Sonja is a Registered Clinical Psychologist who completed her training at the University of Canterbury. She has 17 years of experience working in Specialist Mental Health Services at the Canterbury District Health Board.

She has also worked with adults with moderate to severe mental illness for over a decade. The Children’s Specialist Centre is proud to offer Sonja’s psychology services which are in demand now more than ever to help young people and their families develop coping strategies to see them through a rapidly changing, pressured existence.

Sonja has trained in a wide range of evidence-based psychotherapies to ensure all treatments are tailored to individual needs. Sonja uses proven theories to understand both normal and abnormal development and how this impacts the thoughts and behaviour of individuals and groups.

Sonja is also proud to be a member of the New Zealand College of Clinical Psychologists, a registered NZ Incorporated Society and non-profit professional services organisation. NZCCP is committed to ensuring the highest standards of clinical psychology practice be available to the public of New Zealand.

It also provides reassurance to families and patients that listed clinical psychologists are trained and competent and distinguished from others offering mental health services.

Outside of the Children’s Specialist Centre, Sonja continues to work with children and youth at the CDHB.

“Take care of our children
Take care of what they hear
Take care of what they feel
For how the children grow
So will be the shape of Aotearoa”
Dame Whina Cooper