Bessel van der Kolk

Bessel van der Kolk is a renowned American psychiatrist, author, and researcher who has been teaching, writing, and treating patients with traumatic stress disorder and related conditions for over 30 years. He is a professor of psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine and Medical Director of The Trauma Center in Massachusetts.

Born in Amsterdam, Holland, in 1943, van der Kolk obtained an MD at the University of Amsterdam in 1969. After completing specialty training in psychotherapy, biological psychiatry, and child psychiatry in the Netherlands, he immigrated to the United States where he soon established himself as an international leader in the study of traumatic stress, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in both adults and children.

Van der Kolk is the author of several influential books about the effects of trauma, including The Body Keeps the Score (1999); Traumatic Stress: The Effects of Overwhelming Experience on Mind, Body and Society (2005); and The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study (ACE Study) (2011).

Published in 1999, The Body Keeps the Score is a groundbreaking work that brings together over three decades of research from a wide range of fields, including neuroscience, biology, psychology, psychopharmacology, and psychiatry. In the book, van der Kolk explains how trauma affects individuals of all ages and how trauma changes the structure and function of the brain. He explains how individuals can heal and recover from trauma, as well as how to create an environment of safety, connection, and trust in order to support healing and reestablish normal functioning.

Traumatic Stress, published in 2005, examines the impact of traumatic experiences on both mind and body, as well as how trauma affects society as a whole. It includes case studies from van der Kolk’s research and clinical practice, as well as cutting-edge findings in the field of post-traumatic research.

The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study (ACE Study), which was published in 2011, is based on groundbreaking epidemiological research by van der Kolk and colleagues. It comprehensively examines the correlation between early life events and physical and mental health outcomes in adulthood. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in understanding the impact of trauma and how trauma affects us across the lifespan.

Van der Kolk is one of the founding organizers of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS) and is currently the vice president. He has devoted much of his life to training and teaching mental health providers, particularly in the area of psychological trauma. He teaches extensively throughout the United States and internationally. In addition, he has received many awards for his research and was in 1997 selected for the James McKeen Cattell Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychology by the American Psychological Association.

Overall, van der Kolk is a highly influential figure in the field of trauma and emotional healing. His work has helped to advance our understanding and treatment of mental illness, particularly PTSD, across the globe. For anyone who is affected by trauma or is interested in the field, then reading van der Kolk’s books is essential.