Description
Researchers have shown that survivors of accidents, disaster, and childhood trauma often endure lifelong symptoms ranging from anxiety and depression to unexplained physical pain, fatigue, illness, and harmful “acting out” behaviors. Today, professionals and clients in both the bodywork and the psychotherapeutic fields nationwide are turning to Peter A. Levine’s breakthrough Somatic Experiencing® methods to actively overcome these challenges.In Healing Trauma, Dr. Levine gives you the personal how-to guide for using the theory he first introduced in his highly acclaimed work Waking the Tiger. Join him to discover: how to develop body awareness to “renegotiate” and heal traumas by “revisiting” them rather than reliving them; emergency “first-aid” measures for times of distress; and nature’s lessons for uncovering the physiological roots of your emotions.
“Trauma is a fact of life,” teaches Peter Levine, “but it doesn’t have to be a life sentence.” Now, with one fully integrated self-healing tool, he shares his essential methods to address unexplained symptoms of trauma at their source―the body―to return us to the natural state in which we are meant to live
Karen Caffrey (verified owner) –
As a psychotherapist who has received extensive training in Peter Levine’s technique of Somatic Experiencing, I find this book to be a helpful resource for my clients who are working through past trauma. The exercises are simple yet powerful. The text contains a lucid and clear explanation of how the nervous system can store undischarged activation from past events, and the process required to release this activation. The result is a letting go of living in the past and the tremendous freedom of living in the present. I recommend this book very highly to all who are interested in exploring how to heal trauma.
Ruth Ann Timperley (verified owner) –
Since I have discovered Dr. Levine’s books, (and Dr. Robert Scaer’s book on Trauma) I have been able to
understand what happens in the body in the process of trauma, and each time I read another book on this topic,
it makes it easier to cope, to heal, to understand….this is one of the best ones, plus having the CD with it,
with exercises to do, just adds to its effectiveness. Thank you Dr. Peter Levine, for your excellent book that will
aid in recovery of thousands (millions?) of people!
Judy (verified owner) –
As a psychotherapist who specializes in working with individuals who have a history of trauma, I have sought for the past 20 years in books and seminars all the latest in treatment. I recently discovered Peter A. Levine’s remarkable and compassionate books on the subject of trauma and its treatment; “Waking the Tiger” and “In an Unspoken Voice.” Everything I had ever learned practiced, or observed in 20 years of practice came together in his work. What I like best is how Levine gets into the body and the emotions of the sufferer. His explanations are natural and flow from a profound understanding of the biology and the experience of trauma. He avoids scientific jargon and sterile, clinical terminology to prove his scholarly understanding of the subject. He defines, explains, interprets, and illustrates — through masterful integration of science and clinical experience.
How surprised I was when I discovered the small, instructive manual, with CD teaching of its exercises, “Healing Trauma: A Pioneering Program for Restoring the Wisdom of Your Body”! This small book with its very concise distillations of Levine’s understanding of how trauma affects the body, together with specific healing exercises, is invaluable for patients and their therapists working together. Another Levine triumph: helpful, informative, with the same caring concern for the healing journey.
John (verified owner) –
As a therapist, I can recommend this book to others. It has many useful exercises you can do with clients (if you so choose). The basic dynamics of trauma are explained so it could be useful in identifying trauma symptoms and confirming a mental health diagnosis.
Jane Elias (verified owner) –
Anyone who is dealing with pain and trauma would find these exercises extremely useful. They help coordinate what is happening in the body with what is happening in the mind. Ultimately helping to release the trauma and fear.
Wings71 (verified owner) –
Great book because it’s easy for a beginner to understand yet at the same time gives exercises that can help those who have experience dealing with trauma already. I’ve been working on healing mine for many many years and have found the exercises quite interesting. This book does not go into great detail about how trauma happens, for that you may want another book, this one is more to help someone who feels a bit “outside” of their own body or stuck in the flight, fight, freeze stages to get the energy moving in your body to help yourself heal. If you feel stuck this book might get you moving again.
