treatment at training institute

Is there a possibility of receiving treatment at a training institute?
Here's my situation:
I walked into a local clinic and asked whether I would be able to see a psychologist. The receptionist said they only staff social workers and one male psychiatrist. I had escorted my friend to her appointment and her therapist came out to the waiting room to fetch her. Her therapist seemed very young, I'm guessing 23 years.
I have two issues about seeing a therapist at the clinic: For one, I want someone with more training and experience; I prefer an experienced psychologist over a young social worker. I cannot imagine being in treatment with a therapist who is younger than myself. Personal preference. Myself being 35 years, that would mean someone who is at least a few years older than myself. Too, it's gotta be a female. Personal preference again.
So, I'm thinking, where else besides private practice, can I get what I'm looking for?
Or is private practice my only option? (expensive!)

I think it would depend on a few factors.

Firstly: Location. If you live in NYC or Boston or Chicago or California it would be a whole heap easier to find someone than if you live in a small town.

Secondly: Financing. Do you have any form of health insurance? I don't know much about the US system (I'm assuming you are from the US because I'm usually right with that assumption, but if I'm wrong I'm sorry). I think that if you do have some form of health insurance then your insurance company should have a list of providers where you pay a fairly okay part charge and your insurance company picks up the rest. That could mean that you could indeed see someone in private practice.

Do you want treatment at a training institute? Um... I was a bit confused about that... If you live in one of the above mentioned places the psychoanalytic institutes sometimes offer sliding scale rates to people if their financial situation prohibits. I'm not 100% sure (I think times are changing) but I would think that the people training at one of those institutes would tend to be older (and typically PdD or MD or whatever in addition). So it isn't like they are 23 years old... And it isn't like they haven't had life experience... And it isn't like they haven't had experience with seeing clients... It is just the framework that they are new to...

yes you can receive good therapy from a training institute. begin contacting those near you and see talk to them about your concerns and preferences. financially they can be much less expensive.

remember that someone who is in training has a supervisor that they always use as backup. i think it would work fine.

9874, I have the feeling from your terms that you're in the UK? In the United States, we don't have "training institutes" so much like that for psychotherapy. A "clinic" here is often a group of professionals, finished training, who have banded together into a private clinic to save administrative costs only. They can be all different ages, practice different types of therapies (be social workers and psychologists, nurses, family counselors, etc.). They set it up wholly the way they want.

If you are in the U.K. you probably should find someone from your area to talk to about how it works. This site might help: http://www.psychotherapy.org.uk/

In the USA those wishing to become licensed clinical psychologists engage in counseling sessions under the supervision of a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist for a period of time before they are allowed to engage in private practice. The clinic setting is an "easy" place for them to receive that supervision.

I think it's good that you have already realized what your basics requirements are, and even if you do use the training institute, let them know and see if they can accomodate you.

TC

I live in New York. The local clinic is gov't funded, not at all one set up by a group of therapists to save on admin. costs. The therapists at the clinic are fresh graduates, they get their experience here and then move on to private practice. They get paid about $35 per session! Poor them.....
Once they acquire their experience many or them open up a private practice.
The ones in private practice charge about $150-$200 per session. I used to be able to afford that but now I am not able to. Neither do I want to see someone at the clinc, as the practitioners there don't have the experience..... (I''ve tried a few therapists there, and then I finally went to someone in private practice. You just can't compare the level of experience and expertise....)
So I had this idea of seeing a therapist at a training institute, like the NYU psychoanalytic institute. Or others, if there are. If anyone has any info on that, I'd appeciate it...
Thank you!

New York University:

http://www.med.nyu.edu/psa/

Freudian:
http://nyfreudian.org/training_01_04.html

Jungian:
http://www.junginstitute.org/

National Institute for the Psychotherapies:
http://www.nipinst.org/pro/

National Psychological Association for Psychoanalysis:
http://www.npap.org/training_institute.html

Manhattan Institute for Psychoanalysis:
http://www.manhattanpsychoanalysis.com/

Centre for Modern Psychoanalytic studies:
http://www.cmps.edu/

Basically…

Try google “Psychoanalysis training institute NYC”

I’m not sure how you will go… I know that they are usually fairly good at taking on students at sliding scale rates, I would imagine that would extend to other people too… I’d say you would probably have to contact a fair few of them to find someone willing to work to sliding scale.

I’ve been looking for a fair few years now… And I’ve only just found someone. But that being said I don’t like in NYC!

Oh you are near great training institutes in New York!

Most large cities/metropolitan areas in the U.S.. do have training institutes (Google " Psychoanalytical Institutes") and it is a wonderful resource. The institute can be contacted to see if they offer therapy there or can refer you to someone who is in training and has a private practice. The candidates are already highly educated and are there to receive additional education and training. I believe you would receive a very high quality of care at very reasonable prices.

ECHOES

Of the ones mentioned by Alex_k, I'd recommend the NYU Medical Center, the Postdoctoral Program in Psychoanalysis at NYU (different program affiliated with NYUniversity, but not at the Medical Center).

Also very good are the Columbia University analytic training institute (at P & S), William Alanson White Institute.

There may be other good ones, that I"m not familiar with-- eg there are good people at many of them, such as NPAP-- but those are probably the more reliable. They have programs where you can apply to be seen either by analytic candidates, ie have an analysis, or you can see people at the psychoanalytic clinic, which is more like sliding scale psychotherapy (at least that's true at WAWhite and the Postdoctoral Clinic).

Vautrin

No, you could work in a school, Hospital, Research, Online, there are many options!