Bessel van der Kolk, MD

NICABM – Faculty

Bessel van der Kolk, MD

Bessel van der Kolk, MD, is a psychiatrist, researcher, professor of psychiatry at Boston University, and one of the world’s leading experts on post-traumatic stress — especially when it comes to how trauma affects the brain, body, and nervous system.

He has pioneered approaches for trauma treatment that focus on calming the nervous system, increasing executive function, and grounding patients in the present. In his research, Bessel has worked with a variety of clinical approaches, including neurofeedback, EMDR, psychodrama, and yoga.

Bessel is the author of over 150 peer-reviewed scientific publications and multiple books, including The Body Keeps the Score.

You can check out a course with Bessel van der Kolk, MD, here:

	How to Work with the Traumatized Brain An in-depth discussion of how trauma manifests in the brain, with practical, brain-focused strategies for helping clients increase distress tolerance, calm the nervous system, and process traumatic memory. 3 CE/CME credits or Clock Hours are available
	The Treating Trauma Master Series A comprehensive 5-module series on how to approach the treatment of trauma, including practical applications of neurobiology and the limbic system, working with the nervous system to manage threat responses, and several strategies for processing traumatic memory. 10 CE/CME credits or Clock Hours are available
	Expert Strategies for Working with Traumatic Memory A practical analysis of how trauma impacts four types of memory, with a toolkit of strategies for helping clients stay grounded in the present, release corrupted procedural memories, and manage and prevent overstimulation. 2.75 CE/CME credits or Clock Hours are available
	How to Work with the Limbic System to Reverse the Physiological Imprint of Trauma An informative analysis of how trauma impacts the brain, body, and nervous system, including key techniques targeting the limbic system to help clients release tension in the body, process unresolved emotion, and break the repetitive loop of trauma. 3.25 CE/CME credits or Clock Hours are available

Learn more about Bessel van der Kolk’s approach to working with trauma here:

	When the COVID-19 Pandemic Leaves Us Feeling Helpless For most patients, the COVID-19 crisis has created a “new normal.” They may be stuck at home, unable to work, or feeling isolated from dear friends and family. . .
	How Limbic System Therapy Can Help Resolve Trauma When we’re working with clients who have experienced trauma, targeting the limbic system can make our interventions more effective. . .
	3 Ways Undiagnosed Trauma Disrupts Lives When people have trouble paying attention, when they’re too emotional, or reactionary, or downright aggressive, what can we do to help them turn it around? . . .
	Three Ways Trauma Changes the Brain The treatment of trauma can be some of the most complex work practitioners face. And for years, this challenge was complicated by . . .