About Me

Sonya Black

Awarded an MSc in Rational Emotive and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy in 2006 by Goldsmiths College, University of London. I continued my studies with the Institute of Psychiatry and was awarded a Post-Graduate Diploma in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy in 2008. 

My work since then has been in a leading Private Hospital setting, The Priory and the NHS, (Maudsley Hospital and IAPT).  I worked for a number of years with West Kent MIND, as an Honorary Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist.

With an established private practice since 2019. I have been fortunate to work with a wide range of people on a range of life’s challenges, from Depressive and Anxiety Disorders, relationships through to Trauma and complex Trauma.

My work has increasingly involved women’s health issues and an opportunity became available to work within the NHS in a Trauma Service for Peri-Natal Mental Health, focussed on baby loss and birth trauma, as a Senior Psychological Therapist. This allows a specialist role, which can benefit and be complementary to the clients I see within both my private practice and NHS roles.

I work as an Associate Lecturer and Supervisor on the CBT MSc at Goldsmiths College, London.

I am accredited with British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP).

Further Training

Mental Health First Aid Instructor (MHFA England) Workplaces are typical locations for training single or increasingly teams of Mental Health First Aiders.

Compassion Focussed Therapy, (Paul Gilbert) Advanced Level Practitioner

Schema Therapy, trained as a therapist.

Mindfulness Teacher, training with the Oxford Mindfulness Centre, along with training with Jon Kabat Zinn and Mark Williams. I am trained to deliver a range of programmes including Mindfulness based Cognitive Therapy for Depression (MBCT) and MBCT for Life, Peace in a Frantic World. Along with Mindfulness for chronic pain and physical illness at Breathworks.

Further training with the Mindfulness in Schools Project, allows me to deliver Mindfulness in Schools to children and teachers.

I attend an extensive programme of Continuous Professional Development.

Trainer, Packages in Mental Health and Wellbeing available for businesses

 The rest of life

I aim for CBT to be a way of life. Time walking, hiking mountains, cycling - (proud to have completed the London to Brighton), running (a very slow half marathon!), paddle boarding, meditation, reading, family time, coffee and food lover.