How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness: Mind, Brain and Body in the Transformation of Trauma

In this culmination of his life’s work, Peter A. Levine draws on his broad experience as a clinician, a student of comparative brain research, a stress scientist and a keen observer of the naturalistic animal world to explain the nature and transformation of trauma in the body, brain and psyche. In an Unspoken Voice is based on the idea that trauma is neither a disease nor a disorder, but rather an injury caused by fright, helplessness and loss that can be healed by engaging our innate capacity to self-regulate high states of arousal and intense emotions. Enriched with a coherent theoretical framework and compelling case examples, the book elegantly blends the latest findings in biology, neuroscience and body-oriented psychotherapy to show that when we bring together animal instinct and reason, we can become more whole human beings.

This lecture is geared for psychotherapists of all types, as well as for physicians, nurses, physiotherapists, bodyworkers, educators, and those curious about their own healing process. Objectives: To describe the naturalistic mechanics of trauma and the survival responses of fight, flight, freeze, and collapse as it relates to clinical treatment. Explain the evolutionary underpinnings of trauma and the Polyvagal theory and their clinical implications. Demonstrate the importance of “Bottom-Up” processing versus “Top-Down” processing to improve treatment outcomes. Incorporate Somatic Experiencing® containment tools into your practice to more effectively guide your client through trauma therapy.

About Peter Levine:

Peter Levine, PhD, is a psychologist, researcher, and former stress consultant with NASA. He specializes in working with trauma and stress-related disorders.

Peter developed Somatic Experiencing, a body-oriented approach to treating trauma which focuses on processing traumatic memory, calming the nervous system, and releasing traumatic shock from the body. The approach was inspired by Peter’s observation of trauma recovery behaviors in nature.

He is the author of several books on the treatment of trauma, including Waking the Tiger and In an Unspoken Voice.