This deeply human book offers a comprehensive understanding of the causes and consequences of trauma, offering hope and clarity to anyone who has experienced the devastating effects of trauma. Trauma is one of the greatest social challenges of our time, not only from accidents and crimes, but also from the hidden harm caused by sexual and domestic violence, and abuse in communities and schools.
Drawing on more than thirty years of experience at the forefront of research and clinical practice, Bessel van der Kolk demonstrates how the dread and isolation at the core of trauma literally reshapes the brain and body, and why traumatized people experience incomprehensible anxiety, dullness and unbearable rage. We get an explanation of how trauma affects their concentration, their memory, and their ability to form trusting relationships or even feel at home in their own bodies.
The Body Counts is an inspiring story of how a handful of therapists and scientists, along with their brave and memorable patients, have sought to incorporate the latest in brain science, attachment research, and body awareness into treatments that can free trauma survivors from the tyranny of the past. . We get a glimpse of how powerful our human relationships can be - whether within the family or at the level of our wider community - both in terms of injury and healing.