Dr. Allan Abbass and Dr. Karen Dinsmore are offering a new ISTDP Core Training starting 2027. This is a three-year training program with a small group of trainees meeting four times a year for two consecutive days including online or in-person attendance at the Annual Halifax ISTDP Immersion. The attendance of the Halifax ISTDP immersion makes this a 5 block training program per year with Allan leading 2 supervision blocks and Karen leading 2 supervision blocks.

Supervision training blocks will involve didactic teaching, practice exercises and supervision of the clinical work of trainees through reviewing video recording of trainees’ work. Teaching will also involve the extensive use of video recorded therapy sessions.

The teachings and supervision will be geared towards helping trainees understand and learn the ISTDP metapsychology, how to monitor patients using the five parameters to guide intervention, and how to assess response to intervention across the psychodiagnostic spectra of patient population.

Tentatively the dates for the 2027 training blocks will be scheduled for February/March, June/July, August, November with the Halifax ISTDP Immersion taking place in October.

Participants must be registered health care professionals and able to video record sessions of their clinical work for supervision purposes. The annual fee for the training for the 5 blocks per year is CAD$5200 (The fee includes virtual attendance of the Halifax immersion. If trainee attends the immersion in person, there is an added $550 fee.)

If you are interested in this Core training opportunity, please email Karen at istdpontario@gmail.com about your interest along with (a) a copy of your current curriculum vitae; (b) a brief description of your experience practicing psychotherapy, including any prior experience of training in ISTDP; (c) a copy of your professional license to practice. 

Applications will be reviewed in the order they are received. Qualified applicants will then be contacted with further details as we get closer to the first training block. As the Core Training Program has a limited number of spaces, securing a place is done on a ‘first come first-serve’ basis.