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The Body Keeps the Score

Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma

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The Body Keeps the Score

Written by: Bessel van der Kolk M.D.
Narrated by: Sean Pratt
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About this listen

Number one New York Times best seller

“Essential reading for anyone interested in understanding and treating traumatic stress and the scope of its impact on society.” (Alexander McFarlane, director of the Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies)

A pioneering researcher transforms our understanding of trauma and offers a bold new paradigm for healing in this New York Times best seller.

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 more than 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.

Cover image: © 2020 Succession H. Matisse / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Courtesy of the Archives Henri Matisse, All rights reserved.

©2014 Bessel van der Kolk (P)2021 Penguin Audio
Alternative & Complementary Medicine Mental Health Psychology Physical Exercise Inspiring Yoga Human Brain Body Language Childhood Trauma Trauma Informed Mental Health Coaching Healing Emotional Trauma
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Editorial Review

How does trauma affect our physical bodies? How would your life be improved if you knew how to treat the parts of your brain affected by traumatic stress? The Body Keeps the Score is here to help you find out.

The Body Keeps the Score, a New York Times bestseller, is a captivating examination of the world of neuroscience and traumatic stress, its sometimes devastating consequences, and the innovative treatments that have proved to improve the lives of those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorders. Statistics say that most people will experience one or more traumatic events. The physical manifestations of those events will vary among trauma survivors, but the effects of stress hormones on our neurobiology are undeniable. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk is one of the leading authorities on traumatic experiences and their physical impacts on the mind and body. The Body Keeps the Score is the culmination of decades of Dr. Bessel van der Kolk’s groundbreaking research on psychological trauma treatment and the psychiatry behind trauma healing.

How traumatic experiences reshape our brains can affect self-regulation, the ability to feel happiness, and even build trusting relationships with loved ones. These effects can prove detrimental to individuals dealing with traumatic memories resulting from things like childhood trauma. This audiobook examines the innovative treatments that have shown great success in healing trauma and improving neurofeedback in the impacted parts of the brain, including various forms of physical activity and meditation and innovative psychotherapy like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing).

The Body Keeps the Score is an essential listen for understanding trauma and the interventions you can take to carve hopeful paths to recovery. Whether you are grappling with unresolved trauma from child abuse or looking for general guidance on improving your mental health with reliable research from a world-class clinician, this is one audiobook you should add to your library.

What listeners say about The Body Keeps the Score

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Dealing with trauma

This book is for anyone dealing with personal trauma or know of someone who is dealing with trauma. It’s a very easy to understand break down of how and why people act the way they do after a traumatic experience. It helped me to understand as a traumatized person why I do the things I do in life, but also how to overcome the traumas I’ve experienced. Beautiful book!

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Enlightening

I’m now convinced in considering trauma when looking at mental and emotional health issues. This will influence how I look to treat my stubborn long-standing issues going forward, in a new way.

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Phenomenal

So much incredible information. I will definitely be listening to this book more than once just mind-blowingly good.

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Great insight!

Loved this book and highly recommend it. It gave me great insight to many things in my life and has given me the tools to find what I need to move forward.

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Moving and Insightful

This was very eye opening, and has given me hope for healing my own traumas.

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Incredible!

As a psychologist often seeing children, teens and young adults in my practice who don't seem to overcome certain emotional challenges despite hard therapeutic work, this book fills me with hope for all I have yet to learn and points me in many useful directions for my professional development. A must read!

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Everyone should read this book

such a great book that everyone should read. truly world changing. all world leaders and policy makers should read and implement it.

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Very Enlightening

incredibly eye opening. Even if you think trauma hasn't effected your life, this book will peel your eyes open in so many ways. Some of the stories left me needing to pause and absorb the sadness involved in them. But, it's incredibly important to address issues such as trauma. Worth a read for anyone.

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Spectacular and deeply moving

The insights and findings that the author shares with the audience were astounding, thought provoking, often heart breaking and overall deeply moving. I found myself wanting to be a better person to all those around me with a newfound understanding of how impacted living creatures are by pain and trauma.

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A must listen to ✨

A wonderful, insightful, beautiful book. Great listen. Highly recommend. The future is looking hopeful for trauma survivors.

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