80: Dr. Bessel van der Kolk: Trauma: How it affects us and how to heal its effects

In this episode of the MindHealth360 Show, psychiatrist and trauma researcher Bessel van der Kolk, author of The Body Keeps the Score, joins Kirkland Newman for a powerful exploration of how trauma affects the brain, body and sense of self – and how healing can emerge through somatic, relational and neurobiological interventions. 

Drawing from decades of clinical and research experience, Dr. van der Kolk discusses how trauma disrupts core brain functions, creates enduring physiological patterns, and limits a person’s ability to feel connected or safe. He emphasises the limitations of top-down, cognitive talk therapies alone, and highlights the critical role of bottom-up, body-based approaches to healing. 

Bessel illustrates the value of experiential practices – including EMDR, neurofeedback, yoga, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and psychedelic-assisted therapy – as ways to improve self-regulation, brain integration, and emotional processing. He also reflects on the essential role of human connection, joy, rhythm, and relational safety in recovery. 

This conversation will be especially valuable for clinicians, researchers, and anyone seeking a deeper understanding of trauma and the integrative, whole-person approaches that can support healing. 

In this episode, you will learn: 

• How trauma can create automatic patterns in brain and behavior, rooted in disrupted regulatory systems and rigid neural habits 

• Why bottom-up therapies (movement, rhythm, body awareness) are often necessary to complement verbal psychotherapy 

• How relational safety, rhythmic engagement, and movement can calm the nervous system and support healing 

• The significance of EMDR, neurofeedback, and IFS in reconnecting different brain regions and improving emotional regulation 

• Why trauma recovery is about restoring agency, self-awareness, and connection – not simply revisiting traumatic memories 

• How early neglect and lack of secure attachment affect development, social engagement, and physiological resilience 

• Why psychedelics (such as MDMA) show strong potential in expanding neuroplasticity and opening up new therapeutic possibilities 

• How creativity, play, and joy are central – not optional – to sustainable healing and growth 

• The importance of broadening trauma treatment beyond medication and talk therapy to include embodied, relational, and community-based approaches