№ 01 · 2014
The Body Keeps the Score
Bessel van der Kolk
Trauma reshapes the body, the brain, and the way we move through the world long after the events themselves are over. Drawing on three decades of clinical work and research, Bessel van der Kolk traces how trauma rewires the nervous system, why words alone often fail to reach it, and how approaches like EMDR, neurofeedback, somatic therapies, and yoga can help the body relearn safety. Few books published in the last twenty years have done more to widen the conversation about what healing actually involves.
Why I recommend this one
If you only read one book on this list, this is the one. It's the book that changed how I understand the work I do every day. Reading it is a different experience depending on whether you come to it as a clinician, a survivor, or simply a person curious about why their body doesn't always cooperate with their plans. All three readings are worth the time.
— Jeffrey Farber, MSW, LCSW
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