Pamela Holens, PhD, C.Psych.

  • Portrait of Pamela Holens

  • Associate professor 

    Max Rady College of Medicine
    Clinical Health Psychology
    c/o OSI Clinic, Deer Lodge Centre
    2019 Portage Avenue
    Winnipeg, Manitoba R3M 3V4

    Phone: 204-787-7424

     

Cross-appointments

Adjunct professor, department of psychology, University of Manitoba

Research summary

Pamela Holens’ area of research specialization is military, veteran, and police mental health. Within this domain, she has been active in developing and researching novel chronic pain treatment deliveries, suicide prevention, and in understanding the impacts of childhood abuse and posttraumatic stress disorder. She has recently been involved in research projects looking at online psychotherapies, chronic pain and its treatment, posttraumatic stress and its treatment, suicidality prevalence and prevention, disability and leisure activities, pathways to mental health treatment, and developing workplace resilience using mindfulness-based cognitive behavioural therapy.

  • Research themes

    • Attachment
    • Childhood abuse
    • Chronic pain treatment
    • Dialectical behaviour therapy
    • Internet-based treatment
    • Mental health of military, veterans, and police
    • Posttraumatic stress disorder treatment (PTSD)
    • Suicidality

  • Keywords

    • Adverse childhood
    • Attachment
    • Child abuse
    • Chronic pain
    • Military
    • Online therapy
    • Police
    • PTSD
    • RCMP
    • Suicidal behaviour
    • Suicide
    • Veteran

Biography

Dr. Pamela Holens is an associate professor in clinical health psychology at the University of Manitoba, adjunct professor in the department of psychology at the University of Manitoba, and director of the Military, Veteran, and Police Health Research Lab. She is also a clinical psychologist and the clinical director at the Operational Stress Injury Clinic at Deer Lodge Centre.

Dr. Holens specializes in the assessment and treatment of operational stress injuries in military, RCMP, and veterans.  Her particular areas of specialization include evidence-based psychotherapies for posttraumatic stress disorder and for chronic pain, and dialectical behaviour therapy skills groups for individuals struggling with emotional dysregulation and difficulties tolerating distress. She is a co-author of the most recent Report on Suicide Prevention in the Canadian Armed Forces.

Education

  • Doctor of philosophy, department of psychology, University of Manitoba (2010)
  • Master of arts, department of psychology, University of Manitoba (2002)
  • Master of education, Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba (1996)
  • Bachelor of education, Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba (1990)

Contact us

Clinical Health Psychology
PZ350-771 Bannatyne Avenue
University of Manitoba, Bannatyne Campus
Winnipeg, MB R3E 3N4 Canada

204-787-7424
204-787-3755