I Kept Score…and This Won

This Week’s Book = The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma (by Bessel Van Der Kolk)

Ok, so last time I wrote about a book on trauma that I was not a huge fan of…in fact, it’s fair to say that I was thoroughly unhappy the entire time that I read that book. It was a huge relief when, quickly after finishing the last book, I discovered this gem. It turned out to be another book on trauma, but with a completely different vibe.

I love that Van Der Kolk wrote this book in an almost autobiographical vein – allowing readers to follow his journey of discovering different ways to help those dealing with trauma. He speaks about his skepticism about certain strategies and then describes how he discovered the benefits of each method. Some of the strategies discussed include Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), yoga, and Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS). Interspersed throughout this discussion, Van Der Kolk also educates the reader on the basics about trauma, the brain, and how trauma affects different populations using very plain language and easy to understand explanations.

Bessel Van Der Kolk is a pretty well known practitioner in the world of trauma, so I was pretty eager to pick up this new book. I was able to read it quickly (with no pyromaniacal urges), retain a lot of the information, and I put the book down with an interest in further investigating some of the techniques discussed. I discovered that Van Der Kolk’s writing was way more accessible than Judith Herman’s, as this book could likely be read, understood, and enjoyed by all types of readers (professionals and non-professionals alike). So yes, if there were a contest between the books that I’ve recently read on trauma…this one would win with flying colours.

Interested in buying the book? Click here!