The Biology of Trauma: How the Body Holds Fear, Pain, and Overwhelm, and How to Heal It

by Aimie Apigian

USA Today Bestseller Publishers Weekly Bestseller This groundbreaking book breaks down the latest research to reveal how trauma impacts our bodies on a cellular level and offers an empowering path to whole-body healing. Today, we know more about mental health than ever before, but traditional medicine still mistakes subtle signs of trauma for stress, anxiety, or chronic disease—sometimes even retraumatizing patients with outdated and misguided methods. Treatment plans that focus on the mind are only addressing the downstream effects. Likewise, common medical approaches to manage symptoms fail to explore root causes and promote genuine recovery. If we want to truly heal, we need to understand trauma as something happening inside of the body—not as a singular external event. Gaining clarity on how our bodies hold onto experiences, impacting both our physical health and our ability to maintain healthy behaviors and relationships, is crucial. That’s where Dr. Aimie Apigian’s integrative, revolutionary approach comes in. With a decade of clinical research, approachable storytelling, and real-life examples, The Biology of Trauma will show How the body absorbs scarring experiences and overwhelm Ways to identify commonly overlooked trauma symptoms like lethargy, fogginess, and unexplained worry Recognize how emotional pain stored in the body affects overall health on a cellular level, even for people with functionally successful lives Prevent trauma-induced changes in your biology that suppress the cycle of recovery Work with your nervous system to safely heal—without risk of retraumatization Perfect for both individuals seeking personal growth and health professionals improving their practice, The Biology of Trauma will help you gain deep insights into your own mind, body, and healing journey.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Health, Psychology, Mental Health, Audiobook, Science

320 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 30, 2025

Reviews

[Grace Btrs · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to deepen your knowledge of trauma, this is an exemplar book to read/listen to.
If you know nothing about trauma on the psychological side, though… maybe start elsewhere and circle back.

What this book is 📚
It’s a practical, super informative guide to how trauma and adverse experiences live in the body. We’re not just talking “mind stuff”; it dives into how the nervous, immune, digestive, metabolic, and hormonal systems (aka, the whole damn orchestra) get altered by experiences and the responses we’ve held on to.
There were so many “aha!” moments💡 that would you make you understand some of your responses of things you have brushed off as personality traits or "I just am like that, I don't know why."
This book validates, connects the dots, and reminds you healing isn’t just about talking — it’s about processing through body, brain, and psyche.

What makes it stand out ✨
If you’ve read other trauma books, you might ask: “What more is this giving?”
Dr. Aimie Apigian does something smart: she combines theories and knowledge we already know, and then presents them in smooth, comprehensive, PRACTICAL ways. She enhances the knowledge with new findings and her own experiential work. She also combines several fields of knowledge and studies and brings it home with a pinch of salt and her own delivery.
We get real examples of people with surface-level reactions who, through body work, uncovered deeper memories and emotions.👥
And it’s not just theory; she offers worksheets, journals, and videos on her website (didn’t try them since I had the ARC + ALC, so can’t comment).

The audiobook 🎧
Smooth. Accessible. Easy to follow. I only had to pause with supplement/toxin sections, but otherwise, it flowed.
And bonus: Dr. Apigian narrates it herself, and she’s got that teacher vibe: the one who checks if you’re actually following along. Totally recommend the ALC experience.

Where I wanted more
Okay, here’s where my small comments come in 👇
• The book makes it clear from the start that it’s not about experiential or talk therapy, but only the biological side. And I respect that. Still, I couldn’t shake the sense that it was a little dismissive of psychological-clinical therapies — almost undermining them. I get the point: sometimes things linger even after extensive therapy. But a small acknowledgement that many people have worked incredibly hard to heal and move forward through that very kind of therapy would have gone a long way.

• Trauma itself is defined… but briefly. I would’ve appreciated a pause here. Especially since at one point we’re told we can switch out the word “trauma” for “overwhelm”. Given how the DSM defines trauma and all the updated knowledge we have now, this needed more clarity. It doesn’t help that “I was traumatised” is thrown around as slang in everyday speech. For me, it’s important to validate feelings while also being clear that psychological and psychiatric terms are not adjectives. On this, the book felt a bit lax.

• Building on that: complex and continuous trauma — especially from surviving very intense or prolonged situations (like war, displacement, or chronic abuse) — wasn’t addressed. Yes, the book speaks in general terms, but even a short disclaimer or one dedicated paragraph would have been very helpful.

• Again connected: the term “developing countries” shows up in reference to specific illnesses, but it carried a privileged undertone.🌍 Now, Dr. Apigian does mention her grandfather as a survivor of the Armenian genocide, so she’s clearly not a stranger to these realities. But still, the phrasing and framing could have been handled with more nuance.

• Which brings me to privilege more broadly. The overall tone of the book feels geared toward people who already have access to healthcare and the contextual safety to explore healing. Yes, Dr. Apigian does mention alternatives for supplements and adds advice like, “you can do X safely until you’re able to get Y medical tests and see a professional.” That’s great. 🛡️
But the general narrative doesn’t leave much space for people living without safety, whether because of country and context (where persecution and instability are still realities, even outside of “active war”) or at home, where partners, families, workplaces, or communities aren’t supportive.
The examples in the book largely come from eco-environments where people had support, and that doesn’t reflect everyone’s reality.


