The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
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- Create Date：2021-04-09 09:55:06
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Bessel van der Kolk
- ISBN：0143127748
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Summary
• 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 Kolk’s] 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 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。
“Packed with science and human stories， the book is an intense read。 。 。 。 The struggle and resilience of [van der Kolk’s] 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 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。
Reviews
Zaha Hyatt
，
Reading about other peoples trauma and journey really broadens your mind。 The book talks about various theories on identifying and curing trauma。 Both childhood and adult trauma。 There was more of a focus on childhood trauma in my opinion。 This is a must read to educate yourself if you know anyone or personally went through childhood trauma。
Andrea
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This book came highly recommended to me by someone who felt she benefitted （in the aftermath of her divorce from a clinically diagnosed narcissist） thanks to van der Kolk's insight into trauma and PTSD。。。 although upon reading the book， I'm thinking she was grasping at straws a bit。I thought Body was overly voyeuristic in its triggering descriptions of childhood trauma （sexual abuse in particular）， and I thought the author was ridiculously childish in recounting his apparently one-sided war with This book came highly recommended to me by someone who felt she benefitted （in the aftermath of her divorce from a clinically diagnosed narcissist） thanks to van der Kolk's insight into trauma and PTSD。。。 although upon reading the book， I'm thinking she was grasping at straws a bit。I thought Body was overly voyeuristic in its triggering descriptions of childhood trauma （sexual abuse in particular）， and I thought the author was ridiculously childish in recounting his apparently one-sided war with the DSM （V？ - I can't remember and don't honestly care which edition he was raging about）。 The entire book seemed to be a very "look at me， I'm pretty awesome" declaration from a person many would describe as narcissistic （in the social sense， not the medical-diagnosis sense）。 I will admit that I was quite enlightened by the EMDR chapter - that is a treatment technique I'd never read about and dipping into the subject here motivated me to delve a bit deeper into it online - but that was the only high point of the book for me。2-2。5 stars 。。。more
Heather Bickell
，
Possibly one of the most important books written about trauma based therapy and the biopsychosocial impact on humans。 I am reading this for my own trauma based recovery and cannot explain how much of an impact this book has had。 I think van der Kolk's studies serve as a validation to so many of us in recovery。 We are not crazy， we are not alone， we are validated and seen by this manifesto。 Make this part of your library。 Possibly one of the most important books written about trauma based therapy and the biopsychosocial impact on humans。 I am reading this for my own trauma based recovery and cannot explain how much of an impact this book has had。 I think van der Kolk's studies serve as a validation to so many of us in recovery。 We are not crazy， we are not alone， we are validated and seen by this manifesto。 Make this part of your library。 。。。more
Savannah Black
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Thoughts while reading the body keeps the score as someone whose been reading mostly fiction for a year *remembers something I blocked out*Me: 😳 my life has way more plot twists than what I’ve been reading。
Adam Ummar
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As someone who was diagnosed with depression aged 16， then rediagnosed with bipolar II aged 18 this book helped me realize what I actually suffer from is c-PTSD + Borderline Personality Disorder。As a survivor of parental emotional neglect and abuse， childhood sexual abuse， bullying and recovering from substance abuse; this book made me feel， seen， heard and understood。 I cried multiple times throughout reading the book it helped me understand myself and those around me who survived similar abuse As someone who was diagnosed with depression aged 16， then rediagnosed with bipolar II aged 18 this book helped me realize what I actually suffer from is c-PTSD + Borderline Personality Disorder。As a survivor of parental emotional neglect and abuse， childhood sexual abuse， bullying and recovering from substance abuse; this book made me feel， seen， heard and understood。 I cried multiple times throughout reading the book it helped me understand myself and those around me who survived similar abuse， why we act， think， feel and behave the way that we do。 I deeply appreciated the humane tone of the book。 The author writes with sincere compassion and a desire to genuinely help his patients understand why they cope in the ways that they do。The psychological， evolutionary biology and neurobiological explanations of the affects of trauma were like the missing puzzle piece I needed to understand myself and how to move forward with healing and treatment。This is such an important book to anyone who suffers from mental health issues or knows someone who has a mental health issue。 。。。more
