The Film
Synopsis
PTSD Love Stories is a story of hope and an exploration of identity, love and relationships of the caregivers for those who suffer from PTSD as a result of trauma incurred from working in the Fire, Ambulance, Police services, and the Australian Defence Force. Who cares for the Carers? We follow three remarkable women who are finding ways forward to love, to care and still be free to explore their identity and fulfil their own needs. Their stories shed light on mental health, intergenerational trauma, PTSD, suicide, and stigma in the workplace. Quirky and inspirational, the film uses art as a medium to explore serious issues with a light-hearted touch.
Film Participants
Kim Herringe
Kim found the love of her life online and married veteran/first responder husband Nick. She gave up her graphic design business and admits she was naive about PTSD. Kim juggles caring for Nick while building her printmaking career. This inspired her to create PTSD – A Love Story, an artist book she hoped would support her relationship and others navigating similar challenges. The book is now a permanent part of the Artists' Books Collection at the State Library of Queensland and the Australian National Veterans Arts Museum.
Cathy Sadler
Cathy grew up living in Gympie Fire Station and watched her mother cope with her father’s role as Chief Officer. She gave up being a lawyer to care for Ralph, her veteran husband and their beautiful children, Sam and Zoe. Cathy is aware of the intergenerational trauma in her family and uses it to give her strength as she navigates her role as a carer and while searching for employment to rebuild a new professional identity.
Katie Tonacia
Katie married her teenage sweetheart, David, a former Australian Federal Police (AFP) Officer. They have three adult children. Katie felt stigmatised in her AFP job for being married to someone with PTSD. She wants to educate first responders about PTSD. As she stomps out stigma in the workplace through her role as an activist, she struggles to find a balance between being a carer, a mother and herself.
Nicholas Hodge
Nick served in both the Army and the Federal Police before PTSD caught up with him and he found it difficult to adjust to civilian life. . Funny, frank, and often disarmingly self-aware, he participates in equine-assisted therapy and supports his wife Kim’s art practice and public exhibitions.
Ralph Sadler
Ralph went from military college to the front lines of Iraq. After Iraq, Ralph didn’t recognise himself and neither did his family. Beneath the humour and the high-functioning shell, something had shifted. After several psychiatric hospitalisations, he now focuses on staying active, mentoring through Disaster Relief Australia, and rebuilding his sense of self with the support of his partner Cathy.
David Tonacia
David was deployed to the Solomon Islands as a peacekeeper and returned with invisible injuries that would reshape his family’s life. A once calm, steady man, he began battling night terrors and turned to alcohol to silence the noise. With the support of his wife Katie, he is finding his way back through peer education, AA meetings, and time around the campfire
Fenji Stradwick
Fenji is a friend of Katie and Dave, and also one of the original participants of Katie's Program Picking Up The Pieces. After experiencing trauma in her role as a Paramedic, Fenji discovered the power of art and creative practice to heal, connect and recover.
John Corbet
John is Cathy’s father and a retired Chief Fire Officer. He dedicated his life to protecting others through his work in emergency services, a role that carried not only honour, but significant personal and emotional toll.
Pam Corbet
Pam is Cathy’s mother and the wife of a former Chief Fire Officer. She raised her family within the walls of a fire station, quite literally, and modelled resilience, composure, and care in the face of emergency service life. Pam’s experience as the partner of a first responder, along with her arts practice, allowed her to support Cathy as she navigated trauma and caregiving.
Short Film
The short distils the journey so dialogue can start quickly. Katie represents the carer perspective and workplace realities; David informs how trauma can affect home life; together, they offer informative moments that translate directly into discussion prompts. Kim’s studio touches on focused self-care, insight, and finding individuality; Nick’s journey reflects Kim’s, revealing the energy and patience needed to manage trauma. Cathy’s day-to-day logistics and parenting load are front and centre; Ralph is shown managing the present and seeking help; together, they surface practical takeaways audiences can apply immediately. The short’s strength is accessibility and pace: a crisp, high-impact screening that fits PDs, lunch-and-learns, awareness events or conference breakouts where you will pair the film with a brief Q&A or activity.
31 Minutes
Feature Film
The feature sits with consequence and complexity. Katie’s deeper personal history and work–identity tensions prompt her to develop boundary-setting and self-advocacy; David gains more confidence and ability to contribute, showing regulation and repair is possible. Their scenes slow down around difficult conversations, naming stigma and mapping supports over time. With Kim, the studio and artist-book practice become meaning-making and self-care; Nick appears in quiet beats of recalibration and routine that steady home life. Together, they model communication, rupture, as well as reassessment of goals and desires. Cathy carries a heavy mental load of her own while managing parenting duties and intergenerational tensions. Meanwhile, Ralph moves through crisis, recovery and sustainable supports; together, they negotiate triggers, safety plans and community connection, providing hope for families facing uncertainty. The feature film’s strength is nuance and space to process, powering workshops or panels that want to go deeper into boundaries, burnout, stigma reduction and sustainable care.
84 Minutes
