Peter Levine’s Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma is a foundational book that introduces readers to the profound connection between the body and trauma. As the founder of Somatic Experiencing International—where I am receiving my training—Levine’s work has transformed the way we understand and heal trauma by focusing on the body’s natural ability to process and release it.

This book explains how trauma is stored in the body when the fight, flight, or freeze responses are interrupted, and it provides an accessible framework for understanding how gentle, body-centered practices can restore balance and resilience. Levine offers both scientific insights and practical steps to help readers reconnect with their body’s innate wisdom and move through trauma safely and effectively.

In my somatic practice, the principles in Waking the Tiger serve as a foundation for helping clients notice and release stuck energy in the nervous system, fostering a sense of empowerment and healing.

Bessel van der Kolk’s groundbreaking book, The Body Keeps the Score, is an essential resource for understanding how trauma impacts the brain, mind, and body. Drawing on decades of research, van der Kolk explains how traumatic experiences are stored in the body and how they can influence our emotions, behaviors, and physical health long after the events have passed.

This book emphasizes that true healing requires more than cognitive understanding—it involves reconnecting with the body and releasing the trauma stored within.

In my somatic work, I see the principles of The Body Keeps the Score come to life as clients rediscover their body’s natural capacity to release tension, process emotions, and restore balance. Through gentle, body-centered practices, you can begin to feel safer in your own skin and access deeper healing beyond the mind alone.

Gabor Maté’s When the Body Says No explores the profound connection between chronic stress, emotional patterns, and physical health. Through compelling research and real-life stories, Maté illustrates how unresolved emotions and repressed stress can manifest in the body, contributing to illness and discomfort over time.

This book is a powerful resource for understanding how our bodies hold the effects of unprocessed emotions and the importance of reconnecting with ourselves to foster healing.

I see these concepts reflected in the work I do every day. When the Body Says No reinforces the idea that healing involves not just the mind, but also the body. By tuning into your body’s signals and processing stored emotions through somatic practices, you can begin to release tension, restore balance, and cultivate resilience.

Diane Poole Heller’s Crash Course is a practical and empowering resource for anyone recovering from the physical and emotional impacts of an auto accident. With a focus on the mind-body connection, Heller offers tools and techniques to help release trauma stored in the body and restore a sense of safety, balance, and resilience.

This book provides a somatic approach to recovery, emphasizing the importance of tuning into your body’s sensations, processing stuck energy, and gently completing the fight-or-flight responses that may have been interrupted during the accident.

I often work with clients navigating similar patterns of unresolved stress and trauma in the body. The insights and exercises in Crash Course complement somatic practices, helping clients feel more grounded and connected as they recover from overwhelming experiences.