K. Campbell (verified owner) –
I have been working this method of healing mental and emotional trauma for five years now and I can say from experience… it works. What happens in the body leaves imprints in the mind. What happens in the mind happens in the body. This book is easily read and simply explains the connections between body and brain that bypass our awareness. The CD gives methods of connecting body and brain that teach us how to heal age old habits and behavior that plague our daily lives, enabling us to overcome unhealthy mental, emotional and physical trama that we have been subjected to in our lifes. Good luck.
Colleen K. (verified owner) –
Peter Levine has many gifts. He is able to share his psychotherapeutic expertise and insights in clear, understandable, compelling ways. He helped me understand that what I went through when I was young, the “living death” of frozen feeling, wasn’t incomprehensible and aberrant. He demystifies trauma, and it is a relief. And he offers exercises for working with the mind and body … that work. The effects are subtle are first, but the healing happens in the most healthy way. His methods have given me the most stable, sustained change I have ever experienced. And I’ve tried various therapeutic methods. His exercises take time, attention and a certain commitment, but what I’ve gotten in return is new feeling (or the resurrection of feeling that’s always been there, just momentarily frozen) and looseness and joy. I plan to write Peter a letter to let him know that he has given me back my joy of living.
Lyn (verified owner) –
The short book explains trauma and how the aftereffects lurk in the body. The CD exercises help you get better. It’s not magic and like everything else, you have to do the exercises. But they are much cheaper than getting a therapist who may not even know this approach to trauma recovery. And it’s not either/or. You can do both. Complaint: I wish the CD had tracks so I could move around on it. It’s a bit like an old mixtape where you have to forward and back to get where you want to be.
Rebecca Wood (verified owner) –
This is a very powerful book. I have been in therapy for 15 years. My therapists realize that I have had a difficult past, but no one “get it” about the pain and suffering that I went through as a child which hovers over my adult life. I suffer from depression and don’t want to be on pills all of my life. I also was starved, raped, neglected, malnourished and had scurvy as a child and every therapist wants to help by saying” that was the past and get over it. you are an adult now. Change your thoughts. This book gives my the understanding and tools to work through the past and move on. Well written and easy to understand.. If you have been through trauma you need this book and buy one for your therapist.
T. Allen (verified owner) –
Quick easy to read and understand version of Peter Levine’s methods. Basic steps to start working on healing yourself. Not as detailed as Healing the Tiger or In an Unspoken Voice. Read this first to see if it is something you will follow through with. Having done this work with a Levine trained therapist I can vouch for not only the book but the method!
Patricia W (verified owner) –
Fantastic, clear, and life altering. Dr. LEVINE’S books are internationally recognized as the most cutting edge on trauma in the world. I offer it to my clients as a means of enhancing the transformative effects of Somatic Experiencing for treatment of trauma PTSD. A great book for anyone serious about recovery . Psychotherapy Solutions
Jacqueline (verified owner) –
An absolute revolution in approaches to healing trauma. Peter Levine has changed my whole perception of my illness. He studied the behaviour of prey animals who, after a brush with death, quickly return to normal, in a way traumatised humans don’t. Trauma is a physiological not mental problem, resulting from unexpelled energy trapped in the nervous system. The author discusses the freeze aspect of the fight/flight/freeze response that occurs when we’re overwhelmed and lack the resources to move through an event we experience as life threatening. If we don’t discharge the torrent of frozen ‘survival energy’ by shaking it off in some way, it stays with us, over time causing a host of increasingly dramatic, debilitating and painful symptoms. This book is a life saver, providing scientific evidence for what I’ve felt but have never, until now, been able to explain. My whole body breathed a huge sigh of relief when I started reading the Twelve Phase Healing Programme and I’m very positive about my prognosis.
