In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness [Tapa blanda]

I first studied with Peter Levine in 1983 long before his Somatic Experiencing theory had been developed, and then again in 1988 as he was first developing it. After a twenty year stretch in which my life took a diversion I have come back and studied his work again, and have became certified as a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner. During this time Dr. Levine's work has become exquisitely refined and the theory has become teachable. In the early days we would watch him work and could not follow the subtleties but would always be amazed as almost miraculous healings would unfold before our eyes. In his first book, "Waking the Tiger" he was able to articulate his theory of healing trauma in a way that was readable and informative. In this book he has made the work fully approachable. With examples from his own life he shows us how we can go through life-threatening experiences and not only avoid being traumatized but actually come out of such experiences a healthier human being. This is by far his best book to date and I practically demand that all of my clients read it so they can understand many of the symptoms they are experiencing. For, it turns out that trauma is the great imposter. It can look like just about any medical or psychological disorder in the diagnostic books. Many people are not even aware that they are suffering from the hidden effects of trauma until they read this book and understand the mechanisms by which long forgotten traumas have crept back into their lives and even taken them over. In my marriage counseling business I see a lot of couples who are not actually incompatible but whose nervous systems have become stuck in fight or flight as a result of trauma and who therefore end up in an escalating cycle of fighting and resentment. As we work the trauma issues these relationships begin to fall into place and support the partners instead of activating and agitating them. This is the book that puts the jigsaw pieces together and makes the whole mystery begin to make sense.

I agree with the comments about this book. I have the book and a couple of his other ones and I learned from them, they were my first knowledge of what trauma could do. I want to make a specific trauma comment and since the author has helped me alot what better place to do it!
At age 60 I am finally and only recently past the terror of early, continuous and prolonged childhood abuse because of the healing work I have done on my own. I recommend books and techniques from Alice Miller, Peter Levine (of course!), David Berceli, Babette Rothschild, EMDR, EFT, PARTS/EGO STATES work, NLP. I am a little leery about unsupervised guided imagery and meditation because they can be so close to dissociation, I sure did.
My comment is that with early abuse in whatever form the child has to create coping and defensive mechanisms to be able to survive mentally. These PARTs then prevent the child from growing naturally like all children should. As an adult these PARTS drew me to abusers and perpetuated actions which continued to retraumatize me. I didn't know any better.
People who experience trauma as adults can use the techniques the author describes and those listed above to get back to normal. I have come to the awful realization that I have no NORMAL to go back to! My former desires and reasons for living no longer exist. They were based on avoiding reality, lessening the pain and terror, and plowing through dissociation to be able to function. While I don't have the terror anymore I am still trauma parallyzed (Freeze, surrender) as I have been for most of these 6 decades and I don't have the NORMAL interests and motivations which would help me get past that. "I" do not exist.
My hope from this review is that this Catch 22 can be added to trauma discussions. I don't know what can be done to create a resource or if there are even more people like me out there.
I guess a correlary is to emphasize the need to help children who do experience trauma, as early as possible. (Another of the author's books.)

This is a tremendous book on trauma. He doesn't just talk about what trauma is (which is a great - a thwarted and overwhelmed survival act), but also gives a very thorough explanation of how it should be dealt with and treated. The case studies at the end are invaluable examples for those trying to get a real grasp at what he's describing with all of his theoretical sides. The first chapter is riveting, and all of it is really, really informative. I have given it already to a few of my friends, and they all feel that this is an incredibly important book to read. Certainly the best thing he's ever written. Certainly the most personal.