Do I recommend ✅
This book is a wealth of knowledge. My “I wanted more” points don’t take away from its value; they’re just things that would’ve made it even stronger. It’s validating, educational, and gives you tools to understand yourself better.
And honestly? That’s already huge.


Thank you Netgalley, Brilliance Publishing, and BenBella Books for the ALC and ARC.

[Elle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

When I first saw this book on NetGalley, I was genuinely intrigued. The title caught my attention right away. I enjoy reading non-fiction from time to time, partly for personal growth and partly just to learn something new. Trauma is an important topic, and I was curious to see how a medical doctor would approach it from a biological perspective.

Unfortunately, this book left me very disappointed.

About 95 percent of the content is just the author repeating herself. The same points are made again and again, often without adding anything new. I kept reading, waiting for the real tools or strategies she had promised. When the advice finally came, it was nothing more than the most basic wellness tips: eat healthy, take supplements if you are deficient, get enough sleep, and exercise. That is it. Nothing original, nothing particularly insightful. Just the kind of advice you could get from any basic blog post or health magazine.

What made this worse is the fact that the author is a trained medical doctor. People trust doctors. There is a responsibility that comes with that title. So why write a book that does not actually offer real help? Instead, it felt like a long introduction to her website and paid programs. To be clear, I am not questioning her education. Becoming a doctor takes years of hard work. But using that title to push a product that ultimately does not deliver is frustrating and feels exploitative.

I was also uncomfortable with how the word "trauma" was used throughout the book. It felt like it was included more as a marketing buzzword than a serious or respectful engagement with the topic. Trauma is a deeply personal and painful issue for many people. Using it in a way that seems designed mainly to sell something just felt wrong.

In the end, this book did not live up to its title or its promises. It is repetitive, surface-level, and feels more like an advertisement than a helpful guide. I walked away feeling disappointed and honestly a little misled.

I would not recommend it.

[Lizzy Brannan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our body experiences trauma when we've experienced "too much too soon or too little for too long".

This is one of the most informative treasures I've found in a long while. I've been searching for answers to my Long COVID symptoms that manifest like an autoimmune disease for so long. It all makes sense after reading Dr. Aimie's book.

"The Biology of Trauma" provides critical insight to why our body holds on to pain when we have experienced trauma: too much too soon or too little for too long. When our bodies reach the critical line of overwhelm, our body activates to signal trauma survival in our bodies. Dr. Aimie Apigian takes the reader through how the human mind and body processes stress vs. trauma on a cellular level and what happens when the body does not reset to safety. The body potentially gets stuck in a trauma loop that can result in chronic conditions and a view of the world through danger-colored glasses.
But there is hope. And Dr. Aimie does not run short of solutions, exercises, and nutrition to bring the body back to a calm-alive state.

I felt very targeted reading this book. Though I had to read over a few things more than once due to the medical explanations, I'm glad I did. As I'm typing this now, I'm already applying life changes encouraged by this text. Dr. Aime is absolutely brilliant and delivers this information with an empathetic, encouraging voice. I am utterly grateful I was approved to read this.

Thank you NetGalley, Dr. Aimie Apigian, and Brilliance Publishing for this gem of an audioARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I found new/interesting about this book:

It is a book by Dr. Aimie Apigian, MD, that examines how trauma is not just something that happens psychologically, but something that is stored and expressed in the body — down to the cellular, immune, metabolic, and nervous-system levels.

She explores how overwhelming experience builds up in the body (cells, mitochondria, immune system) and how trauma can shift bodily functioning in ways like increased oxidative stress, immune dysregulation, inflammation, etc. These changes can then drive symptoms such as fatigue, fogginess, chronic illness, and dysregulation even when someone seems “functionally fine.”

Many trauma books focus predominantly on psychotherapy (cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, etc.), or on narrative, emotions, and cognition. Apigian insists that without attending to what has changed in the body (neural architecture, immune responses, etc.), many recovery efforts remain partial or stalled. She highlights how even when a person’s mind believes they are healed, their body may still be in a state of dysregulation.

Healing, in her model, follows a sequence that is biologically informed: first safety, then support, then expansion, etc. She underscores that opening therapeutic work without adequate biological safety (both in nervous system regulation and at the cellular level) can retraumatize or exacerbate symptoms.

Apigian provides tools, protocols, and frameworks to help readers safely heal — including nervous system regulation, somatic practices, recognizing and repairing biological damage from trauma, and creating capacities for resilience. NOTE: I did not have access as an audiobook reviewer to the many helpful sounding tools (worksheets, info graphs, etc) described in the book.

Concerns I had while reading:

Some readers may find the cellular and biochemical detail overwhelming or too technical compared to more narrative-driven trauma books.

Models like somatic experiencing or EMDR tend to present more intuitive, body-felt practices, while Apigian’s emphasis on mitochondria, oxidative stress, and genetic expression often felt abstract without strong clinical guidance.

