About me
I’m Sonya Black, a BABCP-accredited Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist and the founder of CBT in Partnership. I have over 20 years’ experience helping people understand what is happening in their lives and make changes that matter to them.
You may be feeling anxious or overwhelmed, dealing with the effects of trauma, struggling in a relationship, or finding that a major life change has left you unsure of yourself. Sometimes you can appear to be coping on the outside while feeling stuck on the inside. You do not need to have a clear label for what you are experiencing before getting in touch.
My approach is warm, practical and collaborative. We begin by understanding your difficulties in the context of your life: what you have been through, what is happening now, and the patterns in your thoughts, feelings, body and behaviour. Some patterns may once have helped you cope but are now getting in the way. Together, we can work out what keeps them going and what might help you move forward.
I draw on evidence-based CBT alongside compassion-focused therapy, mindfulness, schema-informed approaches and EMDR, tailoring our work to your needs and goals. Therapy is a space to feel heard, but it is also an opportunity to develop useful tools and practise change between sessions. My aim is to help you become more confident in understanding and supporting yourself.
I work with adults experiencing anxiety, trauma and PTSD, low mood, burnout, relationship difficulties and significant life transitions.
I’m based in Tunbridge Wells and work with clients online across the UK. I offer 1:1 and a Group Programme.
If you’re considering therapy, please get in touch. We can talk about what you’re looking for and whether working together feels right for you.
Training, qualifications & experience
An accredited BABCP, with 20 years post qualifying experience. With an MSc in Cognitive and Rational Emotive and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy in 2006 by Goldsmiths College, University of London, Post-Graduate Diploma in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy from the Institute of Psychiatry. 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.
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
- EMDR trained, Level 1 and 2.
- Schema Therapy, trained as a therapist.
Mindfulness and Breathworks 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.
Member organisations
school Registered / Accredited
Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.
The BABCP is the lead organisation for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in the UK. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in the practice, theory or development of CBT. BABCP also provides accreditation for CBT therapists. BABCP accredited members adhere to the Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics in the Practice of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies, and are willing to be scrutinised in this adherence as required.
Accredited register membership
The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Therapies offered
Fees
£100.00 - £150.00
Health Insurance/EAP
Further information
I’m based in Tunbridge Wells and offer online therapy to clients across the UK. My approach is collaborative, practical and tailored to you. In our first sessions, we’ll explore what has brought you to therapy, what you would like to change and what may be keeping the difficulty going.
I use evidence-based CBT alongside compassion-focused and trauma-informed approaches. Sessions give you space to talk and make sense of your experiences, with practical tools you can use between appointments. We’ll review how the work is going and adjust our focus as your needs change.
