Based in Brisbane, Australia, Paula is internationally recognised as a preeminent scholar and groundbreaking researcher in the field of child psychology. She also has a distinguished international reputation as a keynote presenter.

Paula is the author of the widely-acclaimed FRIENDS for Life, FUN FRIENDS and FOCUS programmes.

The scientifically validated FRIENDS for Life programme has been recognised by the World Health Organization as best practice for the prevention and treatment of anxiety and depression in children and adolescents.

Video - An interview about Paula shown on "Inside Queensland" on Australian Televison

In addition to New Zealand FRIENDS has been introduced in countries as wide-ranging as Canada, Norway, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the United States, Hong Kong, Mexico, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Saudi Arabia and Portugal. Over one million children worldwide have benefitted from these programmes.

Paula is presently under tenure as an Adjunct Professor of the School of Education at the University of Queensland. She has supervised 24 Honours, 19 Masters and 13 PhD students to successful completion of their postgraduate degrees.

Video - Paula wins Queensland Yellow Business Owners award at Australia's Telstra's Business Woman Award 2008 - Newspaper Article and Weblink to Pathways Blog regarding the award.

Paula is also the Director of the innovative research-based clinic Pathways Health and Research Centre located in West End and Woolloongabba, Brisbane. Pathways Health and Research Centre is a family resilience and treatment centre which promotes an innovative and empowering philosophy to help families develop positive life skills.

With a highly trained group of national and international specialists, Pathways Health and Research Centre is continually conducting cutting-edge research in the field of child psychology and evaluations of anxiety prevention and obsessive compulsive disorder treatments.

Paula named one of Queensland's 50 Best and Brightest

Like Lifepaths in New Zealand, Paula's Pathways Health and Research Centre in Australia provides training sessions in the FRIENDS and FOCUS programmes to Guidance Officers, teachers and teacher aides, principals, social workers, allied health professionals and therapists, creating greater access to these treatments to the wider community and schools.

In recognition of excellence in her field of expertise, Paula has received: the Fulbright Scholarship at the age of 16; a Commonwealth Scholarship in 1991 to complete her research Doctorate; the National Australian Association for Cognitive and Behaviour Therapy Early Career Award for her research and innovation in the field of clinical psychology in 1998; the National Australian Psychology Society Award for outstanding scholarship in the discipline of psychology in 1999; and Lord Mayor's 2007 Australia Day Achievement Award for outstanding services in the community for families and children. Most recently, Paula was a finalist in the Australian of the Year Award, Queensland.

In 2007 Paula spearheaded the creation of The Pathways to Resilience Trust. This charitable trust aims to implement Paula's programmes, on a not-for-profit basis, in Australian schools of low-SES, indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, as well as in areas affected by flood and drought. The Trust also assists those in economic need to access psychological assistance, and continues to advocate for early intervention for children and the prevention of anxiety and depression.

Paula's life mission and passion is to help children become the best they can be and to support families to attain a higher degree of happiness in their lives. Despite her impressive achievements, Paula remains humble to her cause and returns as much as possible to the heart and heritage of the Northern Territory and to the natural splendour and wonder of Stradbroke Island where she loves spending time with her partner, two children, two puppies and three kittens.

"...Dr. Barrett is considered to be in the first rank of international scholars working in the area of childhood anxiety disorders." 
Dr. John S. March

Dr. John S. March (Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, Duke Child and Family Study Centre, USA)Dr. John March is a professor of psychiatry and psychology at Duke University Medical Center, and the director of Neurosciences Medicine at the Duke Clinical Research Institute. Formerly chief of the division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Duke, Dr. March has extensive experience developing and testing the efficacy and effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral and pharmacological treatments for pediatric and adult mental illnesses.

Read more about Paula here .