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ISTDP Core
Training 2027
Course in brief
ISTDP-North’s Core Training is an International Experiential Dynamic Association (IEDTA)-recognised programme in Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP). This professional postgraduate training is designed to help clinicians develop confident, evidence-informed skills in both theory and clinical practice. Delivered in small groups with video-based learning, structured supervision and a clear competency framework, this training supports practitioners to work more effectively with a wide range of presentations — from anxiety and depression to complex and treatment-resistant difficulties.
Course overview
Duration: 3 years (Year 1–3 pathway)
Fees: £3,000 per year
Format: Small-group Core Training with video-based learning, structured supervision + online theory lectures
Schedule: 4 weekend blocks (10.5 days total) + 6 x 2-hour theory lectures
Outcome: IEDTA-recognised Core Training with a competency framework and final video case assessment.
Training Team
Dr Javier Malda Castillo
Trainer & Supervisor
Dr Josette ten Have-de Labije
International Teacher & Supervisor
Dr Sarah Corfe
Assistant Teacher
Dr Frances Chaisty
Course Assistant
Dr Bethany Camp
Course Assistant
Dr Malda Castillo is a clinical psychologist (DClin) and an International Experiential Dynamic Therapy Association (IEDTA) certified teacher and supervisor in ISTDP.
For the past decade, he has worked in the NHS delivering and implementing ISTDP and has published several studies on the efficacy and suitability of this method in secondary care mental health services.
He trained in ISTDP with Dr Neborsky and Alexandra Knowles, and has specialized in this method with Dr Josette ten Have-de Labije over the past five years in Germany.
He is also an accredited Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT) supervisor by the Anna Freud Centre and has extensive experience in delivering supervision within the framework of NHS England’s rollout of psychological therapies.
His previous therapeutic training includes two years of group psychodynamic therapy with the Institute of Group Analysis (IGA), and four years of individual psychodynamic psychotherapy with the Tavistock Clinic psychotherapy training program.
Josette ten Have-de Labije, PsyD, is a qualified psychotherapist and clinical psychologist. She is trained as a cognitive-behavior therapist (individual and group settings), couples therapist, therapist for psychodynamic individual and group psychotherapy, and therapist for Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy.
From 1989 to 1992, she was a member of the Dutch ISTDP core group, which was trained and supervised by Professor Dr. H. Davanloo.
As a supervisor and trainer of ISTDP, she has provided supervision, several post-doctorate courses, and workshops in the Netherlands. In addition, she has given—and continues to give—workshops, training, and supervision on ISTDP in the USA, Canada, South Africa, China, England, Denmark, Norway, Poland, and Italy.
She has been a board member of the International Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy Association (IEDTA). She is editor-in-chief of the Ad Hoc Bulletin for STDP: Practice and Theory and has published several books and articles.
Dr. Corfe is a Consultant Psychiatrist with extensive experience in both the NHS and private practice. With over two decades of clinical experience in adult psychiatry, she has worked with individuals diagnosed with a range of psychiatric conditions, including schizophrenia, mood disorders, and anxiety disorders.
In addition to her psychiatric practice, Dr. Corfe is a certified ISTDP therapist. She completed her ISTDP training in 2015 and has continued to receive advanced training and supervision in Germany from Dr. Josette ten Have-de Labije over the past decade. She is currently training to become an ISTDP-certified teacher and supervisor.
Dr Chaisty is a Senior Clinical Psychologist working within the National Health Service (NHS) and in private practice, with over a decade of experience in public healthcare.She is an ISTDP therapist and completed IEDTA-certified ISTDP training with Dr Josette ten Have-de Labije in 2025.
Dr Chaisty continues to be part of an advanced international ISTDP training group in Germany under the supervision and mentorship of Dr ten Have-de Labije.
Prior to specialising in ISTDP, Dr Chaisty completed foundation-level group psychodynamic training with the Institute of Group Analysis (IGA).
Dr Beth Camp is a Clinical Psychologist working across the National Health Service (NHS) and in private practice, with over a decade of experience in public healthcare.
She completed ISTDP-certified core training with ISTDP-UK in 2026 and integrates Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) into her clinical work.
In addition to her ISTDP training, Dr Camp draws on her expertise in trauma-informed practice, including training in trauma-sensitive yoga, to support a holistic and integrative approach to psychological care.
Attendees
Online Seminars & Workshops
In-Person Workshops
training events delivered
Reading Materials
Core Textbook:
Mastering Intensive Short Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP): A roadmap to the unconscious (Ten have-De Labije & Neborsky, 2012)
Order this book by contacting Dr. Ten Have de Labije at [email protected]
Optional Textbook:
- ten Have-de Labije, J. (2010) The Collected Writings of Josette ten Have-de Labije, Unlocking Press, Del Mar California USA.
