Thomas interviews world-renowned trauma expert and the author of “The Body Keeps the Score,” Dr. Bessel van der Kolk. They discuss different approaches to healing trauma on individual and societal levels. Dr. Van der Kolk emphasizes the need for physical and relational safety in order to process trauma, and the difficulty of healing in environments that tend towards disembodiment.
He explains that trauma causes us to become numb, withdrawn, and full of shame, and that we experience these sensations physically. But through collective and creative experiences, practicing self-compassion, and deepening our relationship with our physical bodies and the sensations we feel, we can reconnect to ourselves, re-discover our spirituality, and define our own identities.