Other models prioritize agency, relational repair, and empowerment, whereas Apigian’s biological framing could be seen as reducing trauma to something mechanistic.

Apigian’s approach, while valuable, may feel specialized and narrower: focusing on biological repair and nervous system regulation first, whereas others see simultaneous psychological work as essential.

Overall: As a psychologist with an interest and experience working with trauma I was intellectually curious about the “new” information provided by the book but I wouldn’t feel comfortable suggesting it to a client. I’m always searching for books that are client appropriate (helpful to be used even if I am not there to explain or guide them). That’s why 3/5 🌟

[Aura · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Biology of Trauma by Aimie Apigian is probably filled with useful information, but the way it is presented left me frustrated. Instead of feeling like a cohesive book that guides the reader, it often comes across as a long advertisement for the author’s programs and website. The constant links and references to external material made me feel like the real answers were hidden behind a paywall, which distracted from the value of the content itself.

That being said, there are some solid insights about how trauma affects both the body and the nervous system, and readers interested in the biology behind emotional and physical health may find parts of it enlightening. I just wish the book had focused more on delivering the promised knowledge in full rather than pushing readers toward additional purchases.

[organisedchaosbooks]

I think this book offers a strong starting point and will likely resonate with many readers. That said, I personally found the abundance of anecdotes and stories detracted from the core messages. It felt unnecessarily padded. In terms of content, I didn’t feel it added much beyond what I’ve already explored through Our Polyvagal World, The Body Keeps the Score, or other resources on complex PTSD/ PTSD. For those already familiar with trauma-informed frameworks, this may feel more like a recap than a deepening.

Thank you for the ALC. All thoughts are my own.

[GONZA · Rating 3 out of 5]

A beautiful book, interesting, even if some things are easy to understand but very complex to solve. Clearly, this is a text that can help us identify problems, but for the most appropriate solution, the support of a professional is necessary.

Un bel libro, interessante, anche se alcune cose sono semplici da capire, ma molto complesse da risolvere. Chiaramente questo é un testo che puó aiutarci ad identificare i problemi, ma per la soluzione piú adeguata é necessario il supporto di un professionista.

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

[Sarah Jensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review: The Biology of Trauma: How the Body Holds Fear, Pain, and Overwhelm, and How to Heal It by Dr. Aimie Apigian - A Public Health Practitioner’s Perspective

Dr. Aimie Apigian’s The Biology of Trauma is a revelatory exploration of trauma’s physiological imprint, blending cutting-edge science with compassionate insight. As a public health practitioner, I found myself both captivated and unsettled by Apigian’s meticulous dissection of how trauma embeds itself in our bodies—often bypassing conscious awareness—and her roadmap for healing. This book is not just a clinical guide; it’s a radical affirmation of bodily autonomy and a call to dismantle the stigma surrounding trauma survivors, particularly women and marginalized communities.

Emotional Resonance: A Mirror to Systemic Neglect
Reading this book was an emotional journey. Apigian’s research on how trauma dysregulates the nervous system resonated deeply with my work supporting survivors of gender-based violence. There were moments of validation—finally, a scientific framework that explains why “just move on” is not only unhelpful but harmful—and moments of rage, confronting how medical systems often pathologize trauma responses instead of addressing their root causes. Her discussion of the “freeze” response (often mislabeled as passivity in women) hit particularly hard, exposing how gendered stereotypes compound the burden of trauma.

Key Insights for Feminist Public Health
-Trauma as a Biological Reality: Apigian dismantles the mind-body dichotomy, showing how trauma manifests in inflammation, hormonal imbalances, and cellular memory. This aligns with health principles that reject Cartesian splits and center embodied experience.
-Healing as Justice: The book’s emphasis on somatic therapies challenges the dominance of cognitive-behavioral approaches, offering alternatives for survivors whose trauma lives beyond language—a crucial perspective for populations silenced by systemic oppression.
-The Privilege of Safety: Apigian’s work underscores how socioeconomic and racial disparities shape trauma exposure and recovery resources. Her analysis of “safety deficits” in marginalized communities should be required reading for policymakers.

Constructive Criticism
-Intersectional Gaps: While Apigian acknowledges systemic factors, the book could delve deeper into how racism, ableism, and colonialism compound trauma’s biological impact. For example, how might chronic racialized stress alter neurobiology differently than single-event trauma?
-Structural Solutions: The individual-focused healing protocols are empowering but need pairing with community-level interventions (e.g., trauma-informed policy frameworks) to address public health-scale inequities.

Final Thoughts
The Biology of Trauma is a transformative addition to trauma literature, bridging science and empathy in ways that demand systemic change. It left me both heartbroken and hopeful—grieving the bodies sacrificed to ignorance yet inspired by Apigian’s vision of healing as a radical act of reclaiming power.

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5/5) – A groundbreaking work with room to grow its intersectional lens.

Gratitude: Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss for the review copy. In a field that too often reduces trauma to pathology, this book is a beacon of dignity and possibility.

