The Body Keeps the Score Summit – Free Trauma Healing Event with Bessel van der Kolk

Trauma lives in the body as much as in the mind — and healing asks for approaches that reach both. In this free online training, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk shares practical, body-informed methods that help restore safety, agency, and connection.

Drawing from decades of research and clinical work, he’ll illuminate how practices like neurofeedback, EMDR, yoga, mindfulness, and sensory integration can rewire patterns set down by overwhelming experiences, so life can become workable again.

You’ll see how to apply these tools in real time — in session and in self-care — so that resilient pathways for regulation, presence, and relationship can grow. Whether you’re a clinician or a caring human, you’ll leave with grounded next steps.

Special guest Licia Sky will guide experiential, body-oriented exercises that help regulate arousal, invite felt safety, and gently restore curiosity and connection.

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Why Attend the “The Body Keeps the Score” Summit

Trauma reorganizes how the brain and body manage threat, memory, and connection — which means symptom relief often requires more than insight alone. In this free training with Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, you’ll explore a practical, science-grounded map for restoring self-regulation and relational safety, so that your clients (and you) can feel present and empowered again. By weaving together neurofeedback, EMDR, yoga, mindfulness, and embodied arts, this event offers an integrated pathway to heal the imprints of trauma on sensation, emotion, and meaning-making.

You’ll see why the body holds keys that talk therapy can miss. Stress responses like hyperarousal, collapse, numbing, and dissociation are protective adaptations that make sense — and then they linger, shaping perception, attention, and relationships. In plain language, Bessel shows how to work with these patterns through breath, rhythm, movement, and mindful awareness so that the nervous system learns new options. You’ll understand how bottom-up practices widen the window of tolerance, how top-down skills strengthen attention and meaning, and how social engagement reopens access to curiosity, play, and joy.

This conference is intentionally experiential and immediately applicable, which means you’ll leave with tools you can use the same day. You’ll practice step-by-step ways to help people track interoceptive signals, settle activation, and build agency through choice and attunement. You’ll learn to titrate exposure safely, sequence interventions to prevent flooding, and adapt for complex trauma, early attachment disruption, and dissociation. You’ll also explore creative modalities — voice, theatre, dance, and sensory integration — that transform trauma not by reliving the past but by creating new embodied experiences in the present.

Because trauma affects families, teams, and communities, you’ll receive guidance for classrooms, clinics, hospitals, and first-responder settings, so that care can be trauma-informed at every level. You’ll hear the latest research on memory reconsolidation, neuroplasticity, and self-regulation, and how practices like EMDR and neurofeedback complement mindfulness and yoga. With live demonstrations and grounded clinical guardrails, this training balances compassion with clarity — helping you serve with confidence, prevent burnout, and measure progress in ways that feel respectful and real. If you’re seeking trauma treatment that is humane, embodied, and effective, this event will meet you where you are and expand what’s possible.

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What You’ll Learn During the “Body Keeps the Score” Online Summit

Let’s start by mapping how traumatic stress reshapes perception, memory, and arousal — so that you can meet it with methods that genuinely help. You’ll explore neuroception and interoception, and then learn how to use breath, rhythm, and mindful attention to bring activation back within a tolerable range. You’ll see how sensory integration, bilateral stimulation, and gentle movement reopen access to curiosity, which means healing can happen without retraumatization.

In this session, you’ll learn to pace exposure with care, scaffold choice to restore agency, and sequence bottom-up with top-down interventions so new experiences encode as safety. We’ll examine EMDR’s dual-attention and memory reconsolidation mechanisms; how yoga and meditation stabilize attention and interoceptive awareness; and how neurofeedback trains flexibility in brain-based networks — and then you’ll translate each insight into simple, repeatable steps. With Licia Sky’s guidance, you’ll practice body-led exercises that regulate arousal and invite connection without flooding, so that trust can grow session by session.

