Understanding trauma with Bessel van der Kolk

In this intimate and authentic conversation, Dr. van der Kolk demonstrates first-hand how necessary it is for therapists to evolve, developing a new understanding and new ways of intervening with respect to the healing from trauma. The personal evolution of traumatised clients has been interrupted by the horrific experiences they have had, totally out of their control. Clinicians will be led to question the use of known, often unscientific, treatment methods that struggle to adequately address the client's feeling of being stuck. By listening to van der Kolk's words, perhaps several times, it will be possible to begin to glimpse a way out of the frustration, isolation, helplessness and despair that often accompany trauma and its treatment.

Just as trauma is not just the story of gruesome experiences experienced by adults and children, its treatment goes beyond simply telling that story. The treatment of trauma implies the individual's ability to integrate the sensory fragments related to the traumatic experience within a richer and healthier existence. With this in mind, van der Kolk encourages therapists to deepen their understanding of the somatic approaches and/or to appropriately assess when to send a client to a colleague with such training. This will help the client to shed a trauma/victim-centred identity, enabling them to live an existence free of fear, anger, dissociation, dysregulation and disconnection. Trauma paralyses the areas of the brain necessary to move forward in time and to effectively utilise cognitive resources such as logic, language and self-regulation.

van der Kolk's passion and expertise, as well as the clinical knowledge acquired by the lecturer through years of hard work in the field, will help therapists to better manage their work with challenging trauma clients, recognising the importance of adopting a strengths-based approach to the client, oriented towards resilience and focused on hope.