[Irina Elena · Rating 2 out of 5]

First impression: a useful, very clear primer on the physiological components and core mechanisms of trauma states and reactions.
All downhill from here.

We begin with a presentation of the steps of a trauma response – the Startle, the Stress, the Wall, the Freeze, and the Shutdown – and the hormonal cascades that accompany them. So far so good – this is pertinent, science-based, and very clearly explained to the lay reader; the transition from one step to the next is both intuitive and logical, and is relayed in terms that can be applied to virtually any traumatic experience. Powerlessness, overwhelm, the universality of trauma responses, the care and compassion we deserve from ourselves when going through a stressful experience – all is touched on with clear language and an empathetic yet rational tone.
Things started squeaking a little when mentions of polyvagal theory began popping up in Chapter 3. I initially felt that despite being a very shaky foundation for a purportedly scientific work, it seemed to serve the author well for the purpose of divulgation, but when she jumped from using Porges's concept of neuroception to convey the mechanisms through which the brain detects threats to adopting the ideas of ventral and dorsal vagal states wholesale, including the belief that one must imperatively work backwards through all the steps of a trauma response in order to arrive back to a balanced emotional state, things took a serious turn for the worse. (Calling a phrase "the polyvagal scientific term" for something, by the way, is nothing if not an oxymoron.)
To keep the woo-woo coming, Aipigian then decides to address adaptive and maladaptive coping mechanisms resulting from trauma through Richard Schwartz's Internal Family Systems framework, personifying our inner "protectors" and encouraging her victims to let these protectors know it's time to stand down. Just like the idea of neuroception, the concept of “parts” can be useful to illustrate some psychological and emotional reactions to trauma, and Aipigian does this effectively. But polyvagal theory and internal family systems theory are an ideological rather than scientific basis for the discussion of trauma, with a cultish and marketing-heavy lean to boot, which completely invalidates the very title of this work. Mentions of Aipigian's "Foundational Journey" trauma-processing program and the “essential sequence” she devised in every single chapter show that she fully adopted that sales-based approach as well, and much of the program – which is helpfully outlined in the entire second half of the book to give readers a preview of how they might reach healing – is kept vague enough to ensure that anyone interested in following the "essential sequence" will have to actually purchase her material.

Aipigian also addresses hyperarousal, which is a real symptom of trauma that affects people in a very recognizable way, but unfortunately decides to take the Somatic Experiencing route and call it "Global High-Intensity Activation"; as a result, if a reader decided to do a Google search on the term to delve into it more deeply, they'd fall straight down the woo-woo rabbit hole holding Aipigian by the hand instead of finding some legitimate psychological and psychiatric research.
The concept of a pre-existing filter through which we perceive every stressful experience – made up of the current state of our nervous system, our biology, programmed beliefs reinforced by our life experiences, and somatic memory – is interesting and potentially extremely helpful to an individual trying to understand the mechanisms behind their trauma. Unfortunately it's all wrapped up, once again, in polyvagal theory and talk of "neuroception". Fortunately, attachment styles and the early experiences that shape it are approached much more rationally, and although Aipigian can’t resist the impulse to throw in a little creativity with her presentation of these experiences as "attachment pains" (individually titled "hold me", "hear me", "see me" and "understand me"), her exploration of attunement, neurodevelopment, and biology as the three pillars of attachment is clearly explained and applicable (and her terminology does, admittedly, help readers visualize the root causes of attachment issues very clearly).

One thing Aipigian harps on a lot is the correlation between trauma and chronic disease/pain. While there is indeed a correlation, it is not proven to be a causative link in the case of all people with both a history of trauma and a chronic or autoimmune illness; in spite of this, Aipigian’s continuous insistence on this point often assumes a borderline dogmatic tone, making it sound like anyone with a chronic disease might have avoided decades of physical and psychological suffering if only they'd had the insight and strength to look within... there are much more delicate and, more importantly, nuanced ways to word this correlation, and this wasn't such a long book that Aipigian couldn't spare the wordcount. This insistence on correlation also involves some massive generalizations extrapolated from studies on very specific situations. Severe physical trauma involving multiple injuries or extensive burns, for instance, is known to significantly increase the production of reverse T3, which in turn reduces the levels of active T3. It takes a big leap to go from this to stating that trauma (of every kind) "often" causes this as well, resulting in thyroid illness symptoms like depression and weight gain. Conversely, anxiety and depression "without a clear cause" are supposedly a clear indicator of the presence of trauma. Ma'am - depression can exist regardless of trauma or thyroid hormone imbalances, and is an illness unto itself, real and diagnosable. Telling readers who already struggle with the feelings of helplessness and failure that come with trauma or with major depressive disorder that their depressive symptoms are really just a hormonal issue that you can fix by eating more salmon and taking a handful of supplements with every meal is counterproductive, if not downright dangerous; it will not make psychological and psychiatric symptoms go away, but it will make people feel like this is their own fault for not having a "healthy" (I'm very iffy on Aipigian's approach to this - more on that later) enough lifestyle.

