Bessel van der Kolk

Bessel A. van der Kolk, MD, has taught yearly at Esalen for more than 20 years. He is medical director of the Trauma Center in Boston, professor of psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine, and author of the New York Times bestseller The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma.

Upcoming Programs by Bessel van der Kolk

Trauma, Memory and the Restoration of One’s Self

Also With Licia Sky

February 16 - 21, 2025

This workshop explores ways of representing and befriending our inner experience. Therapies that work all start from a basic sense of calm and safety. The calmer we are, the more we can allow ourselves to know what we know, and to feel what we feel. Trauma changes the way the brain processes information and the […]

Psychodrama for Recovery from Traumatic Stress: an Experiential Workshop

Also With Licia Sky

April 14 - 18, 2025

Trauma is not only about the terrible things that have happened to us but also about what did not happen — such as care, protection, and validation. The only way to create an inner sense of positivity that embraces new possibilities is to have a visceral, real-life experience with what has been missing.  In this […]