Anthony
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Completely fantastic！ I loved it。 However， it’s a little dense。 Not that one should expect as much based on the title， but you can’t casually read this book。 Also， it’s a little jarring at times。 Some of the stories the author tells are utterly gut wrenching and disturbing。 I feel like one should ensure they themselves are mentally and emotionally secure before reading。 Some of these stories could affect some people in a negative way。 Also， there is a reason why not everyone is a psychologist。 T Completely fantastic！ I loved it。 However， it’s a little dense。 Not that one should expect as much based on the title， but you can’t casually read this book。 Also， it’s a little jarring at times。 Some of the stories the author tells are utterly gut wrenching and disturbing。 I feel like one should ensure they themselves are mentally and emotionally secure before reading。 Some of these stories could affect some people in a negative way。 Also， there is a reason why not everyone is a psychologist。 These stories can show why。 It’s difficult to hear some people’s trauma and their reactions to that trauma。 So while， I felt like the book was fantastic。 And， while as an Assistant Pastor， I felt like this book could help me minister to people that have experienced trauma。 But I don’t think it is for everyone。 In fact I definitely think that some people should avoid it。 Just not because the book is bad in anyway。 It’s not。 It’s amazing， but potentially disturbing for some， if not many。 。。。more
Alicia
，
Disclaimer: the book discusses lab testing in animals。 As a vegan， I do not agree with those processes， but I appreciate the science of this book。 If you are particularly bothered or triggered by animal testing/cruelty， maybe skip this or try to skim those sections。 There are no trigger warnings in the book for that。 If you can stomach it， I highly recommend this book。 I initially borrowed this book from the library。 When I couldn't renew it because it was on hold， I decided to buy my own copy i Disclaimer: the book discusses lab testing in animals。 As a vegan， I do not agree with those processes， but I appreciate the science of this book。 If you are particularly bothered or triggered by animal testing/cruelty， maybe skip this or try to skim those sections。 There are no trigger warnings in the book for that。 If you can stomach it， I highly recommend this book。 I initially borrowed this book from the library。 When I couldn't renew it because it was on hold， I decided to buy my own copy in hardback。Thus far， this has been the best book for explaining PTSD and trauma。 It covers many examples over the many years of practice and research， and shows multiple ways PTSD has manifested and how it feels for various people （even if they experienced the same traumatic event）。 Moreover， it gets down into the actual science of what's happening in the body， how the brain is affected， what chemicals are firing at the time or too frequently。。。I've been struggling with unresolved issues for a very long time and this book helps make sense of my experiences and struggles。 It breaks down the mental and physical experience into an easily digestible and relatable format， that's scientific in nature （so not very triggering）。The best yet， there are real actionable recommendations to help work through trauma。 These aren't your basic meditation and mindfulness recommendations （though that's in here too）， but it recommends yoga and dedicates a whole chapter to explain how and WHY it actually helps。 It also recommends specific types of therapy。I highly recommend this for anyone who has experienced trauma or has a close friend/family member who has。 PTSD and complex-PTSD （for repeated traumas that may have been smaller， such as neglect/emotional abuse） can and do change the way the brain and body works， often leaving the afflicted person feeling broken or off。 This book helps make sense of those differences。I've heard that Dr Alice Miller also wrote on the subject before this book was released， and plan to read hers。 。。。more
Rūta
，
A powerful book on trauma science。 Van der Kolk discusses current methods of therapy through the real stories of trauma survivors。 I'm in awe about how far we have come in uncovering the complex relationship between an affected mind and body。 A must read for those interested in understanding the layers of human suffering and the path to healing。 A powerful book on trauma science。 Van der Kolk discusses current methods of therapy through the real stories of trauma survivors。 I'm in awe about how far we have come in uncovering the complex relationship between an affected mind and body。 A must read for those interested in understanding the layers of human suffering and the path to healing。 。。。more
Sammi 🌻
，
