Novosibirsk State University Psychologist Vladimir Ivanov Has Completed Eight Years of Training in the IAAP Jungian Analysts Program

Psychologist of the psychological support department for NSU students Vladimir Ivanov completed training in the Jungian Analyst Training Program of the International Association for Analytical Psychology (IAAP). The training took eight years and included personal analysis, individual and group supervisions, participation in international conferences and seminars, as well as two exams before an international commission. Vladimir successfully passed all stages of certification.

From crisis to professional path

Vladimir Ivanov’s interest in Jungian analysis began with personal experience. At first, he did not plan to become an analyst.

— My interest in Jungian psychology was initially related to personal experience and the desire to better understand my own psyche. Later, this interest gradually grew into professional training. I started with group supervisions as a listener; I had no plan to become an analyst. But gradually, it was there that I began to feel that the path through personal crisis leads to working with the experiences of other people, and this is not a coincidence but quite a natural situation in this profession. Thus, an interest in training was born, and then the decision to undergo the training program within the international organization IAAP, — Vladimir Ivanov said.

The training took a total of eight years. In 2018, Vladimir enrolled in the Institute of Analytical Psychology and Postgraduate Education, where he studied for two years—from 2018 to 2020.

At the beginning of 2021, he submitted an application to join the IAAP training program. One of the initial stages was a screening interview — an extended conversation with two Jungian analysts from IAAP. Before the interview, it was also necessary to prepare a text in English of about 10 pages, dedicated to the candidate’s professional and personal journey.

— Essentially, this is a 1.5–2 hour conversation with two Jungian analysts from the IAAP, and you also need to prepare a free-form text of 10 pages in English about yourself in advance, just to talk about whatever you want. After the interview, the commission makes a decision on admission to the training program or on refusal. In case of refusal, the interview can be retaken after a year., — shared the psychologist.

This retake opportunity is also available at the subsequent stages of the program — the intermediate and final exams. Vladimir Ivanov managed to successfully pass all stages on the first try.

Hundreds of hours of analysis and supervisions

The training of a Jungian analyst involves comprehensive work, in which a significant part is dedicated to the personal analysis of the specialist themselves. To qualify for the intermediate exam, it is necessary to undergo at least 100 hours of personal analysis and 50 hours of supervision, of which at least 25 hours must be individual. For the final exam, the requirements increase to 240 hours of personal analysis and 100 hours of supervision.

— Training to become a Jungian analyst involves a comprehensive approach. The first priority is individual analysis. To attend the interview, 25 hours of personal analysis are required; to be able to take the intermediate exam, 100 hours of personal analysis and 50 hours of supervisions are necessary, of which at least 25 hours must be individual supervisions. For the final exam, a minimum of 240 hours of personal analysis and at least 100 hours of supervisions are required., — noted Vladimir.

At the same time, training is not limited to analysis and supervisions. A specialist needs to constantly expand professional knowledge — reading specialized literature, attending congresses, symposia, seminars, and conferences. Every year, a written self-report is also prepared about the work done, attended events, the number of hours of work, analysis and supervisions, and personal professional reflection.

A separate part of the training is international certification. The intermediate exam includes writing a clinical case in English up to 25 pages long and a subsequent meeting with an international commission. The final exam is organized in a similar way, but the final work should be about 50 pages.

— The intermediate exam is the writing of a clinical case in English of up to 25 pages and a subsequent meeting — an exam with an international committee. The final exam is also a work in English, but already 50 pages long. After each exam, the committee goes into a short deliberation and returns with a decision., — explained Vladimir.

International experience

An important part of Vladimir’s training was the experience of communicating with colleagues from different countries. In particular, he underwent supervision with specialists from England and Germany.

— The experience of interacting with colleagues from all over the world undoubtedly enriches both personally and professionally. Having the opportunity to receive supervision from colleagues in England and Germany is a unique experience. Perhaps it’s hard for me to put into words, but it feels like a completely different perspective on life and the specifics of working with people. Maybe I would say that such experience allows me to feel new degrees of freedom, — said the psychologist.

“The most important thing is to take the first step”

Eight years of training became not only a professional but also a personal challenge for Vladimir. One of the most difficult aspects, he calls the necessity to constantly be under the scrutiny of more experienced colleagues and to report on his work:

— The most difficult thing for me was the feeling of constant professional scrutiny from more experienced colleagues, the need to meet program requirements and regularly report on the work done.

At the same time, the most important stage, Vladimir believes, is the very beginning — the moment when one had to decide on a new path:

— Perhaps the most important stage was the very beginning: to take the first step, to make up one’s mind, to step into the unknown.

“The path, precisely the path traveled over these eight years”

Vladimir perceives the completion of the program not only as obtaining a professional qualification but also as the culmination of many years of experience.

— Obtaining the qualification itself is like the final period in a sentence. It confirms that the person has completed this stage. The journey, namely the path traveled over these eight years, the experience of learning, communication, analysis.

For Vladimir Ivanov, completing his studies became the result of a long professional journey that began with an attempt to understand his own inner experience and ultimately led to working with the emotions of others and professional development within the international community of Jungian analysts.

Today, Vladimir Ivanov continues to work in the Psychological Support Department at NSU, where he counsels students and participates in the university’s educational activities. The qualification he obtained became a continuation of his professional path and expanded the possibilities of applying analytical psychology in working with young people and in the educational environment.

Congratulations to Vladimir Ivanov on completing the eight-year journey of training as a Jungian analyst! Training to become a Jungian analyst is a complex, many-year, and in many ways unique professional path.