Meet Barbara:
Change Maker, Stigma Disruptor, Mental Health and Human Rights Advocate.
A highly esteemed trainer and facilitator, and an inspirational ‘thought leader’ in her field, Barbara has over 14 years’ experience in changing the culture of mental health at all levels of society. Her desire to bring a message of hope and share the knowledge that people who have struggled with their mental health can and DO recover, is at the heart of her work, and comes from her own lived experience of surviving suicide and overcoming severe and long-term mental illness.

Barbara uses her passion and experience to give voice to people with lived experience of mental health difficulties, inspire a message of hope and recovery and ultimately spark an international conversation on reducing stigma and raising awareness about mental illness and recovery.

Barbara led ‘See Change’, the national stigma reduction programme which is famed for the iconic Green Ribbon campaign for the last 5years as part of her work. She has also been part of the Global Anti Stigma Alliance inspiring change internationally. A regular contributor to national mainstream media and social media, Barbara is at home speaking to local community groups, CEO’s or senior leaders in the public and corporate world. She regularly advises on mental health policy and reasonable accommodations for organisations focused on improving the mental health of their people. She has lectured at Dublin City University, Trinity College Dublin, and University College Cork inspiring people to think differently about mental health and wellbeing. In the national discourse on mental health, Barbara has been a driving force for change, providing guidance to influential policy bodies like the National Office for Suicide Prevention, Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, Mental Health Commission, and numerous major corporations. Barbara also works on the Elephant in the Room Movement with Brent Pope, influencing conversations about mental health through the arts.

Join Barbara in her transformative journey as she paves the way for a brighter future in mental health advocacy and societal change.