Yvonne Barnes-Holmes is a highly accomplished academic and clinician who has made significant contributions to the field of psychology. She has over 20 years of experience in teaching, training, publishing, and presenting. Before co-founding Perspectives Ireland, she was an Associate Professor in Behaviour Analysis and a Senior Research Fellow at Ghent University. In this article we learn a bit more about Yvonne and how she got to where she is today.
Despite her success, Yvonne had humble beginnings, and she never thought she would even go to university. Her determination and passion for behaviour analysis helped her overcome her challenges and achieve her dreams. Perhaps because her background gives her a different perspective about mental health, Yvonne has always had a particular interest in complex and diverse cases as well as undertaking her clinical supervision. Whilst never deliberately setting out to create a new form of behaviour therapy, the results of her work are inspirational and enables psychology practitioners to work with greater adaptability and precision with their clients.
Early days
Yvonne grew up in a large family in Northern Ireland that experienced violence and political strife. She was the youngest of 11 children, and she did not come from an academic or book-loving family. In fact, there were no books in her house when she was growing up! Despite this, she excelled in school and won a scholarship to attend a private grammar school, where she discovered a love for literature. Her sister struggled with alcoholism and had three young children, which added to the challenges of Yvonne’s home life. Yvonne’s experiences growing up in a difficult environment may have influenced her radical perspective and her interest in behaviourism, which focuses on the environmental factors that shape behaviour.
Career development
Yvonne’s early career was marked by a strong focus on developing and applying behavioural science research to address real-world problems. As a student and researcher she moved Universities several times, from Manchester to Ulster (where she worked as an intern for her future husband, Dermot) to Cork and then to Ghent in Belgium. She and Ciara Enteggart founded Perspectives Ireland in order to attain full control over their clinical work. Overall her work has had a significant impact on the field of psychology and has influenced the development of evidence-based interventions for a range of mental health conditions.
An impressive academic contribution
Yvonne has published over 150 scientific articles, book chapters, and books and has given over 500 presentations and workshops internationally. As a behaviour therapist, she has an extensive track record in complex and diverse cases and in clinical supervision. She is the co-developer of process-based behaviour therapy (PBBT)™, a new form of behaviour therapy based on cutting-edge research in relational frame theory (RFT).
Yvonne was interviewed by Colin Harte in June 2022 for an article published in the Association for Behaviour Analysis International (ABAI) which gives further background into her background and how PBBT evolved.
More about PBBT (process-based behaviour therapy)
Process-based behaviour therapy (PBBT) is a new form of psychotherapy that focuses on the functional processes underlying a person’s behaviour. PBBT works by fundamentally changing the relationship we have with ourselves and redirecting our behaviour towards a more meaningful life. PBBT is flexible and emphasises the importance of the therapeutic relationship, client empowerment, and a focus on the present moment. It helps clients develop a more adaptive and flexible psychological repertoire that they can use to manage their behaviours, emotions, and thoughts in a more effective way. PBBT is a goal-oriented therapy, and the therapist and client work together to set specific behavioural and emotional goals that the client wishes to achieve.
Visit Yvonne’s trainer profile to explore her upcoming courses and related resources or articles.