Authors
Bessel van der Kolk
Bessel van der Kolk is a Dutch psychiatrist, researcher and author known for pioneering work on trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, and the body-mind connection. He is author of the bestselling book "The Body Keeps the Score" and has led clinical and research programs focused on trauma treatment and recovery.
Quotes: 2
Quotes by Bessel van der Kolk
Healing Means Learning to Feel Again
At its core, Bessel van der Kolk’s statement reframes healing as more than symptom reduction or survival. It suggests that recovery involves regaining access to emotions that trauma, stress, or grief may have shut down.
Created on: 3/25/2026
The Nervous System as a Living Garden
Bessel van der Kolk’s metaphor immediately shifts the way we think about the body. Instead of imagining the nervous system as a machine to be pushed harder, repaired quickly, or disciplined into obedience, he presents it...
Created on: 3/17/2026