The International School for Analytical Psychology, ISAP ZURICH.

The International School for Analytical Psychology, ISAP ZURICH.

About Us

'The serious problems in life, however, are never fully solved... 
The meaning and purpose of a problem seem to lie not 
in its solution, but in our working at it incessantly.'

C.G. Jung, Stages of Life, CW 8, § 771

Carl Gustav Jung’s Analytical Psychology offers help in dealing with psychological difficulties and also encourages and supports the development of the personality. Analytical Psychology can therefore be well applied for the therapeutic treatment of psychological disturbance — and also for depth analysis and counseling with healthy people. Such people might be struggling with important life questions and decisions, suffering under difficult circumstances or generally interested in their own personal development.

In this brochure you will learn more about the person and researcher, C. G. Jung, about the basic underpinnings of Jungian Psychology and about the training and teaching offerings of our school, The International School for Analytical Psychology, ISAP ZURICH.

What ISAPZURICH Offers in Training and Teaching

The Diploma in Analytical Psychology

ISAP ZURICH offers a full time course program, which concludes with a Diploma in Analytical Psychology. Applicants for these post-graduate studies must be at least 28 years old, hold a Masters or Doctoral degree, and must have had professional experience in their field.

The training consists of a minimum of 8 semesters of study and is divided into two parts:

1. During the first part of training, which is primarily theoretical, the student has the status of Training Candidate. This section of study is terminated with the Propaedeuticum Exams, which are given in eight subject areas.

2. The second part of the training leans heavily on the practice of analytical psychology. The student, now a Diploma Candidate, is required to conduct a minimum of 300 hours of analysis with individual clients as well as to acquire a minimum of 200 hours of supervision in both individual and group settings.

The eight subject areas of the Propaedeuticum exams are: Fundamentals of Analytical Psychology, Psychology of Dreams, Psychological Interpretation of Myths and Fairy Tales, Fundamentals of Ethnology, Comparative Studies of Religion, Developmental Psychology, Comparative Study of Neurosis, Fundamentals of Psychopathology and Psychiatry.

The Diploma exams cover the following seven subject areas: Case Exam, Psychiatry with special attention to differential diagnosis, Psychological Understanding of Dreams in Clinical Practice, Psychological Understanding of Myths and Fairy Tales, Psychological Understanding of Pictures, The Individuation Process and its Symbols, Discussion of Diploma Thesis.

Belonging to the training is the attendance of lectures, seminars and control case colloquia that address these areas. Every semester offers around 500 hours of theoretical and didactic instruction conducted in English and German  by ISAP’s faculty, which consists of some 70 analysts. The program is enhanced with instruction by guest lecturers from around the world.

During the training, the student must complete a variety of written assignments including: Two symbol papers, the write-up of the Association Experiment, case reports of varying lengths, and the Diploma Thesis, which is a comprehensive work of at least 80 pages.

All students are required to complete a clinical internship in a psychiatric or psychosomatic institution.  This can be undertaken either in an inpatient or outpatient facility. The student can fulfil any function as long as he has a continuous contact with patients and is exposed to a broad spectrum of psychic illness.

The core of the training is the personal analysis, which must be conducted with an Accredited and/or Training Analyst of ISAP for a minimum of 300 hours. The analysis serves the development of the personality and the conscious orientation toward the reality of the psyche and its limits. This work on ones own psychic reality and limitations helps reduce the danger of personal interference from the analyst’s side in the early work with clients.

There is a careful selection process in place to guarantee that the prospective candidate fulfils the human, psychological and intellectual prerequisites necessary for the responsible carrying out of an analytic practice in the future. Upon admission to the program each candidate is followed throughout the duration of training by his or her own personal selection committee.

The exciting and fertile atmosphere at ISAP ZURICH is due to the fact that our students and teachers come from many different countries and academic backgrounds. This provides a unique international climate, which is a major advantage to our training in analytical psychology.

Continuing Education in Analytical Psychology

Study at ISAP ZURICH is also possible for individuals who wish to learn more about C.G. Jung’s analytical psychology but have no intention to acquire a Diploma or to participate in the full course of study: Within the framework of its regular program of lectures and seminars ISAP ZURICH offers a continuing education program that spans at least two semesters and ends with the conferral of a document attesting to a deepened theoretical understanding of analytical psychology.

The requirements for the completion of this special continuing education are: active participation in lectures and specific seminars over a minimum of two semesters, and the successful completion of an oral and written exam. The oral exam is on the Fundamentals of Analytical Psychology and lasts 45 minutes. The written work is a symbol paper. It is also strongly recommended that the participant be in analysis during the continuing education. This will help the individual to better understand the analytic theory being taught and also serves to deepen the experience with analytical psychology. The document provided at the end of the continuing education program does not allow the individual to practice as a therapist or analyst.

Other Ways to Attend ISAP

Besides offering a full training program in analytical psychology and continuing education programs for persons in tangential professions, ISAP ZURICH opens its doors to persons from all walks of life, who are interested in analytical psychology, C. G. Jung or even just specific aspects of Jung’s life work:

Lectures are open to the public, whereby individuals may attend as auditors without the formality of registration. A nominal entrance fee is paid on a time-for-time basis.

Alternatively, individuals may register as matriculated auditors who are entitled to attend all the lectures offered in a given semester. In this case a one-time, comprehensive fee is paid from semester to semester. Individuals wishing to register as matriculated auditors should contact the Director of Studies.