Dr Sonja Falck is a UKCP-registered and BACP-senior-accredited psychotherapist and supervisor, qualified since 2002. She obtained a degree in Clinical Psychology in Cape Town, South Africa, then followed that in the UK with an MA in Psychoanalysis and a DPsych (Doctor of Psychotherapy). In private practice consistently since qualification, she works with individuals, couples, and groups. She also works within a team in a Central London practice. Sonja specialises in the psychosocial issues associated with the neurodivergence of giftedness/extremely high cognitive ability. She is author of a few related books, several articles, and a regular magazine column, and she has presented her work in the UK, US, and Netherlands. For over 15 years Sonja has held posts in further- and higher-education and in the private training sector. Prior to her current post, she was a Senior Lecturer at the University of East London. At the University of Oxford she serves as Course Director for the Post Graduate Certificate in Psychodynamic Counselling, as well as Director of Studies for short courses in psychology, counselling, and psychotherapy. Sonja is fascinated by interpersonal relationships and is dedicated to how improving these brings joy, greater health, and increased life quality and satisfaction.
Dr Sonja Falck
Course Director for the Postgraduate Certificate in Psychodynamic Counselling
Director of Studies for short courses in Psychology, Counselling and Psychotherapy
Dr Falck is passionate about developing in herself and others the knowledge and skill in interpersonal communication that make it possible for us to have the conversations that matter. She brings this approach to her personal and professional relationships, her consulting work, and her teaching. A proponent of experiential learning, she seeks to facilitate learning environments and activities that prioritise psychological safety for all and immerse students in the subject, making skills acquisition and theory come alive and become personally compelling and applicable.
Dr Falck’s research interests centre on the psychosocial implications of living with the neurodivergence that is extremely high cognitive ability.
Books and Book Chapters:
- Falck, Sonja. (2023). Living with Extreme Intelligence – Essential Communication Skills. Routledge: London & New York.
- Falck, Sonja. (2021). The Psychology of Intelligence. Routledge: London & New York. (Translated into Serbian and Arabic.)
- Falck, Sonja. (2020). Extreme Intelligence – Development, Predicaments, Implications. Routledge: London & New York.
- Falck, Sonja & Shemmings, David. (2014). “Fake It ‘Til You Make It” – Can Deliberately Adopting Secure Attachment Behaviour Lead to Secure Attachment Organization?, in Assessing Disorganized Attachment Behaviour in Children – An Evidence-Based Model for Understanding and Supporting Families, edited by Shemmings, D. & Shemmings, Y. Jessica Kingsley Publishers: London.
Selected Articles:
- Falck, Sonja. Trust the Process. In Therapy Today, November 2024.
- Falck, Sonja. Friend breakups: Why they can sometimes feel as bad as falling out of love. In The Conversation, April 2024.
- Falck, Sonja. Gifted, talented and…alone. In Therapy Today, November 2023.
- Author of regular column “Intelligent Relationships” in Mensa’s bimonthly members’ magazine “IQ”.
