My name is Laura Barbosa. I trained as a doctor in Johannesburg, South Africa, and completed my studies in 1992. Since 1995, I have been working in psychiatry after some general medicine rotations. I became a Fellow of the College of Psychiatrists of South Africa in 1999.
In 2006 I moved to Bendigo Health and started my 12.5 year journey there. I also gained my local Fellowship with the RANZCP. I flew to Swan Hill weekly for adult and later child and adolescent clinics on a small plane which was a great way to see the beautiful sights of Victoria but also sometimes too scary. I travelled to Echuca to see children and adolescents and also did so in Bendigo.
I then worked as the first dedicated psychiatrist with the newly formed Youth Early Psychosis Service. Our small team covered Swan Hill to Gisborne and we worked with the Early Intensive Intervention model which was so rewarding with young people aged 16 to 25. Later the service expanded to include all diagnoses in young people. I spent my last years as the Principal Psychiatrist at the Adult Acute Unit in the old and then the new hospital.
I enjoyed my time working with some excellent teams and also have a passion for teaching psychiatry to students and young doctors, but then decided to go into private practice to focus on my areas of interest. These include mood and anxiety disorders and grief work.
I work across the whole life spectrum: from children, teens, youths to adults. I enjoy working with families/carers and their children or adults with autism and other disabilities. I also have an interest in women’s mental health through their life time.
