2026/27 One-year course in Transference-Focused Psychotherapy
September 2026 – July 2027
Co-hosted by TFP-UK and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Weekly Zoom seminars, Tuesdays, 9.05 am 10.45 UK time
Meets the requirements of the International Society of Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (ISTFP) for the taught elements of TFP therapist accreditation.
What is Transference-focused psychotherapy?
Transference-Focused Psychotherapy or TFP is a specific form of evidence-based psychodynamic psychotherapy for patients with a personality disorder. “Transference” is the psychoanalytic term for significant internalised relationships from the past affecting current relationships. The term is mostly used in relation to patients’ internal figures being transferred onto their therapist. Exploring this is a hallmark of psychoanalytic and psychodynamic psychotherapy. Transference-focused psychotherapy is the brand name for a more specific psychodynamic approach, which is different in important ways to commonly practised psychodynamic psychotherapy. TFP is once or twice-weekly, face-to-face therapy adapted for working with patients with a personality disorder.
In order to assess suitability for TFP, the first step is a comprehensive, structured approach to assessment and diagnosis. If TFP is a suitable treatment and the patient is interested, there follows a detailed approach to setting the frame for therapy. This includes agreeing on the aims of therapy in terms of addressing difficulties in relation to functioning in important spheres of life, such as work, social and romantic relationships. It also involves committing to agreed proactive activities between therapy that will be needed in order for therapy to work. If this is satisfactorily negotiated, therapy proceeds along the principles and techniques set out in the TFP manual (Transference-Focused Psychotherapy for Borderline Personality Disorder: A Clinical Guide).
TFP appeals to therapists who are interested in using a structured approach to working psychoanalytically with patients with a personality disorder on a once or twice weekly basis, and one that includes focussing on functioning in life as well as on interactions in the consulting room. TFP is also used with adolescents. Although the course focuses on adult patients, current and past attendees working with adolescents have found it helpful and adolescent patients can be seen for accreditation purposes.
For more information about TFP, see ISTFP.org.
Course Description: The course covers the TFP object relations model of personality pathology, TFP principles and techniques. Case examples will be used throughout. Upon completing the one-year course, participants will know the basics of TFP. The course is for those who are new to TFP as well as those who have attended previous TFP training and wish to consolidate their understanding of this sophisticated approach. Guest speakers will cover specific subjects.
Diagnosing: part of a TFP assessment involves diagnosing whether a personality disorder is present in order to inform treatment and to help the patient gain an understanding of the nature of their difficulties. A medical training is not required for this. Assessing diagnosis will be covered on the training, as well as how to share a diagnostic impression with patients.
Participants who attend 80% of the sessions can obtain a certificate from the TFP-UK group and will be eligible to join the International Society of TFP.
Participants will be encouraged to arrange supervision to start between October and January (or sooner). Participants will need to arrange and pay for supervision. Supervision is usually weekly or fortnightly on Zoom. It is commonly in groups of four supervisees for 60 or 90-minutes, and / or one-to-one supervision. 60-minute supervision is usually weekly, and 90-minute supervision is weekly or every two-weeks. . For accreditation purposes the supervisor should be accredited by ISTFP.org and supervisees present a TFP case at least monthly. Group supervision costs are £40 per hour for each person.
Taking on a training case: participants usually bring existing psychotherapy cases to discuss in supervision, to consider from a TFP viewpoint, and some may be converted into a TFP case. It is helpful to go through the TFP assessment and consultation process with a new patient within two or three months. This helps participants integrate knowledge learned from the teaching. Supervised practice is required to become a certified TFP practitioner, described lower down.
Sharing videos of sessions with patients is integral to supervision, with patients’ consent, as non-verbal information is important. If patients withhold their consent we usually proceed with treatment after exploring the reasons for their refusal.
