Book Review: The Body Keeps the Score – Understanding Trauma and Healing
- Jaime P. Morales
- Jul 20
- 7 min read
Updated: Aug 10
When we think of trauma, many of us imagine visible injuries, a broken leg, a gunshot wound, something you can point to. But what about the trauma we can’t see? The kind that lives inside the mind and body, quietly shaping how we move through the world? Invisible doesn’t mean harmless, emotional and psychological trauma can be just as damaging, if not more so.
“Trauma is not what happens to you, but what happens inside you as a result of what happens to you.” (Page 7)
This review of The Body Keeps the Score by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk covers a book that everyone should read, not only if you've experienced emotional trauma, but also if you want to be a more compassionate and aware human being. Understanding trauma helps us better understand ourselves and others, why people behave the way they do, why healing isn’t linear, and why empathy matters.
The book is deeply rooted in science, but it’s accessible. Van der Kolk explains complex concepts in a way that feels clear, engaging, and deeply human. If you’re on a healing journey, or don’t know where to begin, this is an excellent place to start.
“Trauma leaves fingerprints on our brain, changing not only how we think, but also what we think about.” (Page 97)
Review of Main Points from The Body Keeps the Score
Just because we can’t see something doesn’t mean it can’t hurt us. A helpful physical example is this: when you step outside on a hot summer day, you feel the heat on your skin. You don’t see the sun’s rays, but you feel their impact. Your body responds, maybe you start to sweat, get a headache, or feel drained. Now imagine stepping outside without any protection, no sunscreen, no shade, and staying out longer than you should. Everything feels fine in the moment, but a few hours later, your skin is burning, red, and painful to the touch. That’s a sunburn. You didn’t see the damage happening, but it was there the whole time.
The same goes for emotional and psychological trauma. We may seem fine on the surface, we might even convince ourselves we’re "strong." But trauma, like the sun’s rays, affects us whether we see it or not. It hits people differently, but if left unacknowledged and untreated, it eventually leaves a mark.
“Being able to feel safe with other people is probably the single most important aspect of mental health; safe connections are fundamental to meaningful and satisfying lives.” (Page 81)
One of the central messages of The Body Keeps the Score is that psychological trauma has long-term effects on both the mind and the body. Suppressing it or pretending it doesn't exist only deepens the damage. The body will do whatever it can to protect itself, even if that means shutting down or staying in survival mode. Real strength doesn’t come from ignoring the pain, it comes from facing it, healing it, and becoming mentally and emotionally resilient.
Healing Is More Than Talking
Healing is a journey, and while talking can be a powerful part of that process, it’s not the only path. As Dr. Bessel van der Kolk emphasizes in The Body Keeps the Score, healing is multifaceted. There’s no one-size-fits-all or cookie-cutter approach when it comes to trauma recovery.
Talk therapy helps many people, but it doesn’t work for everyone. One of the most valuable aspects of this book is that it highlights science-backed, alternative approaches to healing, such as EMDR, yoga, neurofeedback, and somatic therapies. These methods focus not just on the mind, but also on how trauma is stored in the body. So if traditional talk therapy hasn’t worked for you, that doesn’t mean healing isn’t possible, it just means it might be time to explore a different path.
Healing Takes Time
No matter which approach you take, whether it’s therapy, meditation, bodywork, or a combination, it’s important to understand that healing takes time. It’s not something you check off a list or fix in a single session. Healing often unfolds over weeks, months, or even years, and that’s completely normal.
It’s also not a straight line. The process can be messy, unpredictable, and nonlinear. You’ll have good days and hard days. But just because the journey isn’t easy doesn’t mean it isn’t worth it. With time, support, and the right tools, healing is absolutely possible, and your future self will thank you for taking those steps now.
Yoga, Meditation, and More
There is growing scientific evidence showing that meditation and yoga offer real, measurable health benefits. Yoga, for instance, has been proven to improve sleep, increase energy levels, and help manage stress, ultimately helping you feel more balanced and centered. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, yoga can support both physical and mental well-being by promoting relaxation, flexibility, and mindfulness (Johns Hopkins Medicine, 2025).
