A Resource on Trauma
If I could go back to school and add one book to our course syllabus – this would be it.
When I first read The Body Keeps the Score, I remember telling a friend that it was like reading a textbook on trauma – mixed with an array of people’s life stories – all rolled into one. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, M.D. writes about trauma in an educational and relatable manner, while fostering a hopeful message that healing is possible.
Something I like about The Body Keeps the Score is that you don’t have to read it cover-to-cover to benefit from it. (Anyone else just breathe a sigh of relief??) In fact, reading it in smaller chunks may be preferable simply due to the nature of the content.
Organizationally, The Body Keeps the Score is divided into five different parts. If you’re wanting to learn more about the impact of trauma on the brain or if you’re curious about trauma-informed approaches to healing, you can simply focus on those chapters or the corresponding section of the book.
Before getting started, you might be wondering, “What are some practical or personal things I can learn from reading this book?” Here are 3 potential takeaways:
New information – A more comprehensive understanding of trauma that includes the various impacts and treatments of trauma
Personal insights – Increased awareness surrounding different parts of your story and life experiences
Compassion for yourself and others – New perspectives on your experiences and the experiences of those around you
As with any resource on trauma, a sense of heaviness often comes with the territory. While engaging with this resource, it’s important to listen to how you feel and to care for yourself along the way. If therapy feels like it could be a helpful resource in this process, I’d love to connect with you.
“Trauma constantly confronts us with our fragility and with man’s inhumanity to man but also with our extraordinary resilience.”
-Dr. Bessel van der Kolk