Meet Dr Sanja Kilian

Dr Sanja Kilian is a clinical psychologist in Sea Point, who is deeply committed to her work with people across all stages of life. She considers it an honour to be trusted by her clients and to participate actively in their mental health journeys. Dr Kilian holds a doctorate in psychology and a master’s degree in clinical psychology and is registered with the HSPCA as an independent practitioner.

Throughout her extensive training, she completed internships at Tygerberg Hospital and Stikland Hospital, working in the Adult Neuropsychiatry and Medical Psychology Unit at Tygerberg and an Adult Therapeutic Unit at Stikland. Her community service year was spent at Khayelitsha Hospital, where she broadened her experience in treating children and adults.

Before her clinical training, she was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Department of Psychiatry (SU), focusing on schizophrenia research and exploring the potential impact of early trauma on cognitive functioning and treatment outcomes. This role included a time at the Green Lab and Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behaviour (UCLA), enhancing her training in neuroscience.

Today, she balances her role as a therapist in Sea Point, operating a private practice, with her position as a psychosis researcher at the Department of Psychiatry (SU). She offers psychotherapy, neuropsychological assessments, and medico-legal assessments, specialising in managing depression, anxiety, psychosis, substance abuse, and neurological conditions.

In her personal time, Dr Kilian enjoys road running, reading novels, and spending quality time with her family and friends.