BookSomatic Practice
The Body Keeps the Score
Bessel van der Kolk
About this book
A landmark synthesis of neuroscience, psychiatry, and somatic therapy showing how trauma physically reshapes the brain and body — and presenting multiple pathways to healing including yoga, EMDR, theater, and neurofeedback.
Key themes
- Trauma physically reshapes brain structure and nervous system
- The importance of bottom-up (body-to-brain) healing approaches
- Theater, yoga, and EMDR as effective trauma treatments
- Social engagement and co-regulation as prerequisites for healing
- The window of tolerance: working within the zone of optimal arousal
About the author
Bessel van der Kolk, MD is a Boston-based psychiatrist and founder of the Trauma Center at JRI. He has spent his career studying trauma's effects on the nervous system and body.
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