The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
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What is the The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk?
Dr. Bessel van der Kolk's landmark work explores how trauma reshapes the body and brain, drawing on three decades of research and clinical practice to explain why talk therapy alone often fails trauma survivors and what approaches — including yoga, EMDR, neurofeedback, and theater — actually help. Deeply empathetic and scientifically rigorous, it changed how the mental health field understands and treats PTSD and complex trauma. Essential reading for survivors, caregivers, and mental health professionals.
What are the pros?
- Landmark scientific research made accessible
- Compassionate patient-centered approach
- Covers multiple treatment modalities
What are the cons?
- Dense in some clinical sections
- Some treatment approaches still debated in research community