Trauma is incredibly important to discuss。 Van Der Kolk does an incredible job of breaking down the impact of trauma on the body as well as on the mind。 Trauma is insidious in society。 It may be uncomfortable to talk about trauma， specifically when children are involved， but it is incredibly important to be aware。 Being informed of the impact of trauma on people is essential for healing。 This is a must read。
Kayla Cruz
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More of a 4。5 because of the voyeuristic and triggering depictions of violence but ultimately incredibly eye-opening， inspiring， and solution-based。 A must-read for anyone looking to understand and build empathy towards trauma survivors。
Shatha
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This book is very informative！ It made compassion effortless。
Kaitlyn O'Connor
，
Everyone neees to read this bookI think everyone needs to read this book to gain a deep understanding of trauma and the brain。 If everyone understood how much trauma affects your brain， body， and entire life we could use the methods found in this book to heal our society。
Neil
，
A terrifying but hugely rewarding perspective on trauma from a legitimate practitioner/scientist/warm and intelligent dude。 I kept thinking that this has to be required reading for any thinking-feeling human。 It's an absolute goldmine of knowledge， experience and deep learning。 A terrifying but hugely rewarding perspective on trauma from a legitimate practitioner/scientist/warm and intelligent dude。 I kept thinking that this has to be required reading for any thinking-feeling human。 It's an absolute goldmine of knowledge， experience and deep learning。 。。。more
Ezgi Arslan
，
Kişinin kendine yansıtmaları yüzünden zaman zaman zor okunabilen， buna rağmen bence herkesin okuması gereken muhteşem bir kitap; belli ki çok uzun bir çalışmanın ürünü， rehber niteliğinde， çok etkileyici。。。
Sherie
，
It's basically a textbook， and yet another one I don't feel I should rate。 It is dense and clinical and yet somewhat a memoir and ode to various treatment methods。 I'm not sure who it is the intended audience because it is not user-friendly for practical self help and yet isn't the textbook for peers either。 Many examples of trauma and the different applications of clinical recovery。 I didn't know that therapists are limited to such a narrow scope of diagnoses and hence many people are misdiagno It's basically a textbook， and yet another one I don't feel I should rate。 It is dense and clinical and yet somewhat a memoir and ode to various treatment methods。 I'm not sure who it is the intended audience because it is not user-friendly for practical self help and yet isn't the textbook for peers either。 Many examples of trauma and the different applications of clinical recovery。 I didn't know that therapists are limited to such a narrow scope of diagnoses and hence many people are misdiagnosed。 This author works around Boston and there are some good organizations referenced that help PTSD vets and kids with a trauma history。 Trauma Drama and Urban Improv sound cool。 。。。more
Eleonora
，
I really appreciated this book。 As a new clinician only starting to think deeply about trauma， it was great reading from someone who has been thinking about this his whole professional life。 I don't think it really needed to be this long， but I definitely appreciated how much time he spent on different treatment modalities。 As someone who is receiving a "CBT or bust" trauma training， it was refreshing and informative。 I also wish that he integrated "the politics" （i。e。， his thoughts on social ju I really appreciated this book。 As a new clinician only starting to think deeply about trauma， it was great reading from someone who has been thinking about this his whole professional life。 I don't think it really needed to be this long， but I definitely appreciated how much time he spent on different treatment modalities。 As someone who is receiving a "CBT or bust" trauma training， it was refreshing and informative。 I also wish that he integrated "the politics" （i。e。， his thoughts on social justice） throughout the book rather than saving it for the for the epilogue。 Edit: I just googled his name and turns out he was fired for creating a hostile work environment for female employees。 I honestly wasn’t surprised， but then again not much surprises me after all。 He then sued the center， and the case got quickly settled。 He used the settlement money to start a new trauma center。。。 。。。more
Fred Dameron
，