Kathy Ciechanowski (verified owner) –
good
Carol (verified owner) –
helpful tool for processing trauma
catcoon (verified owner) –
Wonderfully warm in Wyoming winters! Only issue is way too large. Can overlap front about 18 inches. Sleeves way too long. Not for short people. Drags on ground while walking .
Leslie Tizer (verified owner) –
Very useful in understanding a new approach to trauma that is powerful and useful.
Maria Heredia (verified owner) –
Simple, to the point and well written with great examples of how to incorporate healing techniques into your life immediately.
Sharon Blunt (verified owner) –
I am still reading and absorbing the book so, I cannot give a good review at this time.
Dr. Connie Lillas (verified owner) –
Comes with a relaxation, guided experience CD, so a good buy for the price. It is very much a self-help level, in contrast to Dr. Levine’s professional trade books.
DeAna Gray (verified owner) –
Great book, definitely worth the read.
Erika Bottin (verified owner) –
Useful, practical guide to steps you can take on your own.
Brigid F. Dunn (verified owner) –
Interesting ideas about how to deal with traumatic experiences we’ve endured by dealing with our physical selves. Our bodies remember these events and we must heal physically, mentally and emotionally.
Ouzola Customer (verified owner) –
Very good discussion of process to healing Trauma
Anstice (verified owner) –
Very interesting approach – something I have heard about for a while and about which good results are being reported. After so many ‘talk’ solutions which have helped my thought process, this approach has promise for resolving and clearing out the shadow effects. Emotions really do ‘freeze’ in the body and cause all sorts of issues unless and until they are ‘expressed’ and one can find a way to reconnect head (thought) to the rest of self (physical). Very hopeful, have begun the process. Having the CD is very valuable. Hope alone is a great by-product.
Jack X. (verified owner) –
In my 5 years of dedication to healing through PTSD, from childhood trauma into adult independence, I have never experienced struggling harder than through Somatic Experiencing & Dr. Levine’s practices here. This has been much harder than in previous times, and a much slower process. I share this for anyone who may be in self-doubt or doubt of Dr. Levine’s work, to reassure you that the effort is hard but it’s worth it.
My biggest problem is moving from my head into my body, however, I am slowly climbing mountains- and Dr. Levine’s work is unique, unlike any other approach I’ve experienced. It’s not easy and it’s not supposed to be easy. Somatic Experiencing focuses directly on the work that needs to be done. To care about your body enough to go through mundane, extremely simple exercises and be dedicated.
In 3 years I had been to 13 different doctors in fields of psychology and neurology. I had only a few good experiences, and only in finding Somatic Experiencing have I discovered something radically different. It reminds me of what I learned in overcoming a visceral, biological anti-needle reaction. Your brain doesn’t change until your body does.
It’s not perfect, it’s not easy, you may have the greatest doubts and least faith in the midst of these exercises. It might feel boring and uneventful, as if you are doing nothing and it doesn’t feel traumatic or even real. But that is just part of how it is, when we are numb, stuck off, unaware, or stuck on, blind. There is no “wrong” way to do these exercises. At first I could feel that I was bad at them somehow, and I had to just keep doing it poorly to get through those bad parts and get better. Doing it poorly was freeing enough that it allowed me to get better. The difficulty of these exercises helped me realize that I don’t have to have high standards or be so great at achieving this healing, I can take it much slower. For much of my life, I have been able to lean on my over-active mind as a crutch, a spontaneous creator. But to really learn, I have to struggle. It has to be uncomfortable.
I would recommend these exercises to anyone struggling to get out of repetitious habits, addictions, or struggling to gain autonomy & willpower.
S. Anderson (verified owner) –
I don’t usually do book reviews because I find it hard to balance giving a comprehensive analysis without running on and on. However I really like this book and want to support it. I came into reading this with a long standing interest in how trauma plays a part in the hard wiring of our brains and how this can be reversed. While not being as technical and more geared toward the lay population I think this book makes a good adjunct to the works of Van Der Kolk.
