A review by koreanlinda
In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness by Peter A. Levine

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

3.5

I enjoyed reading about half of the book; I actually skipped several chapters. The main reason was that the book is quite technical. It is more geared toward the people who work in the industry, for example, counseling therapists, than trauma patients like me. Levine goes in depth about steps in the treatment process, which I didn't need. 

For readers like me, I recommend the following chapters: 1, 2, 8, and 9. They are recounts of traumatic experiences of Levine's patients and himself, and these chapters were much easier to follow than the others. 

Nonetheless, I learned a lot from the book. The biggest find was that my chronic neck and shoulder pain might be connected to my trauma. None of the "physical" doctors I have met for my condition mentioned the possible psychological cause for it, and the idea didn't occur to me until I read this book. This book taught me that the trauma lives in our physical bodies as much as in our heads, if not more. 

I feel hopeful about my chronic conditions with the new revelation. I look forward to reading and learning more about the body and mind connection from here on.

Review by Linda (Any Pronouns) in November 2024
Personal essays on DefinitelyNotOkay.com
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