By the end, you’ll have portable tools you can use anywhere — clinic, classroom, hospital, or home — which means you’ll know how to help someone come back to present time, notice what’s happening inside, and choose actions that align with safety. You’ll understand how to adjust the dose for complex trauma and dissociation, how to engage creativity and community to sustain change, and how to track outcomes compassionately. Most of all, you’ll leave with a felt sense that healing is possible — and practical — when mind, body, and relationship work together.

Here’s just a little bit of what you’ll learn:

• How traumatic stress reshapes attention, memory, and arousal
• Bottom-up practices to widen the window of tolerance
• Top-down skills to focus attention and update meaning safely
• EMDR, mindfulness, and yoga as complementary change mechanisms
• Neurofeedback fundamentals for building self-regulation
• Sensory integration, voice, and rhythm to restore connection
• Practical pacing, dosing, and titration for complex trauma
• Ways to strengthen agency, choice, and curiosity in each session
• How to translate gains into daily routines and relationships

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Who This “Body Keeps the Score” Summit Is For

This training is ideal for clinicians and caregivers who want body-aware, research-informed tools that complement talk therapy. If you serve people navigating PTSD, complex trauma, grief, anxiety, addiction, or chronic stress, you’ll find practical methods to integrate immediately.

It’s also appropriate for educators, first responders, healthcare professionals, and community leaders seeking humane, doable strategies for regulation, resilience, and relationship — so that support systems can truly help without burnout.

• Counselors, social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists
• Marriage and family therapists; addiction counselors
• Physicians, nurses, chaplains, and allied health providers
• Coaches, educators, and community mental health workers
• Anyone interested in embodied, trauma-informed care

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About Bessel van der Kolk, MD

Bessel A. van der Kolk, MD is a pioneering clinician, researcher, and educator in the treatment of traumatic stress and complex trauma. His work integrates developmental science, neuroscience, and embodied therapies to help people reclaim agency and connection.

He is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Body Keeps the Score and President of the Trauma Research Foundation. His publications span neuroimaging, memory, self-injury, neurofeedback, yoga, theatre, and EMDR.

For this event, Bessel is joined by somatic educator and artist Licia Sky, who will guide experiential practices that restore regulation through breath, voice, rhythm, and attunement.

“I’m presenting this training to serve as both a guide and an invitation—an invitation to dedicate ourselves to facing the reality of trauma, to explore how best to treat it, and to commit ourselves, as a society, to using every means we have to prevent it.” — Dr. Bessel van der Kolk

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How van der Kolk’s Trauma Healing Modality Works

In Bessel van der Kolk’s approach, trauma is understood as an experience that leaves measurable footprints in the brain, the nervous system, and the body — which means effective healing must include more than insight. The modality integrates bottom-up regulation, top-down attention training, and relational engagement so that protective patterns can unwind and new patterns can take root. Bottom-up work uses breath, rhythm, movement, and interoceptive awareness to calm physiology; top-down work strengthens focus and narrative coherence; relational engagement reintroduces safety through voice, eye contact, play, and synchronized movement.

Practically, the process begins with creating a felt sense of safety. You’ll learn how to help people notice body signals and name activation, so that arousal can be titrated rather than suppressed or overwhelmed. Techniques such as mindful breathing, yoga-based postures, and gentle movement exercises stabilize the autonomic nervous system. As the window of tolerance widens, EMDR can be introduced to metabolize stuck memories through bilateral stimulation and dual attention, allowing new associations to form without flooding. Neurofeedback adds a training component: by giving the brain real-time information about its own activity, it learns to return to flexible, resilient states more readily.

Because trauma narrows perception, the modality reopens curiosity through the senses. Voice work, rhythm, theatre, and dance invite embodied play, which means the system learns that movement and connection can be safe again. Throughout, the therapist’s stance is one of attunement and choice: interventions are paced and collaborative, which restores agency. The goal is not merely to reduce symptoms but to reestablish self-ownership — the capacity to notice what’s happening, orient to the present, and choose actions that align with health and relationship.

