The Body Keeps the Score

As someone who struggles with depression and anxiety resulting from physical and emotional abuse experienced in my youth, I was enthralled by Dr. van der Kolk’s explanations of how the mind and body react, process, and integrate trauma. I was also impressed by the humanity he demonstrated when referring to his past cases as well as his approaches to treatment. The Body Keeps the Score opened my eyes to new possibilities for helping me along my journey to peace and healing.

It confirmed my own perspectives about self-healing grief and trauma as in my own book. 

This book, by Bessel Van Der Kolk, MD (Viking, September 2014), a bestseller, is probably the most renowned book on childhood trauma. His book changed my life and the way I look at healing from childhood trauma. \

Bessel has received praise from laypeople and professionals for this highly readable book. In it, Kolk emphasizes how the brain understands trauma and how, through different strategies, the brain can rewire itself to filter out thoughts and feelings associated with trauma.

Neuro-feedback, mindfulness, yoga, and play are included in the book to give the reader different methods for how to change the… show more.

I was fascinated by the depth of the impacts of trauma and could almost feel how it lives in my cells as I learned that trauma is literally stored in my body. This book almost scared me because it clearly shows how much I am unconsciously informed by the various circumstances and experiences of my history.

It also helped me understand that it is not inescapable and can be healed and overcome. It made me curious about how I might unconsciously reinforce trauma through repeated stories that keep me trapped in behaviors. In doing so, it helped me build on… show more.

By understanding, we can find ways to change. I read this book with my brother while he was pursuing his MSW. While very academic, this slightly dated book begins to helpfully unpack why we feel things all over our bodies and how we can better retrain our central nervous systems to make our days better by looking at trauma. 

Van der Kolk argues that trauma is one of the West’s most urgent public health issues. The trauma caused by childhood neglect, sexual or domestic abuse, and war wreaks havoc on our bodies.

Over time, traumatic stress is associated with lasting functional and chemical changes in the brain. But healing is still possible.

I found this book inspiring because it takes a different perspective on treating trauma, which is the basis of so many mental health problems. The author draws on his decades of experience treating people who are haunted by their stressful experiences. I love his clear explanation that when people are deeply traumatized by war, disaster, or abuse, their reality is distinctly different from those around them, and it’s like they live on another planet.

He uses stories and case studies to explain his view that the most powerful way to treat psychological trauma is not through the mind but through… show more.

I recommend this book because it is a deep dive into trauma and how it can impact all of our lives. This book helps the reader understand the consequences of trauma and how to ultimately heal from the trauma. In my personal and professional opinion, everyone should read this book to better learn about themselves.

The key to growing and becoming better daily is to have self-awareness. This book helped me develop self-awareness about others and my clients as well. I have learned how to be more empathetic towards others by reading this book.

I am a trauma therapist, and this is the best book written about how trauma not only affects our minds but also affects our bodies.

The author has transformed my understanding of traumatic stress, revealing how it literally rearranges the brain’s wiring—specifically areas dedicated to pleasure, engagement, control, and trust.

This book is my somatic therapy bible.

This is an amazing book and, after many years, continues to make its rounds among my colleagues and other social workers who are working with youth. They appreciate having read it, and it really helps workers think deeply about what trauma-informed ways of working actually mean.

The book helps clarify how people cope with trauma and how such behaviours are more to do with fear, coping, and trying to make sense of an unsafe world. This book is full of powerful comments and quotes that will stick with you. People with trauma do not act out due to being morally… show more.