And so we keep swinging between clearly explained, useful concepts and woo-woo dogma – from the creation of a felt sense of safety for body and mind to Internal Family Systems once again, from potentially helpful somatic release principles to supplementing till you have capsules coming out of your ears. If you go into "shutdown" regularly, your issue is "mitochondrial compromise", ergo you need magnesium malate glycinate and alpha-ketoglutarate, rhodiola, ubiquinol, CoQ10, pyrroloquinoline quinone, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, and IV nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide – not by yourself, of course, but rather working with a medical professional… or an "informed health coach".
A case study described by Aipigian, Elena, "started with brain inflammation support [with] magnesium L-threonate, luteolin, huperzine A, and 2000mg of N-acetylcysteine daily". For her attachment issues from childhood, she implemented... "five minutes of daily tummy-crawling". Yes, daily tummy-crawling sessions. (Feel free to implement that while reading this review - I'd be elated to contribute in this way to your trauma processing.) For, once again, "mitochondrial support", she implemented hyperbaric oxygen and red-light therapy, as well as removing "gluten, dairy, eggs, and almonds" from her diet... because "even without gluten sensitivity, she understood its impact on gut health and autoimmunity". Key words: “without gluten sensitivity” – despite the fact that there is literally no scientific evidence supporting the elimination of gluten as actively beneficial in these circumstances. Do we need to suck all the joy (i.e. sourdough bread, pancakes, scrambled eggs, and cheese) out of our lives in order to heal from a traumatic experience that did plenty of joy-sucking on its own? The real answer, reassuringly, is no. Aipigian is just not inclined to give you that, because her earnings from the Foundational Journey program would suffer.
Overall emotional and physical dysregulation, additionally, is according to Aipigian strongly influenced by "toxic burden", i.e. the accumulation in the body of molecules such as… mercury, from (wait for it) "dental work and years of tuna consumption", as well as "some vaccines" (which contain amounts of mercury so negligible as to be virtually nothing). As yet another bonus, why not make readers scared of fluoride in running water, which has been essential in reducing cavities and dental disease in the U.S. and worldwide, by highlighting its potential to be a neurotoxin without clarifying the concentration this would require? And what about chlorine - why not take a big ol' leap from "chlorine is a disinfectant" to "the chlorine in pool water destroys our gut bacteria" (if a reader is swallowing gallons of pool water during every swim session, perhaps a different kind of help is needed - either a psychologist or a swim instructor)? Let's also demonize parabens, some of the safest preservatives we have, highly regulated in terms of concentration in products that come in contact with the skin, and the least likely to cause adverse cutaneous reactions. Throw in “natural cleaning products” and drinking warm water with lemon every morning rather than dehydrating yourself with coffee (as if a cup of coffee could cause clinically significant dehydration) and you really, truly lose me.

The three biochemical imbalances that she presents as relevant to trauma responses - copper excess, pyroluria (resulting in low zinc and vitamin B6), and methylation issues - do indeed play a part in mood imbalances and even psychiatric disorders, but their relevance in the handling and treatment of trauma specifically is minimal (as a fun bonus, one of the symptoms presented for pyroluria is sensitivity to "radiation and electromagnetic fields"). But we’re not done – why not also take a detour into the management of gastric parasites and infections (purely because stress affects gut health and therefore makes them more likely), and make it both absurdly long-winded and maddeningly non-specific?
By the end of the book, we've delved into the whole spectrum of possible chemical imbalances, autoimmune conditions and other diseases that might give rise to both physical and psychologic/psychiatric symptoms reminiscent of fight, flight or freeze responses (truly, to Aipigian, absolutely anything could indicate the presence of "stored trauma" - at one point she mentions itchiness...), and completely forgotten we were here to talk about how to deal with trauma. To make everything worse, the entire book contains huge chunks of repeated material, with multiple paragraphs at the beginning of every chapter recapitulating the statements made in the previous one, which was rendered even more superfluous by the "Summary" section at the end of each chapter.

One single time, Aipigian decides to clarify that "nervous system patterns of stress and overwhelm" do not cause disease, but rather "[make] us more susceptible to them when we are exposed" (given that here she's talking about cancer as well as mold sensitivity or Lyme disease, presumably she means "exposed to any possible contributing factor to any of these conditions", since one isn't really exposed to cancer as one would be to a toxin or infection). This is great for her, as on a purely technical level it absolves her of the responsibility of having drawn a direct causal link between psychological/emotional trauma and physical illness; in reality, however, this one sentence is not what the average reader will take away from the book - the tone, alarmism, and general principles are what sticks.

We end on a good note – an encouraging, hopeful and research-based discussion on learned helplessness and re-expansion after healing from trauma (soured by a little more self-promotion – there’s even a list of health coaches recommended by Aipigian on her website! I’m stoked). The bibliography, if we ignore Porges and Schwartz being listed in every chapter, includes a surprising number of solid and interesting sources. Unfortunately, this is not enough to redeem this book. A work purporting to address the biology of trauma talking about "the emotional wisdom of holding on" and an absurd insistence on calling an emotionally balanced and regulated headspace as the "calm-alive state" would struggle to capture me to begin with, but Aipigian’s heavy reliance on completely unproven theories concocted by greedy egomaniacs drains even her more valuable insights of credibility, as does her insistence on all-natural, supplement-based approaches to health (not once does she discuss the fact that some of the neurotransmitter imbalances she mentions might most appropriately be treated with psychiatric medication, especially if they are severe enough to impair daily functioning).