“Trauma victims cannot recover until they become familiar with and befriend the sensations in their bodies.” (Page 103)
When combined with meditation, these practices offer a powerful way to unwind and reconnect with yourself. Meditation has been practiced for over 1,000 years and continues to demonstrate a wide range of benefits for both mental and physical health. You don’t need to be religious to practice it, it can be done simply as a form of mindfulness or self-care. Meditation can reduce anxiety, lower blood pressure, and increase emotional awareness, making it a strong foundation for healing and inner peace (Nash, 2019).
Other Non-Traditional Paths to Healing
In The Body Keeps the Score, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk explores several non-traditional, science-backed methods for healing trauma. These approaches go beyond talk therapy and focus on how trauma is stored and released from the body and nervous system.
Here are a few highlighted in the book:
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing):A structured therapy that helps people process and reframe traumatic memories using guided eye movements. It’s widely used for PTSD and is backed by strong clinical evidence.
Neurofeedback:A technique that uses real-time brainwave monitoring to help individuals regulate their brain activity, improve focus, and calm their nervous system.
Theater and Movement Therapy:Engaging in drama, dance, and body-based expression can help trauma survivors reconnect with their bodies and emotions in safe, creative ways.
Somatic Experiencing:A body-centered therapy focused on gently releasing stored tension and trauma from the nervous system through increased body awareness.
We highly recommend exploring these methods in the book. Dr. van der Kolk does an excellent job of explaining each one in an accessible, research-backed way, making complex concepts easy to understand and deeply relatable.
Mentally Navigating Through the World Before We Talk or Walk
When people see babies or young children, they often assume they don’t really understand what’s happening around them. And sure, a toddler can’t do college-level calculus, but that doesn’t mean their emotional or mental experience is nonexistent. In fact, even before children can speak or walk, they are absorbing and reacting to the emotional world around them.
As children grow, they begin to hit developmental milestones that help them understand and engage with the world. But for some, this journey is disrupted. Many children experience trauma early in life, sometimes through obvious forms like physical abuse, but often through more subtle, yet equally damaging, experiences like emotional neglect or verbal abuse.
Emotional trauma in childhood leaves deep marks, especially if it goes unresolved. A child who grows up in an environment where showing emotion is punished or ignored may carry those patterns into adulthood. They may believe emotional repression is normal or that love must be earned through perfection or silence. This can lead to serious challenges in adult relationships, communication, trust, and self-worth.
According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN), childhood trauma, especially complex trauma involving emotional neglect, can deeply affect how a child forms attachments, processes emotions, and builds their identity. Left untreated, these early wounds can shape a person’s entire life, sometimes leading to harmful behaviors or emotionally disconnected adulthood.
Understanding trauma from this early developmental perspective is one of the key takeaways of The Body Keeps the Score, and a reminder that healing often starts with acknowledging what happened long before we had the words to explain it.
Final Thoughts – Book Review of The Body Keeps the Score
Overall, I would give this book a strong recommendation. The Body Keeps the Score doesn’t just talk about the trauma so many of us suppress or avoid, it offers a path toward healing. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk gives readers both the science and the humanity behind trauma, showing us that while we all experience pain in different ways, healing is possible.
Every one of us faces some form of trauma, some more deeply than others, but it’s up to us to find ways to heal and build healthier coping mechanisms so we can become better, more resilient versions of ourselves. This book is truly a must-read, not only for those seeking to heal but for anyone who wants to better understand mental health, trauma, and the human experience.
This message especially hit home for me as someone who grew up in a Latino household. In my culture, we were often told that depression didn’t exist, that anxiety was just weakness, and that we should stay quiet and push through. Many of us, myself included, were taught to suppress our feelings and avoid vulnerability, which took a serious toll on our mental health. And I know we’re not alone. Many cultures around the world carry similar beliefs.
That’s why books like this are so important. They not only educate us, but they break generational silence and help us have more compassion, for ourselves and for others. If you're ready to better understand trauma, or even just want to be a more empathetic human, this is a book you need to pick up today.
“As long as you keep secrets and suppress information, you are fundamentally at war with yourself … That takes an enormous amount of courage.” (Page 234)
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