The Body Keeps The Score , Bessell van der Kolk, MD
Being traumatized means continuing to organize your life as if the trauma were still going on—unchanged and immutable—as every new encounter or event is contaminated by the past.
– Bessell Van Der Kolk, MD.
The Body Keeps The Score reveals the mysteries of brain development – and disruption.
Leading trauma expert Bessel Van Der Kolk, MD expertly guides the average reader through the complex world of neuroscience. The book documents his journey which begins by working with adults suffering from PTSD to recognizing the need for a Developmental Trauma Disorder diagnosis for children who have been chronically abused and neglected.
This book will provide an interesting and enlightening background on the science of trauma. It’s not a how-to, although Dr. Kolk does offer some insight into treatments he’s found useful including yoga. While Dr. Kolk is a highly technical, leading expert he’s repackaged this information in a way that can be easily understood by lay parents.
If you need help with the paradigm shift from traditional parenting to therapeutic parenting, this book may help.
It’s a long book but it’s well worth your time. I fit it into my busy mom schedule by listening on Audible!
My Bottom Line
The Body Keeps The Score is a thought provoking, comprehensive exploration of how our children’s behaviors may be linked to brain development that was disrupted due to trauma. It’s an important read for adoptive and foster parents who want to understand how trauma has affected their kids and catch the vision for therapeutic parenting.