In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness

I first studied with Peter Levine in 1983 long before his Somatic Experiencing theory had been developed, and then again in 1988 as he was first developing it. After a twenty year stretch in which my life took a diversion I have come back and studied his work again, and have became certified as a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner. During this time Dr. Levine's work has become exquisitely refined and the theory has become teachable. In the early days we would watch him work and could not follow the subtleties but would always be amazed as almost miraculous healings would unfold before our eyes. In his first book, "Waking the Tiger" he was able to articulate his theory of healing trauma in a way that was readable and informative. In this book he has made the work fully approachable. With examples from his own life he shows us how we can go through life-threatening experiences and not only avoid being traumatized but actually come out of such experiences a healthier human being. This is by far his best book to date and I practically demand that all of my clients read it so they can understand many of the symptoms they are experiencing. For, it turns out that trauma is the great imposter. It can look like just about any medical or psychological disorder in the diagnostic books. Many people are not even aware that they are suffering from the hidden effects of trauma until they read this book and understand the mechanisms by which long forgotten traumas have crept back into their lives and even taken them over. In my marriage counseling business I see a lot of couples who are not actually incompatible but whose nervous systems have become stuck in fight or flight as a result of trauma and who therefore end up in an escalating cycle of fighting and resentment. As we work the trauma issues these relationships begin to fall into place and support the partners instead of activating and agitating them. This is the book that puts the jigsaw pieces together and makes the whole mystery begin to make sense.

As a professional bodyworker for 15 years I deal with chronic physical (and linked emotional)pain on a daily basis. This book was excellent and extremely insightful - many thanks to the author! He provides a very clear and well-researched description of how and why trauma gets stuck in the body, and how the body provides a language to understand and resolve it. Get your mind out of the way and stop trying to figure it out, and just let your body process the energy that was built up at one point and never found full expression. I was originally looking for specific exercises and techniques to use, and while there are some general guidelines there isn't really a step-by-step how to do this. By the time I finished the book I was glad there was no step-by-step, and the information provided gives so much insight into tapping into the natural intelligence and uniqueness of each individual and their pain. I have already helped 3 clients in a significant way by watching what their body language was saying as they spoke about their pain, and then providing a safe place to explore the physical sensations happening without looking for a hidden meaning. This makes so much more sense than talk therapy. I have seen many people that are very discouraged by the amount of self-improvement work they've put into themselves, thinking that if they figure out the emotional reasons behind their pain it will go away - only it hasn't and they are left desparate for relief. While there is the mind-body physical and emotional connection, the body is the intelligent part of us that experiences everything, and the mind just interprets these experiences and gives them meaning. Peter Levine brings us back to honoring the body's intelligence over and over again. If you are a bodyworker of any kind I can't recommend this book highly enough. If you are someone in chronic pain (trauma), please buy this for your bodyworker and work through it together.

"In an Unspoken Voice" is very good, and I would recommend it to both those who struggle to overcome past trauma and to therapists. I say this from the voice of experience. A few years back, I was diagnosed with PTSD--much to my surprise. I knew I had suffered trauma (there was never any doubt about that), but I never saw myself as suffering with an ongoing problem other than the sadness of memories that I mostly didn't like to think about. A whole lot of puzzle pieces that I didn't even see as pieces of a puzzle started to fall into place--"Oh, that's why I..." One thing that I didn't quite understand or even fully realize I had was a preoccupation with water imagery in my creative work, particularly hair under water and how beautiful it is. I did understand my body as having some sort of memory. If triggered, I tremble vigorously, noticably, especially if I'm in water and in perceived danger of not having my head above water, as well as my feet firmly planted on something solid. I have also had days, dating back to childhood, when I cry and cry for inexplicable reasons. It is as if my body remembers something that I do not fully comprehend. Recently I learned that this is a phenomena among trauma victims called somatic memory. I looked it up and came across "In An Unspoken Voice", by Peter Levine. I bought it and read it, and I can say that the book has helped me to understand what makes me tick. For example, I've always had a gift for seeing beauty everywhere. Now I realize that this was probably a childhood coping mechanism. I learned from Peter Levine in "In An Unspoken Voice" that you cannot focus on fear at the same time that you focus on some other sensation. Living in a climate of fear as a child, I realize now that that's why I see so much beauty everywhere. I must have focused on the beautiful to protect myself from the terror. My mother's hair under water, for example, as she rescued me (she described the event to me many years later), when my father tossed my toddler body overboard, into the depths of a lake, because he was annoyed by me. I also now realize that my occasional sense of being outside myself, of watching myself, is disassociation. Crazy not to have realized this before, but true. I now see how this coping mechanism, disassociation, may have led to me becoming passive at times when people hurt me or want to hurt me, because I become the watcher, not the victim. Knowing this can only empower me. Likewise, I've also realized that my inclination to love everyone and to accept people into my life in spite of red flags probably comes from having survived by muting myself and my reactions to the violence I saw and experienced as I grew up. Because only by staying calm and squelching all judgments of the perpetrator, my loved ones, would I be safe. In short, my understanding of myself grew. I sincerely hope that "In An Unspoken Voice" can do this for you. Read it all the way through or in bits and pieces as I did, but read it thoughtfully. It may help you to understand what makes trauma survivors--you or your patients--tick. To know thyself is to empower thyself.