The biology and physiology of trauma are fascinating to know, and can help people dealing with trauma understand their own reactions better and accept how slow, painful, and fluctuating the healing process can be. Aipigian did a great job with this part of her work. As for the rest, I'm not even sure what aggravated me more - the reliance on entirely unproven "science", the alarmist insistence on all-natural everything and demonization of every other element in the periodic table, or the maddeningly vehement claims of bidirectional causal links between trauma and physical health issues.

[Kayleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to digging into this and thought it would be in line with The Body Keeps the Score, and while there were some parallels, I found the number of anecdotes throughout the book to be a bit dulling. Perhaps if you haven't read several other books on how the body reacts to trauma and grief, this would be a good first step, but I don't think it covers anything new.
Dr. Aimie Apigian explores how trauma resides within our bodies and outlines a roadmap for healing. I enjoyed the dialogue on self-protective measures as a trauma response and would have liked more information on the data and evidence behind it.

Overall, this was still an interesting read.


This will be published 09/30/2025 and I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for my review.

[Ailin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was rough. I am not sure Aimie Apigian has anything to say that hasn't already been said by Peter Levine or Bessel van der Kolk (both of whom she references and both of whom have their own problems). The chapters were short but felt like they were barely scratching the surface of something that held meaning. I don't think I learned anything new and the stories of Dana and Sarah and Elena and Laura and Alex were not enough to compel me through the book.

I'm also not sure who she is writing to? The language was basic enough, but she walks us through the parts of a cell in one of the chapters (which, maybe you do need to talk about human biology, but also felt out of place) and it ended up feeling like maybe it was trying to be a high school book? Just enough to be an introduction but not enough to give you anything helpful. This was a slog to get through, I am sorry to say.

Thank you to NetGalley, BanBella Books, and the author for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. The Biology of Trauma publishes on September 23, 2025.

[Krystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found incredible value in this book. It feels like it should be required reading for practicioners and trauma survivors alike. There were many takeaways, aha moments and educational insights I will carry with me as I continue to work through trauma.

It was easy to read and apply (for someone who does not have a medical background) and flowed well. It offered some implementable takeaways I can try now, and a chance to dive more into it with my doctors and therapists. The author also offers additional resources on their website.

[Hannah Weiland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.2/5
In, "The Biology of Trauma," Dr. Aimie Apigian digs deeper into how trauma affects the body on a biological level. She explains in layman's terms the process in which trauma, whether physical or emotional, can put a stressor on the body and initiate the inflammatory pathway. Excess inflammation can trigger a multitude of illnesses and/or autoimmune diseases. Dr. Apigian explores different ways to combat the effects trauma has on the body through both physical and emotional therapy techniques, but also through suggested supplements and diet recommendations.

While I did enjoy a lot of the content, I do wish the book was condensed. A lot of the book was repetitive and could be more concise. As a health care professional with my own history of medical trauma, I felt the book was very interesting. It helped to explain some of the actions and behaviors that I experienced both in my past and current life. While I enjoyed some of the recommendations Dr. Apigian gave to help with trauma healing, I would have liked to know the rationale behind these suggestions and/or some of the studies to show evidence behind the recommendation. It may be hidden within the footnotes, but I did not get those with the audiobook experience.

Overall, this was an interesting read that had some good recommendations with those experiencing existing effects from trauma.

[Tian Dayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book for anyone wondering how to recovery from cPTSD

[Michele Baird · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read.

[Tinygrandma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I absolutely hate that I am drawn to books about trauma.
I hate the fact that I have lost the ability to relax, laugh, have fun, and enjoy life.
I hate that I am 65 years old and instead of enjoying my "golden years", I am reading books like this and hoping that THIS will be the book that finally shows me exactly how to heal.
I appreciate the things that I learned about trauma and how it affects the body. I thought that Aimie did a good job explaining that.
This book was equally frightening and hopeful for me. Frightening because of how our bodies hold trauma and make us sick (Great. More trauma just learning about this. As if I need more. Just great. Thanks Aimie for that.) and hopeful because she tells us that we can heal. Great! Because I really REALLY want to heal. I especially liked the chapter where she talked about the movie "Seabiscuit". I stopped reading and watched the movie and I sobbed, which was what I did a lot of while reading this book.
I'm ready to heal. I WANT to heal. I'm just not willing to pay almost $1,000 for her class. I was hoping that her book would give me the tools I needed to heal myself without having to pay a LOT of money to do so.
So now, here I am. A month older. More traumatized. Not healed. A little more confused. Still waiting on a miracle. But I do understand trauma a little better.

[Rain · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for this Advanced Listener Copy in exchange for an honest review.

I do want to preface this review by saying, I don't doubt for a minute that the author had good intentions in writing this book. This review is my experience reading it and my opinion.

