Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
The Body Keeps the Score
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma | Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.
A New York Times Science Bestseller Packed with science and human stories, the book is an intense read. . . . The struggle and resilience of [van der Kolks] patients is very moving. New Scientist A pioneering researcher transforms our understanding of trauma and offers a bold new paradigm for healing 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 worlds 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 treatmentsfrom neurofeedback and meditation to sports, drama, and yogathat offer new paths to recovery by activating the brains natural neuroplasticity. Based on Dr. van der Kolks 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 healand offers new hope for reclaiming lives. From the Trade Paperback edition.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
blurb
Kshakal
post image
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Excellent 👍🏻 2w
Eggs Perfect 🤩 2w
32 likes2 comments
blurb
JuniperWilde
post image

Re reading this one. It‘s a bit dated and his ideas are not new to many cultures (which he acknowledges). I appreciate his activist stance against the negligence and abuse of power that has caused a lot of harm for people with trauma histories.

review
ilyssa.g
post image
Pickpick

What a phenomenal book! It truly reaches the hype as one of the best books about trauma, mental health, and even as a nonfiction read in general. It provided so much insight and brought about much reflection of the impact of trauma. Van Der Kolk‘s writing is exquisite and his dedication is evident throughout the book. This book is great not only for the profession but for any individual interested in mental health. One of my all-time fave reads!

10 likes1 stack add
review
mija333
Bailedbailed

On and on

review
REPollock
post image
Pickpick

This was fascinating and engaging and as revelatory as I‘d heard from the people who recommended it. Required reading for everyone in education, public policy, and really maybe everyone, period.

CatLass007 Did you make the quilt? It‘s gorgeous. 5mo
REPollock @CatLass007 it was among the unfinished sewing projects my aunt left behind when she died. I am finishing it! 5mo
CatLass007 I‘m sorry for your loss. She was obviously very talented. I think it‘s wonderful that you are finishing the project she wasn‘t able to finish. A labor of love. 5mo
16 likes3 comments
blurb
CuriousG
post image

Professional development day at work today. Had 45 minutes at the start of the day for a wellness activity, one of which was lounging in the library and reading. Took the opportunity to dig deeper into this one. It was absolutely glorious way to begin a day. And to all the book purists out there, I'm not even the tiniest bit sorry about my underlining and folded pages, (it's my copy.)

blurb
CuriousG
post image

Dealing with the ongoing nature of ambiguous loss, too many deaths of family members and friends, and other trauma, undoubtedly does live in the body. Anticipating this will be a mixture of fascinating, tough, and hoping meaningful as well.

AnnCrystal 🙏❤️‍🩹😢😘. 7mo
CuriousG Thank you @AnnCrystal 7mo
26 likes1 stack add3 comments
review
Julsmarshall
post image
Pickpick

This one was powerful, informative and thought provoking. About how trauma affects every aspect of a person life, no matter their age when it happens or the experience. Discusses various treatment options and their history and efficacy, all the while focusing on the human experience. I learned a lot and will be thinking about it for a long time. Good on #audio #BookspinBingo #JubilantJuly @TheAromaofBooks @Andrew65

Andrew65 Excellent 👏👏👏 8mo
TheAromaofBooks Great review!!! 8mo
59 likes2 stack adds2 comments
review
emmalau-lau
Pickpick

This book was highly informative and interesting. Although it is very informational and based on a lot of good research, it is still very easy to understand. Many of the stories of his clients are hard to listen to, but leave you in awe of the minds ability to heal. Highly recommend this book for anyone looking to learn more about trauma and it‘s affect on the brain.

blurb
BkClubCare
post image

On way to RI for a fun weekend to see friends.

AmyG Have fun! 11mo
marleed I hope you have a great time! 11mo
Ruthiella Bon voyage! ✈️ 11mo
See All 6 Comments
BkClubCare @AmyG - if you insist! 😁 11mo
BkClubCare @marleed - it‘s most likely ☀️🛥️📚 11mo
BkClubCare @Ruthiella - we are a third in, At Chicago. Next Boston then a long uber 😳 to RI 11mo
48 likes6 comments
review
Shievad
Pickpick

Interesting look at how trauma is internalized by the body. Provides case studies and suggestions on how to rewire the connection between the two.

blurb
Dreklogar
post image

Such an eye opening and informative book, strong recommendation!

blurb
forestandcrow
post image

My sister recommended this book. I got new headphones finally. So I figured I would give this audio book a whorl.

9 likes1 stack add
review
currentlyreadinginCO
post image
Pickpick

Sigh, it does

32 likes1 stack add
review
KateD1
post image
Pickpick

Read this if you want to understand the lasting affects that trauma has on people. It‘s incredibly interesting

10 likes1 stack add
review
katcalvin
post image
Pickpick

Well, this book changed my life. I highly recommend reading and discussing with your therapist.

9 likes1 stack add
review
ReadingRachael
post image
Pickpick

I am so glad I decided to take the plunge and read this. I found it very beneficial to me on a personal level as well as professionally. Dr Van Der Kolk writes in a manner that is humble, curious, non-judgemental, and compassionate. I found the final 3rd of the book (Part 5: Pathways to Recovery) especially interesting, beneficial, and hopeful.

