People often ask me for book recommendations on trauma. There are SO many great books out there on healing trauma right now. So I’ve tried to narrow it down a bit and divided them by category.
For those Just starting Somatic Therapy:
Why you can’t think your way out of Trauma. This article is a quick read and lays the case for the importance of using the body’s wisdom to heal trauma.
A great starter book and even comes with a CD of basic exercises that can be a nice compliment to therapy.
A classic and also a good starter book for understanding trauma and its impact on the nervous system.
For Parents & Kids:
I really like this simple and straight forward video for elementary school aged children by Gina Ross. It’s especially helpful in the aftermath of war violence or natural disaster . Just scroll down to the bottom for the two videos. The original was made in Hebrew and the English version is dubbed but still quite helpful. My kid loves it and often quotes from it 🙂
For Therapists:
A great companion book for therapists and students going through the first year of the Somatic Experiencing Training Program.
A helpful look at how to heal developmental (early childhood) trauma from a somatic therapy perspective. Written by two senior therapists in the field of Somatic Psychology.
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The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy: Engaging the Rhythm of Regulation (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology) by Deb A. Dana and Stephen W. Porges
Many therapists love this primer on Steven Porge’s Polyvagal theory. It lays the theoretical foundation for the Somatic Experiencing approach and many other therapies and somatic models today.