Where do I even begin?
As a professional who has dedicated their career to helping those healing from complex trauma, this book actually made me angry.

Firstly, the first couple of chapters where the author factually discusses what the body goes through on a physiological level when experiencing a traumatic event, could be useful information for someone who has never heard it before. Unfortunately, that's about the only positive thing I have to say.

This is not a well rounded or responsible guidebook, like the title suggests. The author makes sweeping generalizations about things that will be helpful in healing one's trauma. Notably, taking supplements and eating certain foods.

The idea that you can take supplements and that will heal your trauma is insulting. Throughout my work, I have seen many of my clients who have been desperate for relief from symptoms which have developed as a result of traumatic events, fall victim to pseudoscience and some of the rhetoric in this book. Some of this information is not only inaccurate, it can be harmful on mental, emotional, and financial levels. I have seen folks in this population willing to pay for or try anything to heal.

Fueling the body properly and taking care of it with food you eat is absolutely essential to living a healthy and balanced life. However, it is not going to heal your trauma.

The people who will likely pick up this book are either professionals who will see it for what it is, or people going through immense emotional and mental distress.

Unfortunately, there is no "one size fits all" approach to healing trauma. It would be wonderful if there was, but there is not. The author is upfront with her opinions on what heals trauma based on anecdotal evidence. She mentions numerous therapies as options, which I do think is a positive thing. But then goes on to imply that if you are deficient in certain vitamins, they may not be effective.

Vitamin and nutrient deficiencies are a big problem and can effect the way our bodies function, including our brain function. However, those need to be found out on an individual basis alongside a qualifying health professional, not a health coach.

Additionally, there are zero regulations in the United States regarding ingredients advertised in supplements. So taking matters into your own hands based on internet research or from what a non-medical professional believes you should be taking is unhelpful, at best. I was surprised by this recommendation coming from a medical doctor.

There was also a noticeable lack of discussion surrounding the mind/body and somatic therapies. The author briefly mentions movement in the last couple of chapters. Though, it felt like an afterthought.

Overall, I would advise readers to spend their time reading other books, such as The Body Keeps the Score Bessel van der Kolk. If you do read this book and a certain therapy modalities appeal to you, such as Internal Family Systems therapy, consider reading Richard C. Schwartz's books directly and discussing them with your mental health care provider.

Overall, there are many legitimate treatment avenues to processing and healing trauma. In my opinion, this book is not one of those avenues.

[Socraticgadfly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Is a critical care nurse who’s been the the ICU at the same hospital 20 years, who comes in on a non-work day, because her mom is in there, and who sees her “code out” then die, failed resuscitation, while she’s visiting, facing trauma?

Per this book, which follows in the general line of Bessel van der Kolk’s “The Body Knows the Score,” she is.

Now, I don’t have an MD nor two other graduate degrees, but I do have “lived experience” as people say today. I also haven’t invented a new school of trauma therapy, complete with “®” (hold on to that thought).

So, I won’t say outrightly that this claim diminishes or cheapens the concept of trauma. I will say that it opened that possibility in my mind immediately.

Then, there’s this 1-star review:

As others have stated, there isn’t much “new” about this book that hasn’t been said by other authors and providers in the trauma space. Dr Apigain also recently posted about taking a pause from her book tour to attend Charlie Kirk’s memorial. She shut down comments on the post after receiving valid concern and criticism and then deleted it altogether. I have a hard time trusting someone in the trauma healing space who doesn’t see the harm in aligning herself with Christian nationalists, especially when she’s chosen to be silent about genocide, school shootings and other acts of gun violence over the last few years. Unfortunately, this seems to be just one more person whitewashing trauma healing and failing to acknowledge the power in their privilege.

The interwebz gave me no direct hits, but did find further discussion on Reddit.

And some hypocrisy, per this 2-star reviewer:

What struck me most was the way the author uses her adopted son Miguel’s story. She introduces him as part of her “expert” narrative, but then never tells readers what happened to him. Only if you dig into her podcast do you discover that she rehomed him (terminated her parental rights) just as he was supposed to be getting better while in treatment. For someone who positions herself as a trauma expert and a medical doctor, that omission is disturbing.

Hypocrisy alert!

Back to the “®”.

Her website is loaded with this stuff, including a certification program for other professionals. Smell the capitalism leaking oil from the machine? Her LinkedIn indicates more.

I then put two and two together as the light bulb came on. She is cheapening the concept of trauma and conflating it with her concept of “overwhelm” to sell more courses and journaling notebooks to individuals, to get more professionals to pay for certification, etc. Always follow the money down the yellow brick road of capitalism.

There's other issues, including that it's technical and biomedical, and not designed, it seems, to meet people where they're at on "lived experience." Maybe she's trying to sell her credentialism?

And with that, DNF. Ars longior, vita brevis. And, the two stars is generous. Wait. Let's beat the rush and make it 1. (Side note: A bit sad that Gabor Mate would write an introduction.)