ISTFP Certification as a TFP therapist
To become certified as a TFP therapist, the International Society of TFP (ISTFP) requires:
- an existing mental health or psychological therapy professional qualification,
- 63 hours training of the TFP theory and practice curriculum, taught by an accredited teacher-supervisor,
- supervised practice for a minimum of two years,
- to pass an examination.
This course will provide the 63-hours of training required.
The supervision requirement is to be supervised by an ISTFP accredited teacher-supervisor, a minimum of monthly, but two-weekly or weekly is preferrable. The trainee must present a TFP case at least every four weeks. If they present less frequently in group supervision, they may supplement this with less frequent individual supervision arranged separately. The supervision may involve one patient being seen for two years, or two patients for one year; it must involve taking a TFP case to supervision, rather than necessarily being the same patient, although continuity of presenting the same patient is an advantage. Trainees commonly have more than two years of supervision before they decide to apply to be examined. The supervisor will advise on readiness for the examination.
Optional second-year
After completing the first year, participants will be encouraged to join the second year case consultation course. This will involve a trainee presenting a case and therapy session each week to the group.
British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC) TFP kite-mark scheme
Individuals who obtain ISTFP accreditation as TFP therapists, will be eligible to apply to the BPC kite-mark scheme. This does not grant BPC registration, which requires a professional training with a BPC-affiliated training organisation. However, all kite-mark holders are included in the BPC kite-mark section of the BPC website.
3 terms, September, 2026 – July 2027
- Teachers: Jonathan Radcliffe and Laura Liard
- Visiting lecturers: A number of distinguished visiting lecturers
- Format: Zoom
- Optional: 2nd year follow-on case consultation seminar extending course to two-years.
- Frequency: weekly, for 1 hr 45 min. In addition to weekly workshops, there will be 3-hour workshops on two Friday afternoons in December and June which are hybrid – in person for those who can attend and online for others.
- Time of meeting: Tuesday mornings, 9.05 – 10.45 am UK time
- Attendees: the training is open to qualified mental health professionals with experience of conducting psychotherapy and who are qualified in their own countries to to see patients for psychotherapy and in a position to see a patient for TFP. Prior knowledge of psychoanalytic approaches and the experience of receiving personal psychoanalytic psychotherapy or psychoanalysis are an advantage but not required.
- Relevant professions:
- Qualified Clinical and Counselling Psychologists with HCPC registration.
- Registered Psychotherapists (BPC, UKCP, BACP or equivalent)
- Psychiatrists (member of Royal College of Psychiatry) seeing patients for psychotherapy
- Other qualified mental health professionals who are experienced at working psychotherapeutically psychodynamically or with other orientations.
- Country of residence: those living in a country with an established TFP training are encouraged to seek training in that country.
Course fee: £1500 payable in advance. The fee for health professionals working in South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust at a rate of £700.
To apply complete the online application form as soon as possible and to arrange for references to be sent to the course convenor. We would encourage early applications as we may cap the numbers attending the course. Payment will be via the Maudsley Learning website once a formal offer has been made and accepted.
Optional presentation, question and answer session with course teachers.
To find out more about the course and ask any questions not covered in the above, book a place on one of three Zoom sessions with Jonathan Radcliffe and Laura Liard by emailing Jonathan.Radcliffe@slam.nhs.uk. Once booked in, join the meeting using this Zoom link.
25th February, 1.30-2.30 pm UK time
29th April, 1.30 – 2.30 pm UK time
24th June, 1.30-2.30 pm UK time
For information about second year TFP consultation course, click here
Further information e-mail Jonathan Radcliffe
Jonathan Radcliffe
Jonathan Radcliffe is a consultant clinical psychologist and psychoanalytic psychotherapist. He is head of Lewisham Personality Disorder Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. He is a TFP therapist and an ISTFP accredited teacher supervisor.
Laura Liard
Laura Liard is a clinical psychologist, works in Brussels in private practice and is a TFP therapist and an ISTFP accredited teacher supervisor.
More information about TFP
Accreditation levels and requirements
UK Transference-Focused Psychotherapy introductory course 