Bessel van der Kolk
Born 1943 · Age 82
Dutch-American psychiatrist, researcher and educator best known for decades of pioneering work on traumatic stress and author of The Body Keeps the Score.
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Life & Career Timeline
Early childhood in post-war Netherlands; musical and linguistic upbringing
Raised in the aftermath of WWII and the Dutch famine; mother taught children music (piano, cello); learned multiple languages (taught six languages).
Born in The Hague, Netherlands
Born during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands; middle child of five. Father was sent to a work-camp during WWII.
Moved to the United States for university study
Began higher education in the U.S.; later attended University of Hawaii and University of Chicago (MD).
Completed B.A. (pre-med with political science major) at University of Hawaii
Studied a pre-medical curriculum with a political science major; active in Students for a Democratic Society; influenced by anti-psychiatry thinkers such as R.D. Laing.
Worked at Boston VA Outpatient Clinic (early career)
Served as a staff psychiatrist at the Boston Veterans Administration Outpatient Clinic, where he first encountered Vietnam veterans with severe nightmares and PTSD symptoms.
Received M.D. from University of Chicago (Pritzker School of Medicine)
Completed medical degree in 1970.
Director, Boston State Hospital (post-training role)
Served as director at Boston State Hospital following his residency (exact tenure during mid-1970s).
Completed psychiatric residency at Massachusetts Mental Health Center/Harvard Medical School
Finished psychiatric residency in 1974.
Developed focused research interest in traumatic stress
While working with Vietnam veterans and on the Harvard Medical School faculty he became deeply interested in post-traumatic stress research.
Member of PTSD committee for DSM (1980 edition)
Participated on the PTSD committee during the 1980 edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual.
Founded the Trauma Center (Brookline, MA)
Started what became one of the first U.S. clinical/research centers dedicated to traumatic stress in civilian populations while junior faculty at Harvard Medical School.
Established one of the first clinical/research centers for traumatic stress (recount)
Public biographical accounts cite 1984 as the year he set up an early civilian traumatic stress clinical/research center (source phrasing differs from 1982 founding).
Edited book: Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: Psychological and Biological Sequelae
Editor of an American Psychiatric volume (1984).
Won Solomon Award (1st prize)
Listed as a recipient of the Solomon Award (Harvard Dept. of Psychiatry) in 1984 (and later in 1988, 1989).
Published early biological model of PTSD
Authored 'Inescapable shock, neurotransmitters, and addiction to trauma: toward a psychobiology of post traumatic stress' (Biol Psychiatry, 1985), an early biological model of PTSD.
Published book: Psychological Trauma
Authored/edited the 1987 volume 'Psychological Trauma'.
Published 'Pierre Janet and the breakdown of adaptation in Psychological Trauma'
Contributed to the understanding of traumatic memory and adaptation (Am J Psychiatry, 1989).
President, International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS)
Served as President of the ISTSS (term listed as 1990–1991).
Appointed Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
Held associate professor role at Harvard Medical School between 1992–1997.
Member of PTSD committee for DSM-IV (1994 edition)
Participated on the committee for the 1994 edition of the DSM regarding PTSD.
Published trial: Fluoxetine in Post Traumatic Stress
Published a clinical study on the effects of fluoxetine (SSRI) in the treatment of PTSD (J Clin Psychiatry, 1994).
Appointed Professor of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine
Became a professor at Boston University School of Medicine (role listed as beginning in 1996 and continuing).
Co-editor: 'Traumatic Stress: The Effects of Overwhelming Experience on Mind, Body and Society'
Editor/co-editor of this Guilford volume (1996), a major text in the field.
Published first PET neuroimaging symptom provocation study in PTSD
Contributed to early neuroimaging literature on PTSD (Arch Gen Psychiatry, 1996).
Lifetime Achievement Award, International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies
Received ISTSS Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of long-term contributions to trauma research and treatment.
Initiated the creation of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN)
Initiated process that led to the Congressionally mandated NCTSN (a nationwide network to improve care for traumatized children).
PI on NIH/NIMH R01: Fluoxetine vs. EMDR treatment outcome trial (start)
Principal Investigator on the NIH/NIMH study 'Treatment Outcome of Fluoxetine vs. EMDR in PTSD' (R01 MH58363-04; 12/01/1999–12/31/2003).
Became Research & Medical Director, Trauma Center
Transitioned to Research and Medical Director role at the Trauma Center (continuing the organization he founded).
Co-PI on multicenter sertraline vs placebo PTSD trial (publication 2001)
Co-authored the 2001 multicenter double-blind comparison of sertraline and placebo for PTSD (Archives of General Psychiatry).
Named Distinguished Life Fellow, American Psychiatric Association
Received Distinguished Life Fellow status from the APA (2002).
Published article proposing Developmental Trauma Disorder
Authored 'Developmental Trauma Disorder: toward a rational diagnosis for children with complex trauma histories' (Psychiatric Annals, 2005); coined term used to describe complex developmental trauma.
