The Body Keeps the Score: How Trauma Lives in the Body and What We Can Do About It

Trauma doesn’t just live in our memories — it lives in our bodies. In his groundbreaking book, The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, psychiatrist and researcher Dr. Bessel van der Kolk explores how trauma reshapes the brain and body, often leaving lasting imprints that can’t be healed by talk therapy alone.

Trauma as a Body-Based Experience

Van der Kolk explains that trauma affects the nervous system and brain development, often trapping individuals in states of hypervigilance, dissociation, or emotional shutdown. Trauma survivors may experience chronic anxiety, fatigue, pain, or a deep sense of disconnection — even long after the traumatic events are over.

“Trauma is not the story of something that happened back then. It’s the current imprint of that pain, horror, and fear living inside people.”– Bessel van der Kolk

Why Talking Isn’t Always Enough

While cognitive approaches like CBT are helpful for reframing thoughts, van der Kolk emphasizes that trauma also needs to be addressed at the physical level. Healing requires reconnecting with the body — learning how to feel safe inside ourselves again.

Effective Body-Based Therapies

Van der Kolk highlights several approaches that support trauma recovery by engaging the body and nervous system:

• Brainspotting – A powerful neurobiological therapy that accesses unprocessed trauma stored deep in the brain and body.

• Yoga and Mindfulness – Gentle, grounding practices that help restore a sense of safety, control, and embodiment.

• Somatic Experiencing – A trauma-resolution method that focuses on releasing trapped fight, flight, or freeze responses.

• Neurofeedback – Helps regulate brainwave activity and has shown promise for PTSD and developmental trauma.

• Expressive Arts Therapies – Movement, art, and drama can support emotional integration and connection.

  
  

Healing Through Safety and Connection

One of the most powerful messages in van der Kolk’s work is the importance of safe, attuned relationships in the healing process. At White Lotus Therapy, I provide a compassionate, trauma-informed space where clients are supported in reconnecting with their bodies, emotions, and sense of self. Through Brainspotting, mindfulness-based therapies, and somatic practices, we work together to help the body release what it’s been holding.

“Being able to feel safe with other people is probably the single most important aspect of mental health.”– Bessel van der Kolk

Want to Learn More?

If you're interested in understanding how trauma lives in the body — and how healing can begin — I highly recommend reading The Body Keeps the Score. You can find it here: The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma: van der Kolk M.D., Bessel: 9780670785933: Books - Amazon.ca

Reference:van der Kolk, B. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Viking Press.