|
Cassandra J. Holinka, PsyDAssociate Professor of PsychiatryClinical Psychologist
Pronouns:
She/Her
|
|||||
- Overview
- Education & Training
- Clinical Interests
- Teaching
- Committees & Organizations
- Publications
- Presentations
Dr. Holinka is the Clinical Director of the Mood & Anxiety Clinic and the Director of the Outpatient Addictions Psychotherapy Services. Through her clinical leadership, she focuses on delivering evidence-based, collaborative, person-centered care. Her systems-level interests include improving the efficiency of systems of care, integrating trauma-informed practices, strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration, and reducing healthcare provider burnout.
Dr. Holinka is also actively engaged in the education and supervision of trainees, including medical and dental students, clinical psychology graduate students, and psychiatry residents. Her areas of expertise include cognitive behavioral therapy, cognitive processing therapy, posttraumatic stress disorder, substance use disorders, professional burnout, and interprofessional collaboration.
| Degree | Institution | Major |
|---|---|---|
| BA | University of Connecticut | Psychology |
| MA | Southern Connecticut State University | Psychology |
| MA | University of Hartford Graduate Institute of Professional Psychology | Clinical Psychology |
| PsyD | University of Hartford Graduate Institute of Professional Psychology | Clinical Psychology |
Post-Graduate Training
| Training | Institution | Specialty |
|---|---|---|
| Internship | Yale School of Medicine | Connecticut Mental Health Center Adult Outpatient/Forensic Drug Diversion Clinic |
| Fellowship | Yale School of Medicine | Forensic Drug Diversion Clinic |
| Professional Training | CPT for PTSD | Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD (Workshop & Follow-up Phone Consultation) |
Awards
| Name of Award/Honor | Awarding Organization |
|---|---|
| 2025 General Adult Psychiatry Residency Psychology Supervisor Award | UConn Health |
| 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award | Psychology Doctoral Internship, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine |
| 2023 Outstanding UCHC Externship Supervisor of the Year | UConn Department of Psychological Sciences |
| 2023 General Adult Psychiatry Residency Psychology Supervisor Award | UConn Health |
| 2022 General Adult Psychiatry Residency Psychology Supervisor Award | UConn Health |
| 2021 General Adult Psychiatry Residency Psychology Supervisor Award | UConn Health |
| 2020 General Adult Psychiatry Residency Psychology Teaching Award | UConn Health |
| Psi Chi National Honor Society in Psychology | University of Hartford |
| New England Scholar | University of Connecticut |
| Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society | University of Connecticut |
Dr. Holinka draws from evidence-based cognitive behavioral and mindfulness-based psychotherapies in her clinical work. She has a particular interest in co-occurring substance use disorders and trauma/PTSD, and is a trained Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for PTSD provider. She seeks to engage her patients in time-limited and collaborative treatment aimed at fostering self-efficacy and recovery. Dr. Holinka also has experience working with patients involved in the legal system.
In addition, Dr. Holinka is interested in improving clinician well-being and reducing burnout. She encourages clinicians to critically examine how systems of care and institutional policies can change to better support providers, staff, and patients.
Seminars/Courses taught: The Psychology of Substanse Use: Helping Patients with Behavior Change (Medical & dental students), Personality Disorders Conference (Medical students), Delivery of Clinical Care D&E (Medical students), Intro to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Psychiatry residents), Evidence-based Psychotherapies for Substance Use Disorders (Psychiatry residents), Cognitive Processing Therapy (Psychiatry residents), Mindfulness (Psychiatry residents), Group Therapy (Psychiatry residents), Forensic Addictions (Psychiatry residents), Substance Use Assessment (Psychiatry residents), Person-Centered Recovery Planning (Psychology interns)
Psychotherapy supervision provided: Clinical psychology (PhD) clerkship supervisor, Outpatient Addictions rotation offered in the Greater Hartford Clinical Psychology Internship Consortium, Cognitive Behavior Therapy supervisor for PGY-3 psychiatry residents, on-site supervisor for PGY-2 psychotherapy clinic
| Name & Description | Category | Role | Type | Scope | Start Year | End Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Co-Chair, Early Career Committee, Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APA Division 12, Section 8) | Professional/Scientific Organization | External | National | 2026 | ||
| Grand Rounds Planning Committee, UConn Health Department of Psychiatry | Education Committee | Member | UConn Health | University | 2025 | |
| UConn Health Medical Board | At-large Member | UConn Health | University | 2025 | 2026 | |
| Clinical Competency Committee, UConn Health Psychiatry Residency Program | Member | UConn Health | University | 2024 | ||
| Psychotherapy Planning Committee, UConn Health Psychiatry Residency Program | Education Committee | Member | UConn Health | University | 2023 | 2025 |
| Grand Rounds Planning Committee, UConn Health Department of Psychiatry | Education Committee | Member | UConn Health | University | 2020 | 2024 |
| Admissions Committee Member, UConn School of Medicine | Other | Member | UConn Health | University | 2019 | 2025 |
| Psychotherapist, Student Behavioral Health | Other | Psychotherapist | UConn Health | University | 2017 | 2019 |
| Admissions Committee Interviewer, UConn School of Medicine | Interviewer | UConn Health | University | 2017 |
Other
-