CDC-funded RCT of Urban Improv-Intensive youth violence prevention (grant start)
PI on CDC grant (1 R49 CE000968-01; 09/01/2006–08/31/2009) to evaluate a trauma-informed theater-based youth violence prevention program.
Published randomized clinical trial: EMDR vs Fluoxetine vs Placebo
Published a randomized clinical trial comparing EMDR, fluoxetine, and placebo for PTSD (J Clin Psychiatry, 2007).
Vice President of Research, Justice Resource Institute (role start)
Served as Vice President of Research at the Justice Resource Institute (2008–2018).
Awarded grant to study yoga for treatment-resistant PTSD (NCCAM R21 start)
Began an NCCAM-funded study 'Efficacy of Yoga for Treatment-Resistant PTSD' (1R21AT003905-01A2; 6/1/2008–5/31/2012).
SAMHSA NCTSN Category II grant for Complex Trauma Treatment Network (start)
Role: PI on Complex Trauma Treatment Network grant (1U79SM059314-01; 9/30/2009–9/29/2012) to provide training and technical assistance nationwide.
Wrote The Body Keeps the Score (writing period 2010–2014)
Spent much of 2010–2014 writing The Body Keeps the Score about traumatic stress, childhood abuse and neglect, and their treatment.
Affective Neuroscience Foundation-funded RCT on neurofeedback (start)
PI on research (1/1/2011–7/1/2014) examining neurofeedback effects on PTSD and executive functioning.
Co-Director, Complex Trauma Treatment Network (CTTN), NCTSN (role start)
Served as co-director of the CTTN within the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (2012–2017).
On Being interview original air date
Interviewed by Krista Tippett; original On Being air date July 11, 2013 (interview about trauma and The Body Keeps the Score).
Launched/expanded research into neurofeedback, MDMA and other innovative therapies
Trauma Center research lab studied neurofeedback and MDMA-assisted therapy among other embodied treatments; PI roles on trials including neurofeedback pilot studies starting 2014 and MDMA-assisted therapy phase 3 study role starting 2017.
Published The Body Keeps the Score (book)
Published 'The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma' (Viking, 2014).
Book became a New York Times bestseller and international success (early milestone)
The book quickly became a major bestseller in psychiatry, translated into dozens of languages and on bestseller lists for extended runs (early reporting noted 108 consecutive weeks on NYT Science bestseller list and translation into 36 languages per CV).
Randomized controlled study of neurofeedback for chronic PTSD (PLoS One)
Published RCT results on neurofeedback for chronic PTSD (PloS One, 2016; e0166752); study later recognized with an award from the Foundation for Neurofeedback & Applied Neuroscience (2017).
PI on Phase 3 MDMA-assisted psychotherapy multi-site study (start)
Role: PI (15% FTE) on a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multi-site Phase 3 MDMA-assisted psychotherapy study for chronic PTSD (MP16 and MAPP1 at Trauma Research Foundation), listed as starting 9/1/2017 and ongoing.
Became President, Trauma Research Foundation
Listed as President of the Trauma Research Foundation (organization that evolved from the Trauma Center/Toward a new non-profit structure).
Allegations and termination from the Trauma Center (exit)
In March 2018 news outlets reported he was fired from the Trauma Center amid complaints of bullying and a hostile work environment; the organization and personnel changes were widely reported.
NCTSN grew to roughly 150 sites (milestone reported)
By 2019 the National Child Traumatic Stress Network had grown to approximately 150 centers implementing trauma-informed treatments nationwide.
On Being interview revisited (broadcast update)
Krista Tippett's 'On Being' revisited their conversation with van der Kolk on November 11, 2021 (original episode aired July 11, 2013).
Continued academic and clinical roles (ongoing)
Continued as professor of psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine and President of the Trauma Research Foundation; continued to see patients and speak internationally.
Included in TIME100 Health list
Named in Time's 2024 list of influential people in health.
Personal: married to second wife and practicing clinically (status as of 2024)
Reported as married to his second wife, living in rural Massachusetts and still seeing patients (as of 2024).
Criticism and controversy over The Body Keeps the Score
By 2023–2024 scientists and commentators criticized claims in the book as promoting pseudoscientific ideas and overstating evidence for certain treatments; public debates and editorials occurred through 2024–2025.
Ongoing research leadership: MDMA-assisted therapy trials and neurofeedback work
Continues as PI and leader on multi-site MDMA-assisted psychotherapy trials and ongoing neurofeedback and mind–body research at the Trauma Research Foundation.
Extensive publication record milestone
Author/editor of four books and over 160 peer-reviewed scientific publications, including pioneering work on nightmares, biological models of PTSD, neuroimaging, developmental trauma, EMDR, yoga, neurofeedback and MDMA-assisted therapy.
The Body Keeps the Score: sustained bestseller milestones (updated)
As of February 2025 the book had spent more than 328 weeks on The New York Times best seller list and 212 weeks on Amazon’s U.S. bestseller list; translated into 43 languages.
Key Achievement Ages
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