Reading List

The Body Keeps Talking

The books behind my somatic approach to therapy, from the foundational texts to the ones I still reread.

01

The Body Keeps the Score

Bessel van der Kolk

If you've heard of one trauma book, it's this one, for good reason.

02

Waking the Tiger

Peter Levine

The foundational Somatic Experiencing text. I'm starting formal SE training partly because of this book.

03

In an Unspoken Voice

Peter Levine

Denser than Waking the Tiger, but goes deeper into the physiology.

04

Healing Trauma

Peter Levine

A gentler, more workbook-style companion to his other books.

05

The Body Remembers

Babette Rothschild

Clinically dense, but I go back to it often.

06

Trauma and the Body

Pat Ogden, Kekuni Minton, Clare Pain

Sensorimotor psychotherapy's core text.

07

My Grandmother's Hands

Resmaa Menakem

Somatic work through the lens of racialized trauma. Important and different from the others on this list.

08

The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy

Deb Dana

Made polyvagal theory actually usable for me clinically.

09

Accessing the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve

Stanley Rosenberg

Practical exercises alongside the theory.

10

Sensorimotor Psychotherapy

Pat Ogden & Janina Fisher

Advanced, but worth it if you want the full clinical model.

Curious what these ideas look like in practice? They shape a lot of how I work with clients. Get in touch if you'd like to talk.