[Book Reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Aimie Apigian’s The Biology of Trauma is a deep and accessible exploration of how the human body carries and expresses trauma. Drawing from neuroscience, cellular biology, and her personal story, Dr. Apigian maps out how overwhelming experiences don’t just live in memory; they settle into our tissues, our immune system, and even our metabolism. The book blends science with narrative as it explains how trauma develops, how it hides in plain sight, and how we can repair the body’s systems to return to health. Structured around three parts, how the body experiences trauma, how it holds it, and how it heals, it moves from hard science to compassionate, practical guidance.

Reading this book felt like walking with someone who understands both the science and the human cost of trauma. I found Dr. Apigian’s honesty refreshing; she doesn’t write from a place of distance. Her story about parenting her adopted son, Miguel, and discovering her own buried trauma brings warmth and credibility to the science. The writing is clear and often tender. She explains complex topics like the freeze response or mitochondrial dysfunction in a way that feels personal, not clinical. At times, I could feel the ache behind her words, the exhaustion, the compassion, the desire to make sense of why our bodies sometimes betray us. That emotional current kept me turning pages, even when the material was heavy.

The sheer amount of biology might overwhelm readers who expect a lighter self-help tone. Yet I admired how Dr. Apigian stayed grounded. She doesn’t chase quick fixes or spiritual clichés. Her approach to healing, starting with safety, then rebuilding physiological regulation, feels practical and deeply humane. The book made me notice my own reactions, my patterns of shutdown or tension, and see them not as flaws but as biological strategies. That realization was oddly comforting.

I’d recommend The Biology of Trauma to readers who want more than inspiration; they want understanding. It’s perfect for therapists, healthcare workers, and anyone who senses their body has been carrying a story their mind can’t name. It’s not a breezy read, but it’s worth the time. Dr. Apigian gives us science wrapped in empathy and reminds us that healing isn’t just possible, it’s biological.

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an extremely frustrating book for me to read. Almost all of it could be summarized in one short chapter but instead she goes on chapter after chapter describing the problem in detail with a formula of telling long, detailed stories about patients she worked with, going heavily into the science of things like mitochondria, and using analogies like cars. I kept plodding through, just waiting to finally find out what to do about it. At the very end we get to that and it’s an incredibly long list of things (many of which are expensive or hard for many people to implement) that is supposed to be personalized after you figure out specifically what’s wrong with you— and that part is not even in the book.

Throughout the book, she tells you that tools like journal pages and tests are on a page at her website. At the time of this review, none of those are at that link. Instead, it’s dozens of podcast links and ads for her book and services. If people buy this book, the tools they need should be in the book. How hard would it be to print a journal page or self test? The only reason not to put them in the book is to drive business to her website.

I’m just so depressed that after spending this many hours reading this and hoping to get information on healing the physical issues I have related to the extensive trauma of my childhood, I’m left instead with a few examples of how her clients spent thousands of dollars and completely rearranged their lives to heal from issues that weren’t even extreme trauma (okay, all trauma is extreme to the person who experienced it and there isn’t a contest, but as someone who had many really extreme experiences throughout my youth it made me feel hopeless in comparison). I don’t have a physician to do specialized IV treatments or have access to red light therapy or special saunas or the ability to start taking a dozen more supplements that I have to guess at since I don’t even know which personalized routine I would need.

I’m not sure who to recommend this book for but definitely not people who have financial struggles or comprehensive trauma.

I read an advance copy of this book via netgalley.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was a major disappointment. Nothing in it is original, deep, or particularly helpful for anyone actually trying to heal or understand trauma. The content is surface-level at best and functions more like a "buy this now" sales funnel than a resource. Page after page essentially says, “If you join my program, you’ll get better.” That isn’t what thoughtful authors who care about humanity do; it’s what marketers do.

What struck me most was the way the author uses her adopted son Miguel’s story. She introduces him as part of her “expert” narrative, but then never tells readers what happened to him. Only if you dig into her podcast do you discover that she rehomed him (terminated her parental rights) just as he was supposed to be getting better while in treatment. For someone who positions herself as a trauma expert and a medical doctor, that omission is disturbing. Anyone who understands the impact of trauma knows how profoundly destabilizing that kind of abandonment can be. To gloss over it in the book while building a professional brand around “healing trauma” raises very serious ethical questions.

Beyond that, this book is weighed down by repetition and vague anecdotes that sound compelling at first but don’t actually teach readers anything practical. Compare this with works by Bessel van der Kolk (The Body Keeps the Score), Peter Levine (Waking the Tiger), or Gabor Maté (The Myth of Normal), books that not only explain trauma but also offer readers real strategies, understanding, and most importantly, hope. That is the standard for prescriptive nonfiction in this field: to guide people forward. This book fails that standard completely.

At the end of the day, it isn’t written with the reader’s healing in mind. It’s a promotional tool designed to funnel people into expensive programs. If you are genuinely looking for resources that deepen your understanding of trauma and offer practical, compassionate ways forward, look to the authors who are actually doing the work not just recirculating the works of others and who actually care about people.

I cannot in good conscience recommend this book.

[READER VIEWS · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Biology of Trauma: How the Body Holds Fear, Pain, and Overwhelm, and