The Body Keeps the Score

The Body Keeps the Score

About the book:

Trauma is a fact of life. Veterans and their families deal with the painful aftermath of combat; one in five Americans has been molested; one in four grew up with alcoholics; one in three couples have engaged in physical violence. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, one of the world’s foremost experts on trauma, has spent over three decades working with survivors. In The Body Keeps the Score, he uses recent scientific advances to show how trauma literally reshapes both body and brain, compromising sufferers’ capacities for pleasure, engagement, self-control, and trust. He explores innovative treatments—from neurofeedback and meditation to sports, drama, and yoga—that offer new paths to recovery by activating the brain’s natural neuroplasticity. Based on Dr. van der Kolk’s own research and that of other leading specialists, The Body Keeps the Score exposes the tremendous power of our relationships both to hurt and to heal—and offers new hope for reclaiming lives.

This is an illuminating work about how trauma lives in our bodies (most visibly seen as PTSD), and more importantly how it can be healed. This is a foundational text for understanding trauma, and I would say required reading for anyone wishing to undertake the writing of or eliciting of difficult stories (by interview and/or writing).

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Joyful Recollections of Trauma