Programme Overview

What is the purpose of the programme?

Psychoanalytic coaching and psychoanalytic business consulting is a new and completely unique direction of education in Russia. Its development was inspired by close cooperation of the HSE Chair of Psychoanalysis and Business consulting with INSEAD, the leading French business school, business consultants and executive coaches, as well as with the heads of HR departments at international and Russian companies. Intensive cooperation with our international colleagues will allow our students to gain unique experience and knowledge as well as expand their vision in the context of international practice of coaching and consulting psychology.

For whom is the programme intended?

• Graduates of institutions of higher education (with or without backgrounds in psychology)
• Business consultants and coaches looking to acquire profound psychoanalytical and counselling skills with a view to applying them in practice when working with various levels of management and various organizations
• Practicing psychologists and psychotherapists
• HR directors and professionals
• Managers in private and state-owned enterprises with an interest in exploring new prestigious professions

How is training structured?

The programme provides a strictly practice-oriented approach to learning.

Training is structured in the most effective format, with an emphasis on an individual approach to learning and constant practice of students, including the supervision of consulting and coaching activities. Students participate actively in workshops, master classes and supervised sessions, review authentic business cases and acquire solid skills to work as psychoanalytic business consultants.

Where does training take place?

Classes take place on the main campus of the Higher School of Economics at 20 Myasnitskaya Ulitsa (Chistye Prudy and Lubyanka Metro stations). In addition, students in the Master's programme can take part in counselling sessions as part of the required individual advisory practice in the office at 8 Pokrovsky Bulvar.

What knowledge and skills will students acquire?

The programme provides a deep understanding of psychoanalysis and organizational behaviour. Students will be able to understand the basis of human behaviour and deep motivation. We teach students to view organizations from the perspective of both interpersonal and intrapersonal interactions. Students are taught to identify and manage the hidden dynamics of teams and organizations. Considerable attention is paid to the development and dynamics of leadership. Students will master organizational change management skills, including individual coaching of executives, as well as the creation and development of an effective organizational culture.

What makes the programme unique?

The international quality of the programme.

Training is directed by Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries, professor at the French business school INSEAD. He is a renowned expert in the field of management, psychoanalysis and business consulting with years of excellence in the profession. He has worked with top managers of Volvo Car Corporation, KPMG, Heineken, AirLiquide, Alcatel, Shell, BP, Unilever, Standard Bank of South Africa, General Electric Capital, Nokia, Bonnier, Rank Xerox, Investec, SEDCO, SHV, Accenture Consulting, Bain Consulting, Bang & Olufsen, Goldman Sachs International, Lego, TNK BP, Troika Dialog, Sibur, Russian Standard, and other companies. In addition, regular workshops and supervision from leading executive coaches from the European Global Leadership Center provide our students with an opportunity to gain unique international experience and practice in business consulting.

How can acquired skills be applied?

Personal coaching sessions for executives and managers, building effective HR management in companies, team building, staff development, training, and private counselling practice. Psychoanalytic coaching employs the full range of modern psychoanalytic techniques. An important aspect of the work involves revealing the unconscious mental processes that influence behaviour and career dynamics.

Psychoanalytic business consulting focuses not only on individual leaders, but also on the dynamics of the team to achieve the most effective change in an organization. The focus is not only on the rational dimensions of life (e.g., mission, vision, objectives, strategies, activities, tasks, roles, selection process, control system, etc.), but also on factors such as corporate values, the structure of power and influence, psychodynamics of groups, interpersonal relationships, stress reaction, unconscious motivation, etc.

People’s behaviour in organizations depends first on their own perception of that inner motivation and scenarios under which they form values, beliefs and views. With the help of psychoanalytic research, we can achieve a better understanding of these processes. We can reveal what prevents employees’ development and thereby achieve effective team performance.

What are the benefits?

Your own personal development, self-understanding and development of leadership qualities.

Training in the programme promotes personal growth of our students. Our students become more aware of themselves and develop the capacity for reflection, which will greatly enhance their potential for human management.

What makes us different?

The programme successfully integrates clinical approaches, psychoanalytic and organizational psychology. Deep psychological knowledge combined with international best practices of HR management enables achievement of a new, innovative level of business consulting in organizations.

What qualifications will graduates have?

After two years of training, students are awarded a Master of Psychology from HSE. Students can enrol in the programme without previous training in psychology.

Instruction is in Russian. Lectures and workshops that include foreign experts and business consultants are translated into Russian.