For me this was both a hard read， but also very informative and emotional read。 Let me explain。 This book is about trauma。 Post Traumatic Stress type trauma from war， sexual assault， being beaten watch as friends are killed in the grocery， abuse and every other imagined type of trauma。 Der Kolk also goes into modern non-phramacoligical treatments。 Don't get me wrong Der Kolk believes that drugs are useful for treating trauma but that other methods that don't get studies funded such as Theater， y For me this was both a hard read， but also very informative and emotional read。 Let me explain。 This book is about trauma。 Post Traumatic Stress type trauma from war， sexual assault， being beaten watch as friends are killed in the grocery， abuse and every other imagined type of trauma。 Der Kolk also goes into modern non-phramacoligical treatments。 Don't get me wrong Der Kolk believes that drugs are useful for treating trauma but that other methods that don't get studies funded such as Theater， yoga， mindfulness， and a host of others can be just as effective if not more effective than the pharmaceutical companies products。 For obvious reasons the money is in pharmaceuticals so non drug therapies get little or no financial support and testing。 No studies no， no papers， no funding， but a lot of questions in psychology meetings， round tables and conferences。 This was hard also as the stories he discusses， with his patients OK， also at times triggered some of my own PTS and I had to stop and think about my PTS and different treatments that I will talk to my counselor about later。 It also has given me a desire to start yoga for my own self and my own work on my PTS。If you have had trauma or you love some one who is dealing with trauma I strongly recommend this read as a way to learn more about what is available and what resources you may or may not want to use。 Worth every penny I spent on the work。 。。。more
Kristina Dunham
，
I didn’t expect that I would be able to learn so much about myself while reading this book。 Memories and emotions from throughout my childhood came to light in various parts， allowing me to find a sense of peace and release my anxiety。 The idea of trauma can be unbearable for some to ever understand， but I believe that Dr。 van der Kolk breaks even the most difficult phenomenons down。
Linn
，
Vau， see oli üks huvitav， hariv ja intrigeeriv raamat。 Soovitan。
Simon A
，
I'm not finished yet but what a revelation this book has been。 I'm moving slowly because there's such wisdom and profound understanding in every page，'This is why I'm shaped the way I am。'The title couldn't be more apt。 I'm not finished yet but what a revelation this book has been。 I'm moving slowly because there's such wisdom and profound understanding in every page，'This is why I'm shaped the way I am。'The title couldn't be more apt。 。。。more
Cecily Robertson
，
This book was life-affirming for me in the same way Quiet by Susan Cain was。 The data and science are fascinating and eye-opening， and Bessel van der Kolk’s perspectives， insights， and case studies are well-formed。 The Body Keeps the Score really helped transform my understanding of trauma and the brain’s neuroplasticity。 Besel van der Kolk thoroughly walks through how treatments like neurofeedback， EMDR， CBT， mindfulness， play， yoga， IFS， and improvisational theatre can help rewire the brain’s This book was life-affirming for me in the same way Quiet by Susan Cain was。 The data and science are fascinating and eye-opening， and Bessel van der Kolk’s perspectives， insights， and case studies are well-formed。 The Body Keeps the Score really helped transform my understanding of trauma and the brain’s neuroplasticity。 Besel van der Kolk thoroughly walks through how treatments like neurofeedback， EMDR， CBT， mindfulness， play， yoga， IFS， and improvisational theatre can help rewire the brain’s centers for pleasure， engagement， and trust。 I’d recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the brain-mind-body connection。 Also anyone who doesn’t identify as “new age-y。” This book isn’t that。 It’s hard-hitting， and it presents a pretty brutal reality about the way our medical and mental health systems are failing us。 A couple of highlights。 On the drug revolution: Psychiatry， as a subspecialty of medicine， aspires to define mental illness as precisely as， let’s say， cancer of the pancreas， or streptococcal infection of the lungs。 However， given the complexity of the mind， brain， and human attachment systems， we have not even come close to achieving that sort of precision。 Understanding what is “wrong” with people currently is more a question of the mind-set of the practitioner （and of what insurance companies will pay for） than of verifiable， objective facts。 However， drugs cannot “cure” trauma; they can only dampen the expressions of a disturbed physiology。 And they do not teach the lasting lessons of self-regulation。 They can help to control feelings and behavior， but always at a price—because they work by blocking the chemical systems that regulate engagement， motivation， pain， and pleasure。 The preamble to the DSM-III warned explicitly that its categories were insufficiently precise to be used in forensic settings or for insurance purposes。 Nonetheless it gradually became an instrument of enormous power: Insurance companies require a DSM diagnosis for reimbursement， and academic programs are organized around DSM categories 。 。 。 The manual has become a virtual industry that has earned the American Psychiatric Association well over $100 million。 The question is: Has it provided comparable benefits for the patients it is meant to serve？ On the body connection:The RA-to-RO ration is the balance between cells that recognize known toxins and cells that wait for new information to activate。 In patients with histories of incest， the proportion of RA cells that are ready to pounce is larger than normal。 