If you’ve ever wondered how trauma affects not just your emotions but your physical body too, The Body Keeps the Score by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk offers a groundbreaking explanation. This bestselling book has become a cornerstone for understanding trauma, especially for those looking to heal deeply and fully.

What Is “The Body Keeps the Score” About?

Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, a renowned psychiatrist and trauma researcher, draws from decades of experience working with survivors of abuse, combat veterans, and patients with complex PTSD. His core message is powerful: trauma doesn’t just live in our minds. It lives in our bodies.

The book explores how traumatic experiences reshape both brain function and body responses, often leaving people stuck in patterns of fear, shame, anxiety, or numbness. It also highlights a wide range of healing modalities that go beyond traditional talk therapy.

Key Takeaways from the Book

1. Trauma Changes the Brain

Neuroscience shows that trauma affects brain regions like the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex areas responsible for emotion regulation, memory, and decision-making. This explains why survivors may feel easily triggered or stuck in survival mode.

2. The Body Remembers What the Mind Tries to Forget

Even when we try to move on mentally, the body continues to hold on to traumatic stress. This can manifest as chronic pain, fatigue, digestive issues, or autoimmune responses.

3. Healing Requires the Body

Dr. van der Kolk emphasizes that healing from trauma is not purely cognitive. Modalities like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), yoga, neurofeedback, and somatic therapy help reconnect the body with the mind.

4. Safe Relationships Are Essential

Healing happens in safe, supportive environments. Whether through therapy or community, connection plays a critical role in helping the nervous system regulate and feel secure again.

Why This Book Matters to Your Healing Journey

Whether you’re dealing with childhood trauma, anxiety, PTSD, or emotional numbness, The Body Keeps the Score helps you make sense of your experiences. It removes shame from the equation and replaces it with science-backed understanding and hope.

At its heart, the book reminds us: You are not broken. You’re responding to wounds that can heal.

Who Should Read This Book?

• Trauma survivors seeking insight and healing
• Therapists, counselors, and coaches
• Anyone curious about the mind-body connection
• Those struggling with emotional triggers, body-based anxiety, or PTSD

How I Integrates This Insight Into Therapy

I draw deeply from books like The Body Keeps the Score in my therapeutic approach. I believes that healing is not just about talking. It’s about feeling safe, re-regulating the body, and gently reprocessing your story at your pace.

Ready to Begin Healing?

You don’t have to do it alone. Book a free consultation today and explore how therapy can help you feel more whole, safe, and empowered again.

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