- ten Have-de labije, J. (2021) Stumble, fall and get up again on the road to the Unconscious, Practical exercises for the ISTDP therapist.
Mandatory Reading
Trainees will be required to study the following papers:
- Abbass, A., & Town, J. (2021). Alliance rupture-repair processes in intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy: Working with resistance. Journal of Clinical Psychology.
- Davanloo, H. (1987). Clinical manifestations of superego pathology. (1987).
- Neborsky, R., & ten Have-de Labije, J. (2004). Helping a patient to actively deal with his anxiety to explore and experience the source of his anxiety with (AB) ISTDP.
- ten Have-de Labije, J. (1999). Maintaining Davanloo’s discovery for uncovering the unconscious: An attempt at formulating operational definitions of the dependent variables. Part I and II. Ad Hoc Bulletin of Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy, Practice and Theory, 3(1), 4–21.
- ten Have-de Labije, J. (Ed.). (2001). Red and green traffic lights on Davanloo’s road to the unconscious, Part I. In The Working Alliance in ISTDP: Whose intrapsychic crisis? VKDP, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- ten Have-de Labije, J., & Neborsky, R. J. (2005). Understanding and overcoming instant repression. Part I. Ad Hoc Bulletin of Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy, Practice and Theory, 9(2), 5–10.
- ten Have-de Labije, J. (2006). When patients enter with anxiety on the forefront. Ad Hoc Bulletin of Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy, Practice and Theory, 10(1), ADD.
Course Content
Overview
- Title: ISTDP Core Training
- Year: 2027
- Structure: 4 weekend blocks (Friday afternoon, Saturday & Sunday full days) + 6 Friday theory lectures
- Friday theory lecture time: 16:00–18:00 (UK time)
- Weekend blocks: Friday (2 pm to 6 pm) Saturday & Sunday (10 am to 4 pm)
Year 1: Foundational Skills
- The history of ISTDP and integration with attachment theory
- Psychodiagnosis from an ISTDP perspective
- Psychophysiology of anxiety and its role in emotional regulation
- Assessment of defences and their role in emotional regulation.
- Recognising feelings and working with them
- Psychodynamic Formulation: The triangle of person and the triangle of conflict
- Establishing Conscious & Unconscious working alliance
- Re-structuring ego adaptive capacity
Year 2: Intermediate Skills & Implementation of ISTDP Protocol
- The central Dynamic Sequence.
- Following the roadmap to the unconscious (Josette ten Have-de Labije, 2012).
- Understanding how to tailor ISTDP to the ego adaptive capacity.
- Emotional breakthroughs
Year 3: Consolidation & Qualification
- Applying ISTDP to complex presentations (moderate and severe
fragility) -
Re-structuring ego adaptive capacity:Part III.
- Working Through Techniques
- Emotional Breakthroughs
- Unlocking the Unconscious
- Interpretations
- Therapy ending and follow-up.
+ Workshops
There will be a yearly workshop held in Manchester with a leading clinician in ISTDP. Attendance is voluntary and trainees will have 50% reduced fee for the workshop tickets.
Training Fees
Course Fee
Payable upon application - yearly and non-refundable
3,000£
Administrative fee
(non-refundable to
process application)
30£
Payment via bank transfer or cash on day 1
Need financial support? Contact us: [email protected]
Whats included
4 full training weekends
10 monthly theory seminars
Individual tutoring slots
to review training process
Training Handbook
ISTDP-North
Reduced fees
For ISTDP-North Events
Access to Resources
- Video & consent paperwork
- Funding Support for core training
- Latest ISTDP research and updates
- Access to a trainee logbook for personalised learning.
Eligibility, Commitment & Assessment
Admission Criteria
Requirements
Assessment
Applicants must be licensed/registered or in a recognised training programme that leads to licensure/registration, e.g:
Upon confirming suitability, Javier will organize a 30-minute zoom interview with the applicants to determine suitability for the course.
The trainee group is limited to a maximum of 12 participants.
Completion of Pre-Core Workshop
Applicants must have completed the pre-core training workshops with ISTDP-North or an equivalent introductory course to ISTDP.
Applicants must submit a CV
Applicants must submit a CV as well as a one-page statement stating their reasons to undertake the course.
Participants are required to video record their therapy sessions (with appropriate consent) and share their recordings in group and individual supervision.
Participants are required to attend the online theory lectures as well as the in person experiential and supervision block weekends.
Participants are required to deliver the ISTDP protocol to at least 2 patients over the duration of the course.
At the end of the course, participants are asked to deliver a presentation which includes a video-recorded clinical case and demonstrates successful implementation of ISTDP treatment protocol.
This is a clinical skills training course, and it does not require written assignments.
