The Vancouver Institute of Psychoanalysis was established in 2003 as a branch of the Canadian Institute of Psychoanalysis. The VIP provides training in clinical psychoanalysis in Vancouver and is the only certified training program in psychoanalysis in Western Canada.

The WBCPS presents many educational programs throughout the academic year that are open to the mental health community. Its signature event is the Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM), a day of presentations and workshops that cover a wide range of clinical and theoretical topics. The ASM is well attended by mental health professionals from the greater Vancouver area, the Western Provinces of Canada, and neighboring cities in the USA. The Extension Program is another major undertaking of the WBCPS and offers courses in the theory and practice of psychoanalytic psychotherapy and its applications to the community at large. In addition to these major academic activities, the WBCPS sponsors a Scientific Program which consists of four annual scientific meetings that focus on clinical and theoretical issues that arise in the clinical practices of members, candidates, or guests of the WBCPS.

Membership in the WBCPS is limited to individuals who have completed psychoanalytic training at a branch of the Canadian Psychoanalytic Society, including the Vancouver Institute of Psychoanalysis, or by application from another psychoanalytic society sanctioned by the IPA. The members meet on a monthly basis to carry out the business of the society. For further information on the various programs and activities sponsored by the WBCPS, contact mailto:info1@wbcps.org