In a world that’s collectively clutching at mindfulness quotes and oat milk lattes to survive the chaos, mental well-being has become our modern-day gold rush. We’re journaling, meditating, affirming, and manifesting like it’s an Olympic sport.
If books were gym memberships, The Body Keeps the Score would be the Peloton of trauma literature ,ubiquitous, sweat-inducing, and occasionally leaving readers wondering if they’ve accidentally signed up for a cult.
Van der Kolk, a Dutch psychiatrist with the gravitas of a Tolkien wizard and the résumé of a Harvard-trained maverick, didn’t set out to write a self-help sensation. His goal was simpler: to convince the world that trauma isn’t just “all in your head” but also in your quads, your cortisol levels, and possibly your left big toe. The result? A 560-page doorstopper that’s part neuroscience textbook, part Eat, Pray, Love for the emotionally bruised.
And somewhere between a TikTok therapist and your cousin’s breathwork retreat in Bali, there lies a book that’s earned near-religious status:
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk.
Let’s be clear: this book is no trendy flash in the pan. It’s a deeply researched, widely respected masterclass in understanding trauma. Van der Kolk, a veteran psychiatrist, takes us on a journey into how trauma reshapes the brain, body, and relationships. It’s profound. It’s necessary. It’s helped millions.
But is it enough?
What It Gets Right: A Survival Manual for the Soul
- It validates your experience.
Whether your trauma is loud or silent, fresh or generational, this book whispers, “You’re not crazy. You’re just carrying something heavy.”
- It’s not afraid of the science.
Van der Kolk makes neuroscience digestible, helping readers understand how trauma literally rewires our brains and bodies. And suddenly, you’re not weak—you’re just biologically responding to the past.
- It offers a path forward.
From EMDR to yoga, from neurofeedback to movement, it goes beyond “just talk about it” and opens doors to embodied healing. It’s practical, hopeful, and grounded in years of clinical experience.
Where It Falls Short: Healing Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All
For all its brilliance, The Body Keeps the Score doesn’t tell everyone’s story. It is, undeniably, written through a Western lens. Its silence on how systemic oppression, race, gender, poverty, or cultural displacement shape trauma is deafening.
It doesn’t fully explore what trauma looks like when you’re a Rohingya refugee, a Black teenager growing up in the American South, a trans person navigating daily microaggressions, or an Indigenous woman carrying the weight of stolen land and stolen children.
In short, it lacks intersectionality. It treats trauma like a universal language yet skips over the fact that many people weren’t even handed a dictionary.
The Rest of the Truth
- It’s dense.
At 400+ pages, this isn’t a read—it’s a reckoning. You may need a nap and a cup of something strong every few chapters. Green tea or matcha for me, please.
- It can feel clinical.
At times, it slips into medical jargon that may leave readers flipping between the glossary and their feelings.
- It stirs things.
This book doesn’t coddle. It can trigger memories long buried or awaken pain you didn’t name. Which is why it’s best read with support, not solo in the middle of an already bad week.
Final Thoughts: A Foundation, Not a Finale
The Body Keeps the Score is essential reading. It’s foundational. It hands us a mirror and says, “This is why you hurt.” But for a truly global understanding of healing, we need more mirrors—from more places, more people, and more lived truths. Otherwise, it remains a love letter to your trauma.