Strategic Growth Plan 2026–2031
Fully Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission
Enrollment Update
Applications Now Open
Enrollment is underway for upcoming cohorts.
Apply early to ensure availability.
Our Programs
Mastery through Mentorship and Clinical Rigor
Choose a pathway that aligns with your professional aspirations and clinical depth.
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A 60-credit MA grounded in psychodynamic theory, offered full-time over two years or part-time over three. Two field placements totalling 1,050 hours prepare you for the National Counselor Examination and Illinois LPC licensure.
Get Started with the Master's in Clinical Counseling and Psychotherapy -
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.
Get Started with the PhD in Clinical Social Work -
A semester-long, three-credit introduction to psychodynamic therapy for undergraduates, career changers, and practising clinicians. Alternating synchronous and asynchronous sessions, $500 — and no cost in your final undergraduate year.
Get Started with the Pathways Program -
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.
Get Started with Couple Therapy Training -
Advanced certificates and consultation groups for licensed clinicians who want depth without a degree programme. Current offerings span couple therapy, neuroscience and psychodynamic psychotherapy, and Latinx-centred consultation — all virtual, all CE-bearing.
Get Started with Continuing Education
Student Experience
Where Clinical Growth Happens
The Institute for Clinical Social Work is home to a diverse and talented student body. With a 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
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Explore Your Path
Personalized consultation with enrollment specialists about your goals and ICSW's approach.
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Submit Your Application
Join a selective cohort designed for practitioners committed to rigorous training and professional excellence.
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Join the Community
Connect with faculty and peers in a collaborative learning environment.
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Achieve Clinical Mastery
Graduate as a field-leading practitioner with profound clinical depth and skill.
ICSW by the numbers
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#1
Distinction
The only independent accredited clinical social work Ph.D. program in the U.S.
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50+
Expert Faculty
Over 50 faculty members bringing deep clinical and academic expertise.
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97%
Employment Rate
Graduates working in degree-related employment shortly after graduation.
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73%
Preparedness
Alumni who report their degree prepared them exceptionally for employment.
Faculty & Research
Faculty Bringing Depth,
Research, & Clinical Mastery
Karen Bloomberg, LCSW, PhD
Dean of Students
Karen Bloomberg, LCSW, PhD, is Dean of Students at the Institute for Clinical Social Work and, as faculty, teaches Self Psychology and Couples Therapy. She is a member of the Midwest Regional Council of the International Association of Psychoanalytic Self Psychology and of the Midwest Self Psychology Study Group.
Read More about Karen Bloomberg
Merari E. Fernandez Castro, PhD
Faculty
Merari E. Fernandez Castro, PhD, is a psychotherapist in private practice in Evanston. Throughout her work at various community agencies and private practice settings, she has worked with individuals experiencing complicated traumatic life experiences as well as in the body’s response to suffering.
Read More about Merari E. Fernandez Castro
Andrea Harris Alpert
Faculty
Andrea Harris Alpert maintains a private practice where she works with adolescents and their parents, adults, and couples. Dr. Alpert is also a faculty member at ICSW. She is a Board Member of the American Association for Psychoanalysis in Clinical Social Work.
Read More about Andrea Harris Alpert
Ramie Bou-Saab, LCSW
Lecturer
Ramie Bou-Saab, LCSW, is an on-site clinical director and co-director of hiring at Depth Counseling. Ramie works with adults and couples and provides clinical supervision. Ramie is a lecturer at ICSW and is a candidate of psychoanalysis at the Chicago Center for Psychoanalysis.
Read More about Ramie Bou-Saab
Amy Eldridge, PhD
Dean Emerita
Amy Eldridge, PhD, Dean Emerita, is an instructor and a clinical and research consultant. As dean, she influenced the curriculum and the student learning experience, helping to bring ICSW to its current success. Dr. Eldridge enjoys working with ICSW’s extremely talented students and faculty, and she values what she, in turn, learns from teaching.
Read More about Amy Eldridge
Sherwood Faigen, MA
Conceptual Foundations Coordinator
Sherwood Faigen, MA, is ICSW’s Conceptual Foundations Coordinator, a member of the Curriculum Committee, an instructor in the Conceptual Foundations and Clinical Sequences, a clinical consultant, and a member of dissertation committees.
Read More about Sherwood FaigenCommunity 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
Marissa Keep
Marissa Keep is an enthusiastic advocate for mental health wellness in children, adolescents and adults, and is grateful to have a solid psychodynamic education to build on going forward. Marissa will be joining a group practice in Michigan this summer and is excited to continue her clinical work.
MA Student
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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.
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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.
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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.
What's Important to You
Resources for future and present graduate social work students at ICSW.
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Online Learning
Master's Degree in Clinical Counseling and Psychotherapy
Our distance Master's Degree in Clinical Social Work online offers an accredited master's degree in clinical counseling 100% online.
Learn More about the Master's Degree in Clinical Counseling and Psychotherapy -
Pathways 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 More about the Pathways Program -
Doctoral 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 More about the three-year doctorate
Chicago CEU Programs for Licensed Clinical Social Workers
ICSW's professional enrichment program is available to all practicing clinicians, regardless of experience level.
Ready to Deepen Your Practice?
Schedule a personal consultation with our admissions team to discuss your professional goals and find the right pathway for your journey.