I think it could be very helpful to anyone who is working to recover from trauma.
Amy H (verified owner) –
This book isn’t a lengthy read but the content is very powerful & thought provoking.It was recommended to me & it couldn’t have been at a better time as I had just been diagnosed with PTSD. The exercises are critical to the healing process & help me stay “present”, not dwell on the past & they help calm me.
Private (verified owner) –
My homeopathic doctor recommended this book. It is very insightful and gives you background and reasoning as well as ways to heal. I am also a Life Coach and will be recommending this as a resource to my clients.
Elaine J. Moore (verified owner) –
Very informative, cutting edge material by groundbreaking Peter Levine, founder of the Somatic Experience work. Used this material with numerous therapy clients with history of trauma that has been difficult to treat. Particularly like the focus on exercises and guided meditations…
Lulu (verified owner) –
The format is a little weird, but the content was good. Liked understanding the physiological connections to and needs of the psyche.
“seanj80” (verified owner) –
Healing from trauma takes time and patience, but according to Peter Levine it can be done, and people have done it. In fact, it’s an innate ability in animals to move on from trauma, but humans don’t always use this ability.
Trauma is intrinsic to your body as well as your mind, and there are several exercises in the book to change the way you relate to your body and move on from trauma. I’m using this in conjunction with therapy, dealing with an unstable childhood seeing a lot of chaos where people could change from happy to screaming at a drop of a hat. ( as a lot of people have also experienced).
The exercises so far, I feel have been helpful to me.
If you’re struggling, I want to tell you there’s hope out there and inside you and this book could be one of the things that helps you on your journey.
Butter Chan (verified owner) –
Excellent information as I work with a lot of sexually traumatized people. This is a must read for people helping others dealing with trauma – in my job, rape and sexual trauma. It is information that you and your clients will benefit from. It is a great resource.
Robert Williams (verified owner) –
I would recommend this book to anyone. It makes you think of things that you are dealing with differently and shows you how to understand the pain you are going through
vilundain (verified owner) –
I have purchased this book multiple times because I use it in therapy with adults and I have given copies to co-workers to use/keep. The book came in great shape/used.
P. (verified owner) –
The Einstein of trauma resolution. Makes healing accessible and simple. Authors website and CD in book in somatic experiencing techniques and practitioners also helpful.
Lily L. (verified owner) –
Just get the audiobook cause the cd is impossible to listen to because who still has a CD player????
Ray Thomsom (verified owner) –
Wow, what a great book and for this price you even get a CD to help you greatly reduce the effect past trauma’s have on your life. Top notch and VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Sara (verified owner) –
I love this book!
This has helped me heal lots of trauma!
Hunters Mom (verified owner) –
Very well written
So important if a subject
LL (verified owner) –
This is a very beautiful book until you come across a quote by Woody Allen…Seems inappropriate for a book which is read no doubt by survivals of sexual trauma. Was this really necessary? Isn’t it time it was removed?
A. Mills (verified owner) –
I have been doing talk therapy for decades. I have tried everything I could find – different forms of talk therapy, medications and more medications and EMDR. THIS SOLVED PROBLEMS I HAD BEEN FIGHTING FOR DECADES IN 2 WEEKS. It worked miracles for me. This book and its exercises gave me back my life! I cannot recommend it highly enough to anyone struggling with trauma. Thank you Mr. Levine. If I ever meet you, I will give you the biggest hug ever!
Enthusiast (verified owner) –
This book provides the essential foundation of safety and compassion that can initiate healing even profound trauma. What a powerful gem clearly articulating how healing can begin right now, precisely where you are at.
Mike (verified owner) –
as advertised
Jaz (verified owner) –
Easy to read & absorb, at least for me. I didn’t lose interest at all. Great author!
