The Relational Ripple: How PTSD Shapes Connection and Communication Virtual Lunch and Learn
Pause, ponder, proceed: Transform reactivity into resilience and strengthen relationships.
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12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
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Virtual
Trauma doesn’t just affect the individual, it often sends ripples through relationships, shaping communication, intimacy, and emotional connection. In this 45-minute session, Stefanie Holmden MSW RSW explores how PTSD and OSI-related trauma impact relational dynamics, highlighting common activation points that can disrupt connection. Participants will learn practical strategies rooted in Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) to recognize patterns, navigate conflict, and respond thoughtfully. Central to the session is the “Pause, Ponder, Proceed” technique, a simple yet powerful tool to transform reactivity into resilience and strengthen relationships, even in high-stress environments. Attendees will leave with actionable insights to foster awareness, empathy, and connection in both personal and professional relationships.
To maintain appropriate professional and ethical boundaries, individuals who are current or former therapy clients, as well as those who have a personal relationship with the facilitator, are asked not to attend live events. This boundary is in place to protect confidentiality, avoid dual relationships, and preserve the integrity of the therapeutic relationship.
About the speaker:
Stefanie Holmden is a mental health professional and sought-after speaker with over a decade of experience working at the intersection of trauma, relationships, and complex mental health challenges. She is trained in Acceptance Committment Therapy (ACT), EMDR, Prolonged Exposure (PE), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and Interpersonal Therapy, with particular expertise in PTSD-especially how trauma impacts attachment, intimacy, and relational functioning-alongside anxiety, depression, and mood-related concerns.
She is the founder of HOLMM Mental Health and currently practices in private practice capacity, while also working with military members and police through the OSI program at The Royal. Her clinical and leadership expereince spans military, public policy, and mood disorders programs.
Stefanie holds a Master of Social Work from Carleton University and a Women in Leadership Certificate from the Univeristy of Cambridge, where she focused on moral strain, moral injury, and trauma-informed wellness. She has delivered invited presentations to the Law Association of Ontario on anxiety and perfectionism, to the Public Service Alliance of Canada on moral strain and moral injury, and within academic settings to Master of Social Work students at Carleton University. Her public policy expertise has been recognized by CBC, NPR Austin, Los Angeles Times, and Rogers TV, highlighting her ability to translate complex mental health and trauma-related issues into accessible, meaningful dialogue for the public.
*Stefanie’s speaking, teaching, and professional perspectives are offered through HOLMM and are informed,but not represented, by her institutional roles.
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