Re-evaluating the Volitional Test for Criminal Responsibility
Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law 2016 Mar;44(1):126-128
| Title or Abstract | Type | Sponsor/Event | Date/Year | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physician Suicide | Talk | Rush Medical College Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health's Grand Rounds | 2025 | Chicago, IL (Virtual) |
| Physician Suicide | Talk | OBGYN Department, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital | 2025 | Chicago, IL (Virtual) |
| Confronting the Reality of Suicide in General & Physician Populations | Talk | UConn Health Department of Medicine | 2025 | Farmington, CT |
| It’s Time to Talk Politics: Sociopolitical Considerations in Psychotherapy & Supervision (conference session presented at Connecticut Psychological Association’s 39th Annual Convention, co-presented with Dr. Jessica Silverman on 10/24/2025) | Talk | CPA's 39th Annual Convention | 2025 | Orange, CT |
| Breaking Free from Burnout: More than Just Stress (Panel Discussion at the Root Center's Community Forum) | Panel Discussion | Root Center Community Forum | 2025 | West Hartford, CT |
| Confronting the Reality of Suicide in General & Physician Populations | Talk | University of Florida, Department of Psychiatry | 2025 | Jacksonville, FL |
| Preventing and Treating Clinicians' Empathy-Based Stress | Talk | Root Center's Social Work Appreciation Day | 2024 | Manchester, CT |
| Physician Suicide | Talk | TriStar Centennial Psychiatric Residency Program Grand Rounds | 2024 | Nashville, TN (Virtual) |
| Mind Over Mood: Gratitude as your Mental Health Superpower | Panel Discussion | UConn Health Human Resources, World Mental Health Day | 2024 | Farmington, CT |
| Physician Suicide | Talk | Contra Costa Regional Medical Center and Health Centers, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology | 2024 | Concord, CA (Virtual) |
| Managing Burnout in Clinicians Working with Substance Use Disorders | Talk | Root Center's Clinical Grand Rounds | 2023 | Connecticut (Virtual) |
| Physician Wellness: Attending to Issues of Burnout & Mental Health | Talk | Jefferson Health, Department of Psychiatry Grand Rounds | 2023 | Philadelphia, PA (Virtual) |
| Psychologists as Medical School Educators: Opportunities to Impact Future Physicians | Talk | Connecticut Psychological Association, 37th Annual Convention | 2023 | New Haven, CT |
| Co-occurring PTSD and Substance Use in Transitional Age Youth: Assessment and Treatment Planning | Talk | American Psychological Association 2023 Annual Convention | 2023 | Washington DC |
| Motivational Interviewing: Skills & Considerations for Family Medicine (parts 1 & 2) | Lecture | Family Medicine Residency Program, Trinity Health | 2022 | Hartford, CT |
| A Co-occurring Conundrum: Treating PTSD in Transitional Aged Youth with Active Substance Use | Talk | Connecticut Psychological Association, 36th Annual Convention | 2022 | New Haven, CT |
| Suicide | Talk | UConn Health DOEM Colloquium Series | 2022 | Farmington, CT |
| Facing Our Fears: Treating PTSD in the Context of Active Substance Use | Talk | Dept. of Psychiatry, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital | 2022 | Park Ridge, IL (Virtual) |
| Psychological Interventions for Chronic Pain in a Medical Setting | Talk | UConn Health DOEM Colloquium Series | 2021 | Farmington, CT (Virtual) |
| Self-Care for the Trauma Therapist: Turning Our Therapeutic Tools Inward | Talk | Uplifting Voices: Conversations on Trauma & Recovery with the Consortium | 2021 | Hamden, CT (Virtual) |
| Surviving and Thriving: Resilience-Building in Academia | Talk | UConn Health Postdoc Research Week | 2020 | UConn Health, Farmington, CT |
| The Psychology of PTSD and Substance Use in Medical Practice: What You Need to Know | Talk | UConn Health Internal Medicine Grand Rounds | 2020 | UConn Health, Farmington, CT |
| Co-Occurring Posttraumatic Stress Disorder & Substance Use Disorders: Clinical & Treatment Implications | Talk | Western Connecticut State University Addiction Studies Graduate Program | 2020 | Western CT State University, Danbury, CT (Virtual) |
| Beyond Bubble Baths and Beaches: Practicing Evidence-Based Self-Care | Talk | UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity | 2020 | Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity, Hartford, CT (Virtual) |
| Facing Clinician Fears: Treating PTSD in the Context of Active Substance Use | Talk | Office of Community & Continuing Medical Education & Dept of Psychiatry | 2020 | UConn Health, Farmington, CT |
| Face Your Fears: Treating PTSD in the Context of Active Substance Use | Talk | CT Women's Consortium's 2020 Trauma & Recovery Conference | 2020 | CT Women's Consortium, Hamden, CT (Virtual) |
| Managing Mental Health and Imposter Syndrome: Considerations for Scientists | Talk | The Jackson Laboratory | 2019 | Farmington, CT |
| Barriers, facilitators, and solutions to implementation of evidenced-based practices in public behavioral health systems: A look at DBT and addictions treatment | Talk | Newington VA Psychology Department | 2019 | Newington & West Haven VA |
| Trauma, PTSD, and Treatment for Adults | Talk | UConn Health EMS Meeting | 2019 | Farmington, CT |
| Opioid Addiction in Pregnancy: Using Psychology to Enhance Care Across Disciplines | Talk | UConn Health's Opioid Use in Pregnancy Symposium | 2018 | Farmington, CT |
| Smoking Cessation Treatment in a Reentry Population | Talk | American Correctional Conference’s 146th Congress of Correction | 2016 | Boston, MA |
| Reliability of Two Measures of Gender Discrimination and Sexual Harassment of Female Clinicians: A Pilot Study | Poster | New England Psychological Association's Annual Meeting | 2014 | Lewiston, ME |
| Exercise, Sports Participation, and Self-Esteem in College Students | Poster | Eastern Psychological Association's Annual Meeting | 2013 | New York, NY |