About Sonia
Sonia first began her career in therapy in 2017 and earned her Master’s in Counselling from Monash University in 2019. Her interest in the long-term impact of childhood experiences on daily functioning inspired her to pursue specialised therapeutic approaches for individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). This dedication led her to complete two years of advanced schema therapy training, predominantly under the supervision of Dr. Agnes Sullivan, the founder of the Schema Therapy Institute in London.
Her father is an advanced schema therapist, trained directly by the founder of schema therapy, Dr. Jeffrey Young, and her mother is a solution-focused therapist. Both have devoted their careers to healthy parenting practices and preventive approaches aimed at minimising the development of schemas in children. Sonia and her husband, TJ (see photo), have also received training in and benefited from the ‘Good Enough Parenting’ program. Together, they facilitate local discussions to foster increased self-awareness among young parents and to provide community-based psychological support. For more information about their program, visit https://goodenoughparenting.com/ .
Understanding Schema Therapy
Schema Therapy combines elements of cognitive-behavioural, experiential, interpersonal and psychoanalytic therapies. It’s a systematic approach, but also allows some flexibility within sessions to target meaningful change for each person.
Schemas develop from unmet emotional needs in childhood. When triggered, they feel threatening, and people react in ways that once helped them cope as children, but are less helpful in adulthood. These coping styles can keep people stuck in unhealthy patterns. Schema Therapy supports people to recognise and break free from learned dysfunction so they can relate to themselves and others in healthier ways. For more information about Schema Therapy, visit the global community website below.
Schema Therapy with Sonia 