Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychological Trauma | 1986 | Bessel van der Kolk | Buy |
| 2 | Traumatic Stress | 1996 | Bessel van der Kolk | Buy |
| 3 | The Body Keeps the Score | 2014 | Bessel van der Kolk | Buy |
Bessel van der Kolk’s non-fiction books trace the development of trauma research from the mid-1980s to the present. Psychological Trauma (1986) was one of the first comprehensive overviews of how extreme stress affects mental health. Traumatic Stress (1996), co-authored with other researchers, expanded on the neurobiological underpinnings of PTSD.
The Body Keeps the Score (2014) became his most widely known work. Written for both professionals and general readers, it argues that trauma is stored in the body and that effective treatment must go beyond talk therapy to include movement, mindfulness, and other body-based approaches.