Regan Grelling (verified owner) –
Lots of activities and you have to take the time to follow them which can be a pain initially in our fast-paced, impatient lives but it’s well worth it. The audio files aren’t necessary but can be easily found online for free and helped me go through each activity without having to look down at the book frequently to read each step. Find Peter Levine’s other books and listen to podcast episodes he’s been a guest on. He’s brilliant.
Ouzola Customer (verified owner) –
The work of Dr. Levine has allowed me to experience life in my body again. The steps are small, but over time you will notice a difference. If you’ve disassociated or simply lost touch with your body, these exercises will slowly allow you to feel again and develop an appreciation for your beautiful body. This also inspired me to find a Somatic Experiencing Coach and I highly recommend that too.
barbara (verified owner) –
I found this to be a useful book. Dr Levine is certainly the expert in this field.
Sean A. Mcgonagle (verified owner) –
I bought the paperback. It is a great book, however it did not come with a CD, so it is limited in it’s usefulness. The CD alone is currently listed on this site for $50. I would search for other purchasing options….
Hikingallday (verified owner) –
I just ordered this book a little over a week ago, and when I read the reviews, I was a little worried that the book would come without a way to listen to the exercises. When I received the book, it did NOT have a CD with it, and at first I could not find the online link to the audio exercises. After a little searching, I found the link to the audio exercises at the very bottom of the book’s “Contents” page (soundstrue dot com forward slash healingtrama).
As the author recommends, read the front portion of the book BEFORE you do the exercises, and seek therapy if the exercises bring up strong emotional/physical reactions.
FYI – If you look at the page opposite the the book’s “Contents” page, you will see a box that says, “Medical Alert” (bottom of page). In that box it gives you a website where you can find a trauma competent therapist who understands the exercises in this book. The book inaccurately lists the website as being a dot com website. The correct website is a dot org website.
I plan to go through all 12 exercises slowly as the author recommends (Currently on exercise 3). As I start each trauma exercise I plan to continue to practice the prior exercises while incorporating one new exercise at a time. The author seems to hint to that being helpful anyway. I am also listening to the book, “The Body Keeps Score” for a second time.
I am hopeful the exercises in this book are what I have needed all along as I did not realize how disconnected my mind and body were until I started doing the exercises. I have always left my talk therapy sessions feeling like, “Well that’s money I can’t get back.” And, “I still feel empty, sad, and anxious. Why won’t they help me?” I always thought maybe I picked the wrong therapist, but no matter what therapist I went to, I left feeling the same way.
Hope and healing for all of us…
Mariah s (verified owner) –
Just what I needed. A good read.
Carol Arshad (verified owner) –
helps me finish dissertation
ouzola Customer (verified owner) –
Must read for contemporary trauma recovery.
Elliott (verified owner) –
The headline says it all. I waited a while to get this book and so realize if you are aware of this book and feel that there is something in it for you there’s really no reason to hold off purchasing it and getting into it. I won’t say I wish I had this years ago because I feel I had to do a lot of work to be ready for it. However I’d still encourage anyone who is even peeking to just get this book and start working with it as it is such a gentle, thoughtful and relatively simple approach that I imagine it can only do good. Even reading the intro can offer some healing and self acceptance so if you haven’t already just start with the free sample and see how it moves you or speaks to you.
RightHereRightNow (verified owner) –
I have listened to several videos of Dr.Peter Levine who I think is a blessing to humanity with his Somatic Experiencing practices. This book helped me understand my physical ailments, connect them to mental and then heal from both. I highly recommend it!
Re-reading the book so make you see things in different light each time. Each sentence is full of wisdom and there is a lot to gain here.
Listening to his calming voice on the audio almost makes me feel he’s in the room. I do these practices everyday as and when I can. The audio link is mentioned at the bottom of the table of contents- other reviewers said they couldn’t find it.
iIn addition, I’m seeing a somatic experiencing healer that has speeded up the process.
And So It Goes (verified owner) –
Excellent somatic practical text