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Trauma and Memory cover art

Trauma and Memory

By: Peter A. Levine Ph.D.,Bessel A. van der Kolk M.D.
Narrated by: Rick Adamson
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Summary

In Trauma and Memory, best-selling author Dr. Peter Levine (creator of the Somatic Experiencing approach) tackles one of the most difficult and controversial questions of PTSD/trauma therapy: Can we trust our memories? While some argue that traumatic memories are unreliable and not useful, others insist that we absolutely must rely on memory to make sense of past experience. Building on his 45 years of successful treatment of trauma and utilizing case studies from his own practice, Dr. Levine suggests that there are elements of truth in both camps. While acknowledging that memory can be trusted, he argues that the only truly useful memories are those that might initially seem to be the least reliable: memories stored in the body and not necessarily accessible by our conscious mind.

While much work has been done in the field of trauma studies to address "explicit" traumatic memories in the brain (such as intrusive thoughts or flashbacks), much less attention has been paid to how the body itself stores "implicit" memory and how much of what we think of as "memory" actually comes to us through our (often unconsciously accessed) felt sense. By learning how to better understand this complex interplay of past and present, brain and body, we can adjust our relationship to past trauma and move into a more balanced, relaxed state of being. Written for trauma sufferers as well as mental health care practitioners, Trauma and Memory is a groundbreaking look at how memory is constructed and how influential memories are on our present state of being.

©2015 Peter A. Levine (P)2017 North Atlantic Books

Critic reviews

"Memory has many layers, and Peter Levine has contributed his own unique and powerful way of thinking about how we can understand these systems and optimize their unfolding after trauma. This book offers clinical wisdom drawn from decades of direct experience, demonstrating how a clinician - with focused attention and essential timing - can move unresolved, non-integrated memories into a resolved, integrated form that enables a coherent narrative to emerge and the individual to become liberated from the prisons of the past." (Daniel J. Siegel, MD, author of Mindsight, The Mindful Therapist, and Pocket Guide to Interpersonal Neurobiology)
"Only after we become capable of standing back, taking stock of ourselves, reducing the intensity of our sensations and emotions, and activating our inborn physical defensive reactions can we learn to modify our entrenched maladaptive automatic survival responses and, in doing so, put our haunting memories to rest." (Bessel A. van der Kolk, MD, author of The Body Keeps the Score: Mind, Brain and Body in the Healing of Trauma)

What listeners say about Trauma and Memory

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The trauma whisperer

I really enjoyed this book having previously read other books Levine has authored. It is well written with excellently detailed descriptions of: different types of memory; how these memory sources inter-relate; practical applications of his methods from case study material; and has helpful metaphors and stories. I highly recommend this book to counsellors and therapists who are interested in trauma. I wouldn't recommend it for people/clients who have experienced trauma as it uses technical terms which could make it a difficult read. One thing I didn't like was in reading the book advertising and cover it's easy to assume Bessel van der Kolk is a co-author - which he isn't; although his foreword to the book is very good. Bmcm oct 2017

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19 people found this helpful

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Fascinating, enlightening book

This book was beautifully narrated. Gentle, measured and warmly spoken.
Peter A Levite’s case studies are woven into the neuroscience to illustrate his theories and learning. He shares this with us in a very accessible way so that it is easy to understand.
I also bought a hard copy so that I can bookmark information I want to return to and was delighted to see photographs and illustrations which really added to my learning.
Peter’s work is enabling me to understand myself and others so much better. I really hope that our politicians, business leaders, police, educators, social workers, health care providers etc find this book because it will make such a difference to how they interact with vulnerable people who have experienced trauma (most of us to be fair). When we know better we can do better.

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9 people found this helpful

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Very interesting

A lot of technical insight that went over my head but very interesting and I want to listen through it a second time now.

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8 people found this helpful

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Good book

Great book, shame about the narrator, had to have it on 1.25 speed to make it listenable.

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4 people found this helpful

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very technical but very useful

great listen, even better with the actual book to refrance it with, if your a therapist or a trainee I highly recommend it. he gives a clear breakdown of the 4 types of memory we store

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3 people found this helpful

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brilliant book, informative and accessible

Brilliant book, very informative and thought provoking. Accessible also - not too dense. Relevant to anyone with an interest in memory and how our bodies and psyches work.

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2 people found this helpful

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excellent read

loved it. narrator a bit condescending and monotone at start then you get used to it

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1 person found this helpful

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a must-read for trauma therapists

excellent content. well-read. I will return again and again and will recommend to both patients and colleagues in the field of trauma and psychotherapy

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relevant and succinct

Well written and captures the subject precisely on many occasions. This is one of many books I have purchased on this subject, and yet this delivers new transparent concepts that have added to my knowledge.

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powerful and educational

great read, informative and clear... I really loved this book, poweful and educational as a first time reader on trauma

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1 person found this helpful