense of community in work that can otherwise feel isolating.”
– Justin Taylor, LCSW
When I entered the mentoring program, I was struggling to bridge my growing interest in psychoanalysis with what I was learning in graduate school and experiencing with my clients. My mentor helped me learn to think psychoanalytically, see countertransference as a window into my clients’ worlds, and find a theoretical framework to support my growth as a clinician.”
– Mel Walsh, LCSW
How to Apply
The Mentoring Program is available to mental health clinicians at all levels of training and experience. Applications are open each fall, August 1 through November 15. The online application gives you a chance to tell us about your interests and background, and is followed by a brief phone call with one of the program chairs — Ryan Parker or Andrew Wade — so we can make a thoughtful mentor match.
Questions
Any further questions? Email us at info@AustinPsychoanalytic.org and someone will be in touch.