The Meadows sets itself apart from other trauma, addiction, and recovery treatment centers with its clinical leadership that is guided by world-renowned Senior Fellows who are thought-leaders in their fields. This is exemplified by the just-released new book by Bessel van der Kolk, MD, “The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma.” Dr. van der Kolk has spent over three decades working with survivors and has written extensively on the impact of trauma on development, borderline personalities, self-mutilation, cognitive development in traumatized children and adults, and the psychology of trauma. In his new book, he works to transform our understanding of traumatic stress.
Throughout its pages, his book reveals how trauma rearranges the brain’s wiring – specifically the areas dedicated to pleasure, engagement, control, and trust. Dr. van der Kolk demonstrates how these areas can be reactivated through innovative treatments, including neurofeedback, mindfulness techniques, play, yoga, and other therapies. Through these various treatment approaches, children and adults can move beyond trauma, reclaim their lives, and rebuild their relationships.
Aided by the development of three important new scientific disciplines – neuroscience, attachment research, and interpersonal biology – Dr. van der Kolk has written a deeply personal, analytic, and incredibly moving approach to the topic of trauma recovery.
Peter Levine, PhD and author of “In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness” says, “Breathtaking in its scope and breadth, ‘The Body Keeps the Score’ is a seminal work by one of the preeminent pioneers in trauma research and treatment. This essential book unites the evolving neuroscience of trauma research with an emergent wave of body-oriented therapies and traditional mind/body practices. A must-read for all those interested in a scholarly, thoughtful, tome about the powerful forces that affect us as human beings in meeting the many challenges of life, including accidents, loss and abuse.”
The central idea of the book is that exposure to abuse and violence fosters the development of a hyperactive brain alarm system, and molds a body that gets stuck in a fight/flight and freeze. Trauma interferes with the brain circuits that involve focusing, learning, flexibility, and being able to stay in emotional control. This constant sense of danger and helplessness promotes the continuous secretion of stress hormones, which wreaks havoc with the immune system and the functioning of the body’s organs.
“The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma” captures an active therapist who keeps learning from his patients what benefits them most. Dr. van der Kolk has recognized the importance of moving beyond traditional talk therapy or drugs alone, and has highlighted the need to involve a range of therapeutic interventions in order to lead patients to lasting healing.
In conjunction with the release of the book, Dr. van der Kolk is offering a 60-minute free CE event, “The Body Keeps the Score.” During this video presentation, he will succinctly and descriptively draw the picture of trauma, the brain, and how various treatments work (and don’t) on the trauma client. Get free access to the video for a limited time by clicking here.
About the Author
Bessel van der Kolk, MD, is one of the world’s foremost experts on traumatic stress and has taught on the subject world-wide. He has researched the psychobiology of trauma, traumatic memory, the effectiveness of EMDR, and the effects of trauma on human development. He is a professor of psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine, and founder of the Trauma Center at the Justice Resource Institute in Brookline, Mass. Dr. van der Kolk is the past President of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. He has taught at universities and hospitals across the United States and globally. Dr. van der Kolk has written extensively on the impact of trauma on development, borderline personalities, self-mutilation, cognitive development in traumatized children and adults, and the psychobiology of trauma.