Trainees are required to dedicate at least 25 hours of self-directed study and reading core ISTDP textbooks.
Trainees will have a personalised logbook which is reviewed in their tutoring slots.
Trainees will be required to read the mandatory papers before the training blocks/theory seminars and will be informally evaluated on their knowledge of such papers.
Basic ISTDP competencies will be benchmarked using the treatment manual (ten Have-de Labije & Neborsky 2012).
The core competencies framework of psychodynamic psychotherapy in England will be used to review core psychotherapy competencies and the safety and acceptability of therapy delivery (https://www.ucl.ac.uk/pals/sites/pals/files/migrated-files/PPC_basic_analytic_competences.pdf)
Trainees’ clinical competencies will be evaluated through their therapy video recordings.
A final case will be presented in the last training block demonstrating the effective implementation of the treatment protocol.
Training Dates
-
Block 1
Fri 29th Jan 2027 | Sat 30th Jan 2027 | Sun 31st Jan 2027 -
Block 2
Fri 23rd Apr 2027 | Sat 24th Apr 2027 | Sun 25th Apr 2027 -
Block 3
Fri 4th Jun 2027 | Sat 5th Jun 2027 | Sun 6th Jun 2027 -
Block 4
Fri 1st Oct 2027 | Sat 2nd Oct 2027 | Sun 3rd Oct 2027
Friday theory lecture dates (6 x 2-hour lectures)
- Fri 12th Feb 2027 - Theory Lecture (16:00–18:00)
- Fri 12th Mar 2027 - Theory Lecture (16:00–18:00)
- Fri 9th Apr 2027 - Theory Lecture (16:00–18:00)
- Fri 21st May 2027 - Theory Lecture (16:00–18:00)
- Fri 17th Sep 2027 - Theory Lecture (16:00–18:00)
- Fri 12th Nov 2027 - Theory Lecture (16:00–18:00)
Applications for ISTDP Core Training 2027 are open now! Register your details...
Training Enquiry
Training Application
ADDRESS
1-5 The downs,
Altrincham, WA14 2QD
ISTDP North Clinic Opening Times:
Mondays to Saturdays (Subject to different clinicians’ availability) - 8 am to 6 pm
ISTDP North Training Institute Opening Times
Fridays to Sundays - 8 am to 4 pm
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Hear from our participants
After a training with Javier on use of Mentalization and ISTDP, I am in so much gratitude for his solidly integrated understanding of how to weave this work together. It was well worth awaking at an early morning US Central time zone hour to learn with you. I appreciate your teaching stance: centered, calm, kind, and clear linear presentation. Look forward to more learning here!
I owe much to ISTDP North and to Dr Javier Malda Castillo who introduced me to ISTDP. The lectures are informative, joining theory with practice and there are video recording shared to illustrate the clinical points. It has been 3 years since attending Dr Malda Castillo’s seminars. I have just enrolled in the 3 year training and have not looked back. This is the model the NHS needs, offering patients a real deal when working with trauma and acknowledging the role physiology plays when working with unprocessed unconscious feelings following adversed experiences in order to let agency, wellbeing and choice emerge. Highly recommended.
Javier set up a bespoke training package for myself and four other colleagues, which was well thought-out and engaging. I found the training incredibly helpful in providing new insights into my work, and the inclusion of role plays and videos of clinical material helped embed the theory. Javier was clear and concise, ensuring the concepts were understandable. Highly recommend ISTDP North!
I attended a training from ISTDP-North on blending ISTDP with mentalization-based therapy and it was very illuminating. Javier is a wonderful teacher.
Javi is a fantastic and dedicated ISTDP therapist, supervisor and trainer. I think its fair to say he is one of the leading psychotherapists in the UK. Highly recommended.
I attended a 3-hour workshop with Javier, looking at both ISTDP and MBT. The training was fascinating, and very helpful for me to clarify concepts, and when I can best use each approach (or in combination).
Javi is an exceptional supervisor - deeply knowledgeable, constructive, and genuinely compassionate and supportive. My clinical skills and confidence developed greatly under his supervision, and I am now moving on to clinical training. Thanks again, Javi - I would absolutely recommend him as a supervisor.
Javier delivered training on ISTDP on our Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. It was exceptional and I took a lot away from it. A perfect blend of theory and practice. Left me and many of the other trainee wanting more teaching from him. Outstanding quality!
I have been supervised by Javier for the last several years and he is an exceptional supervisor whose has improved my clinical skills. His supportive and reflective approach has helped me deliver more effective therapy. Supervision has been rigorous and rightly so in order to really help me and those I work with. Javier’s training in ISTDP has deepened my understanding of emotional dynamics and accelerated my ability to work with unconscious emotional conflicts.
I confidently recommend him as a supervisor and trainer in ISTDP.
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