Edit: the review below was written when I hadn't quite got to the end of this book. I have now finished the book and what I say below still holds true. However, I am also a little underwhelmed by Levine's process. The reason is that I think he has the problem he blames talk therapy of having. He (quite rightly) says that talk therapy will not really get you anywhere. This is true, ON ITS own it won't get you far. But Levine has swung way over to the other side and places the locus of healing within the body and "viscera" only. I find his explanations for me just don't cut it 100%. He skims over the role of conditioning and the amygdala, hippocampus, hypothalamus etc. For him, it seems, it's all the visceral (gut) brain. He is not wrong about the importance of body awareness (i.e. mindfulness) and being able to hold and contain strong feelings. This is vitally important. But his complete dismissal of identifying causes and beliefs that contribute to suffering are detrimental to his overall argument. Exhaustively cataloging every bit of harm from your life is indeed useless, but being mindful of and able to identify and label general beliefs and thinking patterns (like "Oh, I'm thinking I'm worthless again." or "I'm getting sucked into the story of how no one will love me") is, in my opinion, extremely useful for being able to let go of them and live happily in the present (when you remind yourself they're useless relics from the past). The author doesn't place any value on this sort of broad exploration of the past. So in the end, while a lot of what he says is spot on and very useful, I feel that he himself has thrown the baby out with the bathwater (even if unintentionally.) A very good companion book to this one, which balances this purely "visceral" view, is "Bouncing Back" by Linda Graham, which is a book on neuroplasticity which discusses the importance of mindfulness of body AND thoughts. ~*~ I'm not going to outline the contents of this book because other reviewers have already done a great job of that. I actually think the information and theory of Peter Levine deserves 5 plus stars. I appreciate that he's going against the toxic psychiatric mainstream of labelling trauma as some sort of brain disease/disorder. He sees trauma as an injury that can be healed, no matter how long ago it happened, and that gives anyone with trauma hope. Here's why four starts instead of five: He's got a trade-marked therapy with it's own steps and jargon etc. "So what?" you might say, "there are lots of trade-marked therapies what does that have to do with anything?" Well here's the thing, I can image many people reading this (or any of his other books) and finding relief to have their trauma explained. They feel hope that there is a way out. BUT after this initial joy they are faced with bitter disappointment when they realise they could never have access to this trade-marked therapy because of their location and/or financial situation. So what are those people to do? Will they never have a chance to heal and resolve trauma? Are they to be stuck in their pain forever because there's no Somatic Experience therapist in their town, state, country? This is the problem with trade marked methods. They implicitly suggest that it is THE (only) method to recovery. I know that this is not what Levine intends but isn't this the logical conclusion after reading through his books? I highly recommend this book for anyone with trauma or with unexplained anxiety or depression. You will understand why you feel as you do. However, if you are not fortunate enough to have access to Somatic Experiencing Therapy it's ok. What you need to understand is that Levine's therapy teaches you skills in how to handle and resolve your trauma. These skills can be learned by other methods than his therapy. I say this with the utmost respect for Dr. Levine and his work. If you have a chance to work with his specific programme, then take it! But here's the thing: the core skills (as I understand them) of his therapy are -becoming aware of the physical body -feeling safe in the physical body -knowing (through experience) that all feelings and sensations are temporary -being aware of yourself and knowing how to pace yourself -feeling uncomfortable sensations without being overwhelmed by them -letting go and allowing your body to do what it needs to do (whatever it wanted to do at the time of the traumatic event) Obviously there are some more nuances and details but the above skills are basically the core of it. (I suggest you read the book to get a full explanation.) As anyone who has worked in any education setting knows, there is more than one method to teach any given skill. If you do not have access to a Somatic Experiencing therapist or any therapist at all here are some resources that can teach you the same basic skills: -Mindfulness training. Mindfulness is becoming more and more established and practiced. You may even find a mindfulness centre or mindfulness classes in your city. If this is not an option I recommend the excellent mindfulness programme (book) "Mindfulness: A practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world" by Mark Williams. You can download the meditations for free on the internet. This programme is designed to ground you in your body, become aware of physical and emotional sensations and how they are always changing and how to stay in the present moment. It also teaches you to befriend negative feelings. -Trauma Release Exercises. Only do these after doing mindfulness training. These were developed by David Berceli and are detailed in his book "The Revolutionary Trauma Release Process". These are designed to discharge trapped energy, which is a component of Levine's therapy. (They're also trademarked, but I have no gripes with this because they are designed as self-help. You don't need a specialised therapist to do them.) -Self-compassion. Do this at any time, maybe together with mindfulness. The best book is "Self-Compassion" by Kristin Neff. I think the title is pretty self-explanatory. It is important to note, that if you decide to try any of this you at least have a support person, if not a therapist, with whom you can share things if it gets a little overwhelming or you need to talk about things that come up. I hope these alternatives help people who don't have access to the specific therapy described by Levine. I do not think that the books I suggested are in any way better or superior to Levine's, they are just much more readily accessible and provide the same basic skills if done correctly.

