Rate My Professor Paul Rhodes

Paul Rhodes is an Associate Professor in the School of Psychology within the Faculty of Science at the University of Sydney, where he serves in the Clinical Psychology Unit as Admissions Coordinator. Holding a Ph.D., he has over 35 years of experience working with young people and families, specializing in recovery-oriented therapy, youth suicide prevention, affirmative therapy for neurodiversity, art therapy, trauma-informed care, couples and family therapy, and individual and family-based treatment for anorexia nervosa. His teaching portfolio includes family therapy, community-based approaches to mental health, and a lived experience co-designed course exploring insider knowledge of recovery. Rhodes co-leads the Ecological Emotions Research Lab with Dr. James Dunk and has been affiliated with the University since at least 2005, previously serving at the Children's Hospital at Westmead from 2005 to 2009.

Rhodes' research encompasses clinical psychology, with a focus on eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, including randomized controlled trials of inpatient treatment for medically unstable adolescents (2015), processes of recovery from chronic anorexia nervosa (2014), components of manualized family-based treatment (2012), and labeling severe and enduring anorexia nervosa (2017). Other key publications address psychological interventions for cancer patient distress (2016), recovery in voice-hearing individuals (2016), fear of cancer recurrence (2014), and parent efficacy in family-based treatment (2005), amassing over 4,000 citations. His current work explores eco-psychology, climate distress among young people, liberation psychology, decolonization of the field, refugee trauma experiences, and innovations in qualitative methods like narrative inquiry and grounded theory. Rhodes received the Sydney Environment Institute's 2022 Collaborative Project Fellowship for research on emotions, young people, and climate distress. He has delivered psychology colloquia and keynotes on eco-anxiety and psycho-terratic paradigms, contributing to transdisciplinary initiatives in the Faculty of Science.