That makes the immune system oversensitive to threat， so that it is prone to mount a defense when none is needed， even when this means attacking the body’s own cells 。 。 。 The past is impressed not only on their minds， and in misinterpretations of innocuous events， but also on the very core of their beings: in the safety of their bodies。 。 。 。 he realized that they had stumbled upon the gravest and most costly public health issue in the United States: child abuse。 He had calculated that its overall costs exceeded those of cancer or heart disease and that eradicating child abuse in America would reduce the overall rate of depression by more than half， alcoholism by two-thirds， and suicide， IV drug use， and domestic violence by three-quarters。 。 。 。 he started a home-visitation program in which skilled nurses helped mothers to provide a safe and stimulating environment for their children， and in the process， to imagine a better future for themselves 。 。 。 Economists have calculated that every dollar invested in high-quality home visitation， day care， and preschool programs results in seven dollars of savings on welfare payments， health-care costs， substance-abuse treatment， and incarceration， plus higher tax revenues due to better-paying jobs。 。。。more
Perry Burton
，
An astonishing and inspiring book。 I read it as required reading for my Msc， and it left me motivated to understand and do more。 It has also had a profound impact on my understanding of nature/nurture
Sophie Roberts
，
Reading this made me want to go back to uni to study psychology。
Segale
，
Really good read， I feel like I gained a lot from this book。
Randy
，
I had read this last year and twice since then I had some physical health issues。 What I found amazing afterwards， I looked at my health band data and saw that I had a notable response to the trauma my body was going through。
Taylar
，
Oof。 This was a hard one。 I don't recall much of the first half but the second half will stay with me - the part that addresses strategies for dealing with and curing trauma， like neuroscience that backs up body + breath exercises （yoga， tai chi， jiu jitsu， tae kwan do， etc）， theater， music， art， etc。 I think the thing I learned most is that there are some really horrible， awful men out there - repeatedly， the perpetrators of the most heinous and atrocious acts were committed by males， often tow Oof。 This was a hard one。 I don't recall much of the first half but the second half will stay with me - the part that addresses strategies for dealing with and curing trauma， like neuroscience that backs up body + breath exercises （yoga， tai chi， jiu jitsu， tae kwan do， etc）， theater， music， art， etc。 I think the thing I learned most is that there are some really horrible， awful men out there - repeatedly， the perpetrators of the most heinous and atrocious acts were committed by males， often towards women （and more often， towards female family members） but also towards men。 I appreciated van der Kolk's defense of pairing a political debate with his research into neuroscience because until we， as a society， are able to reduce the amount of heinous acts that lead to trauma， there's no point - we must stop it at its core， before it can manifest。 And， not surprisingly， this really comes back to changing power dynamics between the genders。 Stereotypes of what it means to be a "man" and what it means to be a "woman" still require a shattering。 It's beyond time to re-write those definitions。 And war still sucks， of course。 I think you could easily argue a connection between war mongering and male power dynamics。 。。。more
Eve
，
This book is an absolute treasure。 Providing an extremely insightful， compassionate， and touching exploration of trauma， its impact on us as a whole and the healing process。 It’s an especially important read for considering a trauma informed approach。 The body keeps the score of trauma。 Through emotionally charged case studies， neuroscience and the history of therapy practice including the recording of mental illnesses （DSM） and drugs， the book highlights the importance of looking at trauma as a This book is an absolute treasure。 Providing an extremely insightful， compassionate， and touching exploration of trauma， its impact on us as a whole and the healing process。 It’s an especially important read for considering a trauma informed approach。 The body keeps the score of trauma。 Through emotionally charged case studies， neuroscience and the history of therapy practice including the recording of mental illnesses （DSM） and drugs， the book highlights the importance of looking at trauma as a societal and economic issue。 。。。more
Jorden Arielle
，
It took me a long time to get through this chunker of a book。 I highly recommend it （especially for those who think they may have experienced a tumultuous past or present） but will warn of its many triggering stories。 There were many therapies described here that I’ve never heard of before but am interested into looking into further for my own patients。
Kelly
，
The best book I have read on trauma， especially helpful on understanding how the impact of trauma plays out in the body and how treatments that involve the body can be especially effective in addressing trauma。
Kelly
，