Dilruba Sönmez graduated from Istanbul Şehir University, Department of Psychology, with high honors. Then, with a full scholarship, she completed her master's degree in Clinical Psychology at Ibn Haldun University with the thesis "The relationship between social anxiety and cognitive and emotional empathy in adolescents with autism".
She completed it under the supervision of Professor Timothy R. Jordan and her work was published in the International Journal of Developmental Disabilities. She is currently continuing her PhD studies at Ibn Haldun University under the supervision of Professor Timothy Jordan and is in the thesis phase.
Additionally, she currently works as a clinical psychologist at Medipol University and accepts adolescent and adult clients as a clinical psychologist at Ibn Haldun University Psychotherapy Application and Research Center and Istanbul Medipol University.
During her education, she received Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Emotion-Focused Therapy trainings and supervision in this field and still continues to receive them. In the academic field, she continues to work on the relationship between people's cognitive functions (such as empathy and executive functions) and mental health.
Articles published in international peer-reviewed journals:
Uysal, B., Gormez, V., Karatepe, H. T., Sönmez, D., Taştekne, F., Tepedelen, M. S., & Jordan, T. R. (2023). Reducing test anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic: A comparison of the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy. Psychological Reports, 00332941231174394. (SSCI)
Sönmez, D. & Jordan, T.R., (2023). Investigating Associations between Cognitive Empathy, Affective Empathy, and Anxiety in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder. International Journal of Developmental Disabilities. DOI: 10.1080/20473869.2022.2163605. (SSCI)
Uysal, B., Morgül, E., Taştekne, F., Sönmez, D., Tepedelen, M. S., Gülay, S., Eskioğlu Aydın, I., Evecek, H., & Gormez, V. (2022). Videoconferencing-based cognitive behavioral therapy for youth with anxiety and depression during COVID-19 pandemic. School Psychology International. https://doi.org/10.1177/01430343221097613 (SSCI)
Papers presented at international scientific meetings and published in proceedings:
Sönmez, D., Taştekne, F., Tepedelen M.S., (2021). Hope and Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of the Big Five Personality Traits, III. International Covid-19 and Current Issues Congress, Online, 2021, ISCYA Publishing House: Germany.
Articles published in national refereed journals:
Uysal, B., Gormez V., Eren, S., Morgül, E., Öcal, N. B., Karatepe, H. T., Sönmez, D., Taştekne, F., Tepedelen. M. S., Yanık, M. (2021). Living with COVID-19: Depression, Anxiety and Life Satisfaction during the New Normal in Turkey. Journal of Cognitive-Behavioral Psychotherapy and Research, https://doi:10.5455/JCBPR.62468