Name

Biography Dr. Bessel van der Kolk is a world-renowned psychiatrist, researcher, and teacher in the field of trauma and its effects on the body and brain. With decades of experience treating survivors of trauma — from war veterans to abused children — van der Kolk has pioneered research that connects psychological suffering to physical patterns in the nervous system. As the founder of the Trauma Research Foundation, his work has transformed how mental health professionals understand, diagnose, and treat trauma.