The Body Keeps the Score

By Bessel Van der Kolk, M.D.

Powerhouse call-to-action on treating trauma

With the topic of mental health frequently in our headlines, this nonfiction powerhouse, The Body Keeps the Score, is a must-read for all of us. Dr. Van der Kolk’s decades of experience in treating people with trauma—from childhood, from war, from accident and more— is channeled into this book so that it simultaneously informs the reader while also being a call-to-action. He painstakingly explains how the brain reacts to trauma and how people can become ‘frozen’ as a defense from traumatic events.

He also tells us story after story of resilience and recovery by many patients and the various therapies and treatments that he’s explored with the help of other professionals. Tears came to my eyes many times when reading about the traumatic experiences children and adults have had. The stories painfully raise awareness of the hidden crime of child abuse and our chronic need to address it. This is a stunning, important book.