What is IAAP (International Association of Analytical Psychology)?

IAAP stands for the International Association of Analytical Psychology, the official international body for analytical psychology — the school of depth psychology founded by Carl Gustav Jung. Its website, iaap.org, is the association's official information platform. It is aimed primarily at Jungian analysts, candidates in training, scholars, and members of the public with a serious interest in Jungian psychology. If you are looking for a professional directory, training information, or news from the international Jungian community, this is the authoritative starting point; if you want clinical treatment, the site is a signpost rather than a service.

What IAAP is

The association describes itself as the International Association for Analytical Psychology and presents iaap.org as its official site. Analytical psychology is the tradition associated with C. G. Jung, and IAAP functions as the international umbrella organisation for that tradition — connecting analysts and constituent societies across countries rather than operating as a single local clinic or training institute.

A useful distinction: IAAP is the international body, while the individual training institutes and regional societies that belong to it handle local training, admissions, and professional standards. When you need to know who is a recognised analyst or where training is offered, you usually end up at a member institute; IAAP is the layer above that.

What the site is for

The homepage evidence shows the site organised around news and events, including:

• News Bulletin — a recurring publication. The featured issue was dedicated to Art and Culture, with a letter from a contributor in Uruguay discussing the artist Joaquín Torres García (1874–1949) and his concept of Universalismo Constructivo. The letter draws an explicit parallel with Jung: for Torres García art was fundamentally symbolic, and for Jung the symbol also points beyond what consciousness already knows.
• About the IAAP — the section explaining the organisation itself.
• Events, such as an online symposium titled "Let's talk about Sex and Psychotherapy," the 20th Jungian Odyssey annual conference and retreat, and an IRSJA Invitational Conference.

So the site serves two broad purposes: explaining what the association is, and circulating news, writing, and event announcements to the international analytical psychology community.

Who each part is for

How to use it

1. Start with "About the IAAP" if your question is what the organisation is and how it is structured. Expected result: a definition of its scope and relationship to Jung.
2. Read the News Bulletin if you want a sense of the community's current intellectual interests. The Art and Culture issue is a good example — it shows the Bulletin is not purely administrative but carries essays connecting Jungian ideas to wider culture.
3. Check the events section for conferences and symposia. These are the main way the international community convenes, and listings tell you what is open and when.
4. Follow through to member organisations when you need training, referral, or professional accreditation. IAAP's role is international coordination; the practical gatekeeping happens at the institute level.

Common sticking points

• Expecting a therapist directory or booking service. IAAP is an association, not a clinic. Use it to understand the field and find the relevant bodies, then approach those bodies directly.
• Confusing IAAP with a training institute. Training requirements, fees, and admissions are set locally. The site does not substitute for contacting the institute that runs the programme you are considering.
• Assuming everything is open to the public. Some events and publications may be oriented to members or colleagues — the Bulletin's opening address is "Dear Colleagues." Check individual event pages for who may attend rather than assuming open registration.
• Treating the site as a static reference. The value is largely in the Bulletin and event listings, which change; a single visit gives you a snapshot, not the full picture.

The short version

IAAP is the international association for analytical psychology, the Jungian tradition, and iaap.org is its official platform. Use it to understand the organisation, read the Bulletin's cultural and theoretical writing, and find conferences and symposia. For training, accreditation, or finding an analyst, follow the trail from IAAP to the member institute that handles it.