2-Day Trauma Conference 2026

The Body Keeps the Score: Trauma Healing with Bessel van der Kolk, MD

Transform your understanding of trauma treatment with this intensive 2-day educational conference led by world-renowned trauma expert and bestselling author Dr. Bessel van der Kolk.

Based on decades of groundbreaking research and clinical experience, this comprehensive program explores how trauma impacts the brain, body, emotions, relationships, and overall functioning. You’ll gain evidence-based insights into the neuroscience of traumatic stress and discover innovative, drug-free treatment approaches that help clients achieve lasting healing and recovery.

Through engaging lectures, clinical case studies, practical demonstrations, and real-world applications, Dr. van der Kolk reveals how trauma is stored in the body and how clinicians can help clients move beyond survival mode toward genuine transformation.

What You’ll Learn

✅ Understand the neuroscience of trauma and traumatic stress

✅ Explore how adverse childhood experiences shape brain development and emotional regulation

✅ Differentiate between attachment disruptions and traumatic stress disorders

✅ Analyze the impact of trauma on cognition, memory, self-perception, and relationships

✅ Learn practical strategies for emotional regulation and resilience building

✅ Discover evidence-based alternatives to medication and traditional talk therapy

✅ Integrate body-based and neurologically informed interventions into clinical practice

Key Topics Covered

Neuroscience & Brain Development

• The developing brain and trauma
• Emotional regulation systems
• Neurobiology of traumatic stress
• Brain plasticity and recovery
• Developmental psychopathology

Early Life Trauma & Adaptation

• Interpersonal neurobiology
• Dissociation and amnesia
• Shame, guilt, and self-blame
• Chronic distrust and relational difficulties
• Trauma adaptations across the lifespan

Attachment, Trauma & Psychopathology

• Information processing disruptions in trauma
• Mirror neuron systems and attachment
• Disorganized attachment vs. traumatic stress
• Breaking repetitive trauma patterns
• Restoring healthy relational functioning

Trauma, Memory & the Body

• Somatic manifestations of trauma
• Learned helplessness vs. learned agency
• Restoring active mastery and self-regulation
• Body-based approaches to trauma recovery
• Mind-body integration strategies

Developmental Trauma Disorder (DTD)

• Understanding Developmental Trauma Disorder
• Emotional and impulse dysregulation
• Attention and cognitive disturbances
• Identity and self-perception challenges
• DSM-5 considerations and clinical implications

Evidence-Based Trauma Treatment Approaches

• EMDR
• Neurofeedback
• Mindfulness-based interventions
• Yoga for trauma recovery
• Sensory integration techniques
• Dance and movement therapies
• Play and expressive therapies
• Body-oriented trauma treatments

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this conference, participants will be able to:

• Explain the neurobiological effects of trauma on the brain and body
• Assess the developmental impact of adverse childhood experiences
• Identify trauma-related adaptations and symptom presentations
• Apply trauma-informed treatment strategies in clinical settings
• Integrate evidence-based body-oriented interventions into practice
• Evaluate emerging research on trauma recovery and resilience
• Develop comprehensive treatment plans beyond medication and traditional psychotherapy

Who Should Attend?

• Psychologists
• Psychotherapists
• Counselors
• Social Workers
• Psychiatrists
• Mental Health Professionals
• Trauma Specialists
• Healthcare Providers
• Graduate Students & Trainees

Gain practical tools, cutting-edge research, and transformative clinical insights from one of the world’s leading trauma experts and learn how to help clients move from surviving to thriving.