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I finished this book and am writing this review 3 weeks after an article appeared in the Boston Globe reporting that Bessel van der Kolk has been fired from his own Trauma Center allegedly for "bullying" staff. This book was recommended to me a while ago, and there was such a long waiting list at the library that I had forgotten about it. I only heard about these allegations a few days ago and can only speculate about whether or not this affects his credibility as a practitioner, scientist, or author. I can say that those who act in such ways tend to think they know much more than they actually do - an attitude that was unfortunately reflected in the narrative of this book.

This book describes many different approaches to trauma treatment, some of which are proven or evidence-based and some of which are controversial or are based on outdated study. However, van der Kolk presents each one as if it's a revelation and a comprehensive solution. He also at various points denigrates other recent scientific consensus, such as the existence of false memory syndrome, and voices his disapproval of the DSM V and most use of drugs in mental health treatment.

The author includes many case studies, which do a lot to boost the book's interest level and readability, but some are not backed up by footnotes. van der Kolk's descriptions of patients are often oddly specific and vaguely patronizing or reductive, especially for female subjects. Every case conclusion feels simple and complete as if it's packaged in a neat bow, but what mental health journey is ever that easy? No matter how well a treatment really works, the chapter makes it feel like an infomercial.

I finished the book feeling that I'd learned a lot about various trauma treatment theories, but also suspicious that I'd been slightly misled. This is in part because of van der Kolk's lack of attention to valid scientific controversy and positivity surrounding various pseudoscientific treatments (I had to do my own research online to determine which sections to trust). It is also partly because I expected this to have a self-help element, but it did not. Instead it was a primer on various treatments to be used as a jumping-off point. Maybe it would be more useful educationally if van der Kolk wasn't so credulous. He claims multiple times in the book that he is a skeptic, and yet he is always easily convinced by witnessing one or two miracles.

I think people need to stop recommending this book so broadly, or at least warn that van der Kolk should not be taken purely at his word. I'm not sure having to struggle through all of those traumatic stories was worth what I ultimately got out of it.