Peter Levine has so much experience in this field regarding trauma and how you handle it, that you know that it is going to be great insights and also advice how you can handle trauma. So instead of seeing trauma as a disease or something wrong with you, Peter helps you understand that Trauma is actually blocked stress and energy that you can understand and heal. I great read.

One of the best Psychology books I've read. Good wordplay and storytelling with a scientific account on the instinctive energy that drives human behavior. Levine's theory on trauma is primarily neurological and body-based, suggesting that trauma is essentially disembodied awareness and is sourced from the blockage of primal reflexes from being naturally discharged. It goes with the notion of "letting go" but as Levine points out, top down talk-based therapy is insufficient. A holistic bottom up approach would include the body and it's underlying reflex patterns. If an earthquake occurs, your natural reaction is to seek safety, sending the brain into survival mode. This isn't fear, Levine, argues, it's what the body is designed to do. Now if someone grabs you and prevents you from a safe escape. Then that suppression builds up into fear and is potential for trauma, unconsciously reenacting the original event. The process of therapy is to involve the body in its felt-sense and exploring how it wants to be moved. A myriad of mindfulness techniques are offered throughout the book. Gentle shaking and trembling are common symptoms of the negative discharge. He writes, “Trauma is a fact of life, it does not, however, have to be a life sentence.” Levine dives into the world of cognition and precognition, voluntary and involuntary behaviors, suggesting that the unconscious is essentially the body itself and the self deserves attention on all levels: thinking, feeling, and sensing.

Before I get into this amazing Peter Levine book, "In An Unspoken Voice," let me state a little disclaimer: My personal interest in trauma therapies is puzzling because first off, I'm not a psychotherapist--just an Energy Therapist and hypnotist who knows how powerful the sub-conscious mind programming is in active and reactive human behaviors; but again, I can't treat clients the way a psychotherapist can for those trauma disorders mentioned in Levine's book. Secondly, I've had some trauma in my life, but not to the extent of being paralyzed by it or extremely affected with remnants of the past the way many of Levine's client's had been; so my interest in this subject is evidently for better understanding the experience-processing mechanism of our mind, and for passing along a "good book" recommendation to those who ARE practicing therapists and CAN treat someone with PTSD, or something equally debilitating. I think I personally understand Levine's book better from having read the bi-lateral stimulation books prior (check out my review list for EMDR, Tapping, Hypnosis, etc), so it made perfect sense to me that Levine's approach would be successful--especially in unlocking the frozen energies trapped in the body and stuck in the limbic processing mind, because when you are talking about trapped and stagnant energies, you are talking MY language--THAT I do understand. I understand how energy works, which is why Levine's book is so important--HE ALSO UNDERSTANDS how energy works--and that's what makes his techniques so powerful. He finds a way to allow the client to release the trapped energies and physically "work them out" of their solidified state. In the title I mentioned what I think is the most important point of the entire book: When the body experiences a severe trauma situation, the adrenals shoot the go-juice into the bloodstream to fight or flee. But if NEITHER choice is available--as it often is for vets caught under fire, or for children trapped in inescapable family/abuse situations, the body reacts to protect them with the other two choices: freeze in place from shock paralyzing the muscles, or fold unconscious like a wet rag to the floor--by fainting or anxiety-induced debilitation or oxygen deprivation. Those last two choices have the most lingering after-effects on PTSD clients and childhood abuse situations; and for those, what Levine suggests is extremely effective in helping to free that trapped energy that has been preventing the client from moving forward with his or her life. Just “talking it out” in therapy doesn’t do the trick because this trapped energy is stuck at a deeper mind level. Hypnosis and NLP might help clients in some instances, but what Levine suggests is to allow the client to take back their own power, literally, and to do it PHYSICALLY, as the body had originally intended that the situation be handled—by either "fighting or fleeing"—to allow the body to unwind naturally by making the physical motions of doing so (modified of course in the therapist’s office), so those stuck "freeze or fold" energies can be successfully released. Long story short: It’s a very good book (and therapy) that I believe should be considered by “talk” therapists if they really want to help a client move forward with life.

