Announcement
The Sanville Institute 2026 Scholarship Recipient
Announcement
Fully Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission
ENROLLMENT UPDATE
Applications Now Open
Enrollment is underway for upcoming cohorts.
Apply early to ensure availability.
Connect With UsOur Programs
Find the Program That Fits Your Goals
Degree and certificate pathways grounded in psychodynamic theory and practice — choose the one that fits where you are in your career.
1. MASTER'S IN CLINICAL COUNSELING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY
A 60-credit MA grounded in psychodynamic theory, offered full-time over two years or part-time over three. Two field placements totaling 1,050 hours prepare you for the National Counselor Examination and Illinois LPC licensure.
2. PH.D. IN CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK
A doctorate that builds the dissertation out of your own clinical caseload, so scholarship and practice deepen together. Three-year or six-year tracks, onsite in Chicago or by video conference, with faculty mentorship the whole way through.
3. PATHWAYS PROGRAM
A semester-long, three-credit introduction to psychodynamic therapy for undergraduates, career changers, and practicing clinicians. Alternating synchronous and asynchronous sessions, $500 — and no cost in your final undergraduate year.
4. COUPLE THERAPY TRAINING
A nine-month virtual certificate in Integrative Psychoanalytic Couple Therapy, for licensed clinicians with at least two years of practice. Twenty-nine classes, small-group case conferences, individual consultation, and 84 CE units.
5. CONTINUING EDUCATION (CEU)
Advanced certificates and consultation groups for licensed clinicians who want depth without a degree program. Current offerings span couple therapy, neuroscience and psychodynamic psychotherapy, and Latinx-centered consultation — all virtual, all CE-bearing.
STUDENT EXPERIENCE
Where clinical growth happens
The Institute for Clinical Social Work is home to a diverse and talented student body. With solid training in psychodynamic practice, our graduates are prepared for a variety of clinical, mental health, and social work occupations.
Explore student lifeYour Journey
Pathways to Professional Mastery
Explore Your Path
Personalized consultation with enrollment specialists about your goals and ICSW's approach.
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Join a selective cohort designed for practitioners committed to rigorous training and professional excellence at the highest level.
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Connect with faculty and peers in a collaborative learning environment.
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Graduate as a field-leading practitioner with profound depth and skills.
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First & Only
The only independent accredited clinical social work Ph.D. program in the U.S.
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Expert Faculty
Over 50 faculty members bringing deep clinical and academic expertise.
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Employment Rate
Graduates working in degree-related employment shortly after graduation.
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Preparedness
Alumni who report their degree prepared them exceptionally for employment.
Faculty & research
Faculty Bringing Depth, Research, & Clinical Mastery
Our faculty are internationally recognized psychoanalytic practitioners, researchers, and educators who bring deep clinical experience and academic expertise, mentoring students through rigorous psychodynamic training while advancing depth-oriented clinical practice.
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Carla Leone, Ph.D.
Carla Leone, Ph.D., specializes in applying contemporary self-psychology and intersubjectivity theory to couple, family, and individual therapy. She serves on…
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Merari Fernandez
Faculty
Merari E. Fernandez Castro, Ph.D., is a psychotherapist in private practice in Evanston. Throughout her work at various community agencies…
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Louis Pansulla, MSW
Louis Pansulla's current clinical interests include the study of contemporary ‘relational’ theories and practice, and the confluence with diverse populations including race/class/ethnicity/sexualities/gender…
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Community Voices
Impact Stories from Our Students
Michael Whiteside
“ICSW doesn't just invest in students' lives. It invests in generations, whole cultures, and especially in communities of color that don't have access to quality mental health care.”
Ph.D. Student
Nadeja Wesley
“The program changed me as a person. I was not aware of how much of myself I would be using. It required self-reflection and vulnerability. I had to show up fully present with my cohort to strengthen my skills as a therapist.”
PhD Graduate
Advanced-Standing PhD Student De’Asia Thompson is founder of Rise Counseling Group, a private practice focusing on mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression and other mood disorders in Black women and women of color.
De’Asia Thompson
Advanced-Standing PhD Student
Megan Reedy is a practicing psychotherapist and third-year PhD student. A mother of four, her research focuses on the identity of vulnerable young mothers and education accessibility for economic resiliency.
Megan Reedy
Third-Year PhD Student
A Jamaican immigrant working as a psychotherapist in a skilled nursing home, PhD student Tamika Hall’s passion is ensuring that people of color have access to quality mental health services.
Tamika Hall
PhD Student
What's Important to You
Resources for future and present graduate social work students at ICSW.
Online Learning
Master's Degree in Clinical Counseling and Psychotherapy
Our accredited Master’s Degree in Clinical Counseling and Psychotherapy is available 100% online.
Learn morePathways Program
Should I Become a Clinical Social Worker?
Sign up for the Pathways Program, a graduate education course online that can be applied to your degree, credits included.
Learn moreDoctoral Options
Degree in Social Work Online or In Person?
With the option of distance graduate school learning or in person, you can complete doctorate coursework in social work in three years.
Learn moreChicago CEU Programs for Licensed Clinical Social Workers
ICSW's professional enrichment program is available to all practicing clinicians, regardless of experience level.