Workplace trauma

Holder says that as a plaintiffs' lawyer many of her clients were on antidepressants and that workplace harm spills into personal relationships.

“I sadly remember my days of representing plaintiffs where many of my clients were on antidepressants”

Notes from the Edge: How Do You Know When Work Becomes Trauma? Toxic Work Culture with Natalie Holder (Oct 2, 2026) · Listen from 14:20

Holder says clients who avoid calling their experiences trauma tend to repeat the same mistakes at different organizations.

“I have seen making the same mistakes in different organizations, all because they were afraid to call what they experienced trauma”

Notes from the Edge: How Do You Know When Work Becomes Trauma? Toxic Work Culture with Natalie Holder (Oct 2, 2026) · Listen from 8:04

Holder defines workplace trauma as any harmful, distressing experience with deep impact that a person keeps reliving after the incident.

“a workplace trauma is anything that has occurred that is harmful, distressing, and really has deep-seated impact on you”

Notes from the Edge: How Do You Know When Work Becomes Trauma? Toxic Work Culture with Natalie Holder (Oct 2, 2026) · Listen from 3:14

Lacy argues that workplace exclusion can resurface childhood experiences and that lingering, 'sticky' feelings signal a deeper layer.

“a workplace trauma like that, being excluded, can bring up something that happened to you when you were 10”

Notes from the Edge: How Do You Know When Work Becomes Trauma? Toxic Work Culture with Natalie Holder (Oct 2, 2026) · Listen from 6:03