Peter Levine eloquently describes some amazing and formerly 'complex to describe theories' from his own personal experience plus that of his patients. It truly empowers one with confirmation of our bodies amazing inbuilt ability to heal itself from within after traumatic events in our life. Amazing in the believable sense though, as what he describes makes much sense. It explains and brings many of my own beliefs and experiences together in a way that I can't explain to others as clearly. I have to refer them to this book. Having worked in an ED for many years I have seen these physical effects in the immediate post trauma environments, and can see how modern Strap and spinal board techniques hinder the mind and bodies self recovery; despite them being essential for life preservation in many cases -(I would still choose Strap & board every time but until proven one has an undamaged spine etc). I have done some bodywork in a class that explores the body's desire to make {what the logical brain would call} 'weird' movements; and found there was something most definitely helpful in this process. This book has helped me put the pieces together and make sense of many experiences in my life. Thank you for sharing your many decades of wisdom with us. I just hope this approach is continued by the next generation of insightful therapists.

Excellent read. Deep research on trauma and sufferings based on brain-body interaction. Very recommend.

really amazing and interesting book! thanks Peter Levine for your really good work about the trauma recovery and thanks for sharing your ideas and thoughts

Peter Levine is an outstanding therapist and scientist who has made important breakthroughs in the treatment of trauma through understanding its physical impact on the body of the victim. To paraphrase Levine, trauma arises from the ill effects of frozen energy locked into a person's body by a desperate experience, by which he means a shattering experience of utter helplessness and life threatening terror from which the body's autonomic system desperately seeks to escape physically but from which, for whatever reason, such escape is impossible at the time. Because of this, a significant part of the trauma survivor's being remains trapped in that time and place, from which it cannot be freed without more or less reliving and seeing through those instinctual physical actions which in turn finally calm the hyper-aroused and non-rational limbic system and reptilian brain, older areas of the brain (in evolutionary terms) that are not directly controllable by the rational frontal cortex. A trauma that cannot be physically worked off by action freezes these areas and condemns people's lives to be dominated by a past from which they cannot escape through conscious mental effort or rational will alone. In this book Levine discusses the results of several decades of his research and practice, beginning with a personal story in which he recounts his own brush with potential trauma following a road accident of which he was the victim. While innocently using a pedestrian crossing one day, he was struck by a car. For someone else, this accident might have resulted in post-traumatic stress disorder but it did not for Levine, thanks to his personal understanding of the causes of such trauma and of how to defuse them. It would be so helpful if well-meaning emergency services personnel were to read this chapter as it might stop them from immobilising accident victims at the worst possible time and thus assist them to avoid PTSD by aiding the body's own physical coping mechanisms rather than thwarting them. The book contains other case studies as well as wide-ranging scientific and explanatory materials, including a section on the animal kingdom (to which humans ultimately belong) that was quite fascinating to me but might be less so to others. This is not a DIY handbook for treating one's own trauma -- which does not seem like a good idea to me anyway -- but no doubt would be of great interest to and use by professionals.I certainly found it very helpful in explaining the beneficial aspects in my own painful experience during a recent episode of retraumatization brought on by changes in my personal life. It is not as comprehensive as Bessel van der Kolk's inspiring and remarkable 2014 book, "The Body Keeps the Score", but his praise for Levine's work (which is what brought me to read this book) has been fully justified by this excellent study. Strongly recommended.

Un libro que profundiza en las reacciones del sistema nervioso al trauma y como comprenderlas. Un libro profundo.

A great book that should really be read by absolutely everyone. To understand yourself, your children, your neighbor and basically to get a better understanding on why some people are how they are. It is a compassion builder and gives you so much, especially when you have been through trauma, but also when you have not been through it (chances are though that you are in one way or the other effected by it). Must read. Love it.