Note: As others have stated, the book contains HARD content that could be very triggering.

15 likes2 stack adds
review
bianka
post image
Pickpick

‘ as long as you keep secrets and suppress information, you are fundamentally at war with yourself. hiding your core feelings takes an enormous amount of energy, it saps your motivation to pursue worthwhile goals, and it leaves you feeling bored and shut down.‘ 5/5

4 likes1 stack add
review
Erin.Elizabeth10
post image
Pickpick

I have been wanting to read this book for a long time, and it did not disappoint! There is a really interesting blend of patient stories, explanations of therapy modalities, and opportunities for personal reflection. It really is so comprehensive for learning about the body and trauma of all kinds.

13 likes1 stack add
blurb
Mccall0113
post image

Finally reading this. And getting internship hours in! #gradschoolchronicles

Jjaxn95 This has been on my shelf for 3 years.. I need to get to reading it 2y
BookNerd9906 As a trauma specialist, this is the best book I‘ve ever read on trauma. 2y
shanaqui I've been meaning to read this for aaaages. 2y
Kitta It was great to read as a patient! 2y
72 likes2 stack adds4 comments
blurb
Karisimo
post image

Apparently I like nonfiction books that start with the #letterB:

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
Being Mortal by Atul Gawande

#alphabetgame @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks thank you for playing!! 2y
5 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
abbyreadz
post image
Mehso-so

It took me two years to finish this book and I have a lot to say about it. It is so well organized, shows alternatives to CBT like EMDR, somatic therapies, yoga, theater etc. we are able to follow some of his patients on their healing journey as we read on. BUT- I do not like how he talks about rape, SA, and incest in reference to his woman clients. He overstates details about this clients which can be triggering to readers.

Blueberry I also had to stop while reading it and finish at a later time because it was triggering. 2y
Blueberry Though ultimately I rated it higher than you. 2y
abbyreadz @Blueberry I‘d love to hear your thoughts! 2y
Blueberry It's been a few yrs since I read it. I had recently had sort of a breakdown I guess you could call it. It was recommended from so many places including my therapist. But I don't remember much except at first I didn't think I liked it. Reading personal experiences can be helpful for me but this one was intense and I had to stop reading for a few months. 2y
3 likes4 comments
review
rachelk
post image
Pickpick

Dr. van der Kolk is not only a ground breaking researcher with decades of experience both studying trauma and working with trauma patients, he also comes across as a kind and compassionate person. While the subject is difficult, the second half of the book offers hope and innovative ways to heal beyond traditional talk therapy and medication. ❤️

46 likes3 stack adds
blurb
rachelk
post image


🌸 At the 40% mark I‘d give ‘The Body Keeps Score‘ four stars. It‘s a fairly depressing nonfiction book about trauma but well researched and likely helpful.

🌼 So far my favorite book this year has been ‘The Tsar of Love and Techno‘ by Anthony Marra. I think he‘s absolutely brilliant.

🌺 I‘m grateful for my sweet family.

Sorry I‘m late! #wondrouswednesday @Yuki_Onna @Eggs

Yuki_Onna Beautiful answers, Rachel! 🌸🌺 2y
Eggs Lovely post💕!! And thanks for joining in 👏🏻👏🏻 2y
27 likes2 comments
review
JoJo13
post image
Pickpick

All the science/therapy-related contents in this book are inspiring, but the description of the cases can be triggering for people. Imagine got traumatized by reading a book about trauma therapy.🤕

review
jen_the_scribe
post image
Pickpick

This was thought provoking. There were definitely parts that were difficult to get through, the empath in me struggled w/ the specific traumas from research cases & Van Der Kolk‘s clients. Some of it was triggering for me as well. The focus on healing, the sense of hopefulness & curiosity helped me push through. I feel more open to understanding others & what they may have been through. I feel more open to all the possibilities for my own healing.

20 likes1 stack add
quote
jen_the_scribe

“When the job goes bad, when a cherished project fails, when someone you count on leaves you or dies, there are few things as helpful as moving your muscles and doing something that demands focused attention.”

quote
jen_the_scribe

“Our sense of agency, how much we feel in control, is defined by our relationship with our bodies and its rhythm: Our waking and sleeping and how we eat, sit, and walk define the contours of our days.”

13 likes1 stack add
quote
jen_the_scribe

“Trauma causes people to remain stuck in interpreting the present in light of an unchanging past.”

quote
jen_the_scribe

“When you activate your gut feelings and listen to your heartbreak—when you follow the interoceptive pathways to your innermost recesses—things begin to change.”

quote
jen_the_scribe

“As long as you keep secrets and suppress information, you are fundamentally at war with yourself.”

quote
jen_the_scribe

“The essence of trauma is that it is overwhelming, unbelievable, and unbearable. Each patient demands that we suspend our sense of what is normal and accept that we are dealing with a dual reality: the reality of a relatively secure and predictable present that lives side by side with a ruinous, ever-present past.”

quote
jen_the_scribe

“…who can find a proper grave for such damaged mosaics of the mind, where they may rest in pieces? Life goes on, but in two temporal directions at once, the future unable to escape the grip of a memory laden with grief.”

- As quoted from Lawrence Langer

quote
jen_the_scribe

“If you were not there, it‘s difficult to describe and say how it was. How men function under such stress is one thing, and then how you communicate and express that to somebody who never knew that such a degree of brutality exists seems like a fantasy.”

blurb
5feet.of.fury
post image

Trying to get back into my “daily reading” which I have ignored for a couple weeks. Set out my book and some water (not wine) on my yoga mat so I start the day right!

This book has good tidbits and interesting case studies. But I find it really dense. I wasn‘t expecting a light fluffy read by any stretch but I feel like this is heavier reading than when I took a class on brain science for elementary education.

26 likes1 stack add
review
Kenyazero
post image
Pickpick

A therapist recommended this to my husband to help him explore PTSD treatments that he can try and maybe get even more familiar with PTSD. I found this book informative, inspiring, hopeful, and heartbreaking. It was tough reading about the history of scapegoating PTSD research, and it was great reading about evolving treatments as discoveries are made. Strong content warnings for rape, child and domestic abuse, medical trauma, and many more.

quote
vivianevenancio

"(...) alexithymics substitute the language of action for that of emotion. (...) They tend to register emotions as physical problems rather than as signals that something deserves their attention."

quote
vivianevenancio

"Suppressing our inner cries for help does not stop our stress from mobilizing the body."

quote
vivianevenancio


"Self-regulation depends on having a friendly relationship with your body."

quote
vivianevenancio

"If you have a comfortable connection with your inner sensations - if you can trust them to give you accurate information - you will feel in charge of your body, your feelings, and yourself."

quote
vivianevenancio

"Agency" is a technical term for the feeling of being in charge of your life: knowing where you stand, knowing that you have a say in what happens to you, knowing that you have some ability to shape your circumstances.

blurb
jen_the_scribe
post image

I feel like some nonfiction now. This one has been on my shelf for a while now, and seems extra important for me to read lately.

24 likes3 stack adds
blurb
Kenyazero
post image

I decided to listen to the tagged and paint a little last night for #LitsyCrafters and my own goal of doing an hour of creative time every week. It‘s not finished yet- still need to paint the trees. This is a project I started in October or November 😏 #AudioPainting #AudioCrafting

curiouserandcurioser @Kenyazero beautiful!! Cant wait to see the finished project:) 2y
Kenyazero @curiouserandcurioser Thanks! Hopefully I can motivate myself to complete it before I move on to the next thing again 😐 2y
curiouserandcurioser @Kenyazero well, im sure you will do a stunning job-i cant wait to see💜 2y
24 likes3 comments
quote
Nis2

We now know that trauma compromises the brain area that communicate the physical, embodied feeling of being alive.

2 likes1 stack add
review
WellReadCatLady
post image
Pickpick

Whether or not you personally have experienced trauma this is a must read to just understand what some people are going through and maybe be able to help someone find the right resources.

26 likes3 stack adds
review
literarymermaid
post image
Pickpick

I have to read/listen to this a hundred more times. I had no idea the depth of the material covered but this is practically the entire history of trauma research in the US. So much good info here.

review
Christine
post image
Pickpick

Glad to have finally made time for this one. I loved the beginning - great stuff about the nature of trauma, neuroception, mind-body connection, and more. I had a harder time with some of the middle (mostly parts around repressed memory, and some theories of child development). Went back to really liking the end - the overview of therapeutic approaches was interesting and useful. Definitely a worthwhile read!

Suet624 I remember @Saresmoore talking about this book and really liking it. I would love to get to it sometime in my lifetime. :) 3y
Christine @Suet624 Well @saresmoore 's taste is impeccable, as we know. :) I love your approach to TBR psychology - I need to adopt the “sometime in my lifetime“ mindset!! 3y
Suet624 @Christine haha. It‘s the only way I know to be kind to myself. 😍 3y
saresmoore Oh, yes, I really appreciate this book! It‘s on my quick grab shelf and I revisit it often. Great review, @Christine and I love this self-compassionate TBR approach, @Suet624 😁 3y
Christine @saresmoore Ooh, a quick grab shelf - another great idea! ❤️ 3y
49 likes5 comments
review
Annie1215
post image
Pickpick

Forgot to post this yesterday, but I got this through just in time to wrap up June with one more #bookspinbingo !

This book was very therapeutic for me. It‘s all about the mind/body connection and how the stress of trauma impacts your body and overall health.

As someone who has only recently started working on my mental health this was deeply interesting to me. A solid non-fiction read.

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 3y
49 likes1 stack add1 comment
blurb
Spons100
post image

Watching the sunset on the French Quarter

review
BekaReid
post image
Pickpick

The book is well-written in accessible language but contains a lot of serious and difficult subject matter. Trauma reshapes our sense of self and how we experience and exist in our world. I learned a great deal about the physical effects trauma has on our bodies and minds and how we can work towards healing.

violabrain GREAT book!! 3y
19 likes1 stack add1 comment