Clinically, this translates into structured sequences you can adapt across settings. Start by resourcing and regulation; introduce small, time-limited doses of activation; consolidate gains with attention training and meaning-making; and anchor change in daily routines. The result is a modality that is compassionate, practical, and evidence-informed — one that honors how the body keeps the score and shows how the body can help write a new one.

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How This Summit Is Different Than The “Body Keeps the Score” Book

The Body Keeps the Score has become a touchstone for trauma-informed care, yet reading about methods is different from experiencing them. This conference turns the book’s core principles into live, embodied practice. Rather than only describing neurofeedback, EMDR, yoga, and mindfulness, Bessel demonstrates how to sequence them safely, how to dose exposure, and how to adapt for complex presentations in the room. You’ll watch clinical reasoning in action, so subtleties — pacing, language, and attunement — become learnable.

The event also updates the material with current research and real-time Q&A. You’ll hear how emerging findings on neuroplasticity, autonomic regulation, and memory reconsolidation refine our methods today. With Licia Sky, you’ll participate in guided exercises — voice, rhythm, and sensory integration — that give you a felt sense of the work, which means you can teach it more confidently to clients, students, and teams. The focus is practical translation: what to do in the first five minutes of a session, how to create choice points that rebuild agency, and how to maintain therapeutic momentum without overwhelm.

Finally, the book is a companion; this summit is a container. Over two days, you’ll build capacities step by step, practice with support, and leave with repeatable protocols you can implement immediately. It’s the difference between knowing about embodied trauma treatment and being able to deliver it with steadiness and skill.

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How to Register For “The Body Keeps the Score” Summit

Registration is simple and free. Click the button on this page to visit the event website, enter your basic details, and confirm your email. Once registered, you’ll receive a confirmation message with your access link.

To make the most of your experience, add the event to your calendar after registering and test your audio/video beforehand. Have a comfortable space to move during experiential segments, and keep water and a notebook nearby. That way, you arrive ready to participate and integrate what you learn.

Summit Schedule

Join Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, Licia Sky, and other leading trauma-healing teachers for a full day of sessions exploring body-based, trauma-informed approaches to healing. All times below are listed in Eastern Time.

• 10:00 – 11:00 AM ET: Dr. Bessel van der Kolk & Licia Sky — The Body Keeps the Score
• 11:15 AM – 12:15 PM ET: Dr. Frank Anderson
• 12:45 – 1:45 PM ET: Wendy D’Andrea
• 2:00 – 3:00 PM ET: Dr. Arielle Schwartz
• 3:15 – 4:15 PM ET: Manuela Mischke-Reeds
• 4:30 – 5:30 PM ET: BG Mancini

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Benefits of Using van der Kolk’s Approach

Bessel’s modality is grounded, adaptable, and humane. It respects the intelligence of protective responses while offering new embodied experiences that the nervous system can trust. Because the approach blends bottom-up, top-down, and relational pathways, it meets diverse needs — from acute stress to longstanding complex trauma — without forcing a one-size-fits-all protocol. Clinicians appreciate its practicality; clients appreciate its gentleness and effectiveness.

• Restores self-regulation and widens the window of tolerance
• Rebuilds agency through choice, pacing, and collaboration
• Integrates body-based practices with cognitive and relational work
• Adapts for complex trauma, dissociation, and early attachment disruption
• Transforms treatment from symptom suppression to embodied healing
• Translates easily into daily routines for lasting change
• Reduces clinician burnout with clear guardrails and sequencing
• Supports community and systems-level trauma-informed care

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Endorsements for Bessel van der Kolk’s Work

Bessel van der Kolk’s work has reshaped how clinicians, researchers, and survivors understand trauma and healing. His blend of science, clinical wisdom, and embodied practices has touched millions of lives worldwide.

Below are selected endorsements collected by PESI from leading trauma experts and course participants, reflecting the depth, clarity, and hope people experience through his teaching and his book, The Body Keeps the Score.

“The course was amazing and Dr. van der Kolk is a delightful and extraordinary human being and role model for our healing professions!”

—Robyn P.

“I enjoyed Dr. van der Kolk immensely. It has been my dream to hear him speak and it was everything that I hoped for.”

—Linda M.

“Cutting edge, very in-depth material.”

—Janie E.

“I cannot say enough about how much I enjoyed this training. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk presented the material in a way that was engaging…”

—Ashley H.

“Best continuing ed course I have taken! Loved it.”

—Melanie H.

“Thank you, Dr. van der Kolk, for your amazing contribution to the field of trauma treatment. As a psychologist and marital and family therapist…”

—Debra S.

“Very, very informative, inspiring and definitely impacted my understanding of my own trauma and the work I do to heal myself and help others heal.”

—Jose F.

“This completely changed how I will be practicing therapy. I’m so glad I got to hear this.”

—Tiffany G.

“This was packed with new data and information relevant to helping clients overcome trauma!”

—Leann K.

“This book is a tour de force… deeply empathic, insightful, and compassionate perspective promises to further humanize the treatment of trauma victims…”

—Jon Kabat-Zinn

“Van der Kolk, the eminent impresario of trauma treatment, who has spent a career bringing together diverse trauma scientists and clinicians and their ideas, while…”

—Norman Doidge

“A fascinating exploration of a wide range of therapeutic treatments…”

—Francine Shapiro

“An authoritative guide to the effects of trauma, and pathways to recovery. A must read for mental health and other health care professionals, trauma survivors…”

—Rachel Yehuda

“When it comes to understanding the impact of trauma and being able to continue to grow despite overwhelming life experiences, Bessel van der Kolk leads…”

—Daniel J. Siegel

“Dr. van der Kolk offers a brilliant synthesis of clinical cases, neuroscience, powerful tools, and caring humanity, offering a whole new level of healing for…”

—Jack Kornfield

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Frequently Asked Questions

When and where does the event take place?

This free, live, virtual training takes place Saturday, July 18th 2026 from 7am – 2:30pm Pacific.

Who is hosting the event?

This event is presented by The Embody Lab.

How are you able to offer this for free?

The Embody Lab offers several free trainings each year on effective, current approaches in therapy as a way to support the professional community.

Is this training for me?

Yes. It is designed for counselors, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, marriage and family therapists, addiction counselors, physicians, nurses, chaplains, and other mental health professionals.

What if I can’t attend live?

You can register for free and access the live sessions. If you are an Embody Lab Member, you’ll also be able to access the replays afterwards.

Is there any obligation or commitment after registering for the free training?

No. Registration carries no obligation or commitment. It is an opportunity to learn at no cost.

What is the event schedule?

Each day runs from 7:00 AM to 2:30 PM Pacific Time, with a lunch break and two short breaks. Exact break times will be announced by the speaker.

Will a recording be available?

Yes. If you register, and are an Embody Lab Member, you will receive access to the recordings afterwards.

Do I need any special technology to attend?

You will need a reliable internet connection and a computer or mobile device with audio. We recommend using the latest version of your browser.

Will there be breaks during the day?

Yes. There is a lunch break and two short breaks each day to support learning and self-care.

Can non-clinicians attend?

Yes. While the material is geared toward professionals, motivated non-clinicians and caregivers may also benefit from the content.

What if I have technical issues during the event?

Most issues are resolved by refreshing your browser or checking your connection. Additional support instructions will be available in your registration portal.

How do I register?

Click the Register button on this page and complete the brief signup form to secure your free spot.

What should I prepare before the event?

Set aside focused time, test your audio, and have water, a notebook, and space to move or breathe during experiential segments.

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