The American Board and Academy of Psychoanalysis (ABAPsa) was established in 1983 with the goal of establishing formal recognition of psychologists in the specialty of psychoanalysis. The ABAPsa, having met the rigorous requirements of the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) to be recognized as a specialty in psychology and to qualify and examine psychologists meeting the criteria of the specialty, was accepted as a member board of the ABPP in 1996.
Specialty Board certification by the ABAPsa assures the public and the profession that psychoanalysts who [have been] are certified and have completed the educational, training, experience, and professional standing requirements (licensure and no ethical/legal limitations) of the specialty. Further, all ABAPsa board certified psychoanalysts have passed an individualized performance examination by peers designed to assess the competencies which are required to provide quality services in the specialty of psychoanalysis.
The ABAPsa maintains accurate and current knowledge of national standards.
A number of professional disciplines other than psychology certify psychoanalysts. The psychoanalysts certified by the ABAPsa, as all specialists recognized by the ABPP, must include the foundation requirements of a doctoral degree from a recognized program in professional psychology. This assures a broad foundation in the practice of psychology upon which the advanced level specialty practice of psychoanalysis rests.
