Peter A. LevineWaking the Tiger: Healing Trauma

After reading this book, I sought out a somatic experiencing therapist who is touch-certified and it has changed my life. I had previously tried talk therapy, group therapy, CBT, and very briefly - EMDR. I was not a good candidate for EMDR, due to my problems with dissociation. Somatic Experiencing has helped me more than any other type of therapy I have done in recovering from a long history of childhood verbal, emotional, and physical abuse. Even after having read this book, I still don't understand how Somatic Experiencing has worked so incredibly effectively, but I highly recommend this therapy to anyone who has a history of childhood trauma, regardless of what that childhood trauma stems from (neglect, dysfunction, emotional, verbal, physical, or sexual abuse.)Somatic Experiencing has somehow taught my body to self-regulate emotions, without causing more dissociation after sessions. It has the added benefit of not being talk-centered, so I don't have to constantly delve into details of my past that I often would rather not repeat again and again. It has by-passed my problematic thought-processes that often hinder my recovery, by working directly on my body. Somehow, without cognitive effort, I end up feeling much better without even trying to think my way better. In fact, my thoughts and perspectives have somehow changed of their own accord, as my body begins to feel better on its own. It's like my body just started healing on its own, and then my brain catches up with it accordingly. I see the world differently now, I see myself differently now, and without even trying to implant new thoughts or perspectives into myself.When I was doing CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) I felt like I was constantly exerting immense effort on myself, trying to make my brain interpret my environment differently. I was repeatedly attempting to force new thoughts into my head, and this made me feel resentful at the constant argumentation I would have going on inside my brain, and angry because I felt that I was lying to myself with these new thoughts I was forcing into my head. Somatic Experiencing with a touch-certified therapist has removed this battle from my mind; and healthier thoughts and perspectives have slipped into my brain unnoticed by me at first. Despite having read this book, I still don't fully understand how it is possible that somatic experiencing is so effective.This book explains somatic experiencing very well. Not only does Peter Levine go into the details of how trauma effects the brain and body, but he describes some somatic experiencing sessions with clients in enough detail that the reader can learn what he or she can expect in a somatic experiencing session. I highly recommend his other book "Trauma and Memory" for a detailed explanation of traumatic memory. This book "Waking the Tiger" explains how trauma effects the brain-body and how somatic experiencing functions; his book "Trauma and Memory" explains how traumatic memory works, and how it is different from non-traumatic memory, and the difference between explicit and implicit memory. For those of us who feel confused about our patchy, gap-ridden explicit memories, coupled with our highly valent emotional patterns of reaction, his "Trauma and Memory" book sheds much light on this confusion.CBT is woefully under-equipped to handle childhood attachment trauma; it only made me fight inside my head more, and feel resentful at the constant effort of forcing myself to think differently. EMDR did not work for me, as it attempted to cram more trauma into my brain while leaving my body behind in the process, which mainly led to further dissociation. Talk therapy has been helpful for my own understanding of what happened to me, but it, too, left my body out of the picture, and did not help me with the daily emotional dysregulation which caused me so much constant grief. Somatic Experiencing, on the other hand, has put the healing emphasis onto my body, and caused it to heal itself, resulting in my body feeling better and my brain responding to my improved feelings in my body. My brain just keeps catching up to my healing body without much exerted effort on my part.I highly recommend this book, and somatic experiencing with a touch-certified therapist, to anyone who has experienced childhood attachment trauma.

This book truly changed my life. I’ve worked with therapists using emdr for ptsd, got some relief, but Dr Levine gives subtle instructions at the end of this book that I was able to follow myself and took out the emotional/energetic charge from an event that’s haunted me for decades. Because of this book, I can do this myself (though I have found a therapist trained in his methodology and will be going to her when/if I need.) The big shift came when I discovered the moment my energy and power was frozen and then, using the steps in this book, allowed myself the opportunity to unfreeze it and let it complete its organic cycle. I’ve used it for several traumatic moments that were frozen inside me. I’m finally free.

At the present time we encounter a growing number of people who live with debilitation trauma - some so severe they must give up working or socializing outside their home environment.Peter Levine introduces his topic by having the reader wonder why it is that wild animals that encounter trauma every day as they live by their wits to not become another animals meal for the day, while they look for their own meal, do not suffer debilitating trauma as do humans.But why is it that some individuals just never seem to get over their trauma, to move on with their lives? The answer lies in understanding the relevance of the neo cortex (thinking brain), limbic (emotional) brain, and reptilian (fight/flight/freeze) brain to our existence on the earth.The body of `Waking the Tiger - Healing Trauma' is divided into three sections:* Section 1 - The body as healer. The body has its own intelligence for healing. However, the Western mind is taught to down-play the relevance of that intelligence for living among `civilized' society.* Section 2 - Symptoms of trauma. Often trauma can be connected to a specific incident; however, especially if the symptoms are masked for a period (which may extend to a few years), symptoms become revealed in a way easy to miss. Trauma reveals itself as a recurring pattern in someone's behaviour.* Section 3 - Transformation and renegotiation. The secret in healing trauma involves approaching the situation in a manner that is meaningful to the reptilian brain - the healing is instantaneous and permanent. In contrast, trauma counseling methods that appeal to the intellect are often ineffectual.* Section 4 - First aid for trauma. The sooner trauma is appropriately dealt with, the better. Trauma counseling can be learned for own `on-the-spot benefit or that of another.Who should read `Waking the Tiger - Healing Trauma'?* Trauma councilors concerned for the well-being of their long-term unhealing patients.* Individuals actively working but battling to find relief from trauma.* Individuals who just know `something is wrong with my life but I don't know what'.* Caring hearts that want to know how best to offer in-the-moment relief to others experiencing trauma.Peter Levine explains his topic in an easy-to-read manner, which left me wondering that the knowledge he expounds upon should be so commonplace, yet realizing it is not. The knowledge he provides in his book is profound.I found this 266-page book to be a fantastic read!