The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk M.D. (published 2015)
“Trauma is a fact of life. Veterans and their families deal with the painful aftermath of combat; one in five Americans has been molested; one in four grew up with alcoholics; one in three couples have engaged in physical violence. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, one of the world’s foremost experts on trauma, has spent over three decades working with survivors. In The Body Keeps the Score, he uses recent scientific advances to show how trauma literally reshapes both body and brain, compromising sufferers’ capacities for pleasure, engagement, self-control, and trust. He explores innovative treatments—from neurofeedback and meditation to sports, drama, and yoga—that offer new paths to recovery by activating the brain’s natural neuroplasticity. Based on Dr. van der Kolk’s own research and that of other leading specialists, The Body Keeps the Score exposes the tremendous power of our relationships both to hurt and to heal—and offers new hope for reclaiming lives.”
My shrink mentioned this book to me recently. She warned me that it is a heavy read with lots of intense stories, so here’s your warning. I wouldn’t read/listen to it with kids around or right before going to sleep.
I prefer audiobooks because I like to listen while driving or doing housework. I don’t know how this is legal, but someone uploaded the audiobook on youtube for free! Otherwise you can find it on audible or library apps. (Though my library app showed the book on hold for several months, so I was extra grateful to find it on youtube.) I’m about 1/2 way through and I’ve started taking notes so I can ask my shrink some questions next time I see her.
I feel the need to point out that you can learn from this book without yourself having been a victim of abuse or a veteran of war like the patients in this book. I am learning a lot from reading it about students I’ve taught and will inevitably teach in the future and how to successfully interact with them. The book covers things from PTSD to behavior disorders that are becoming more and more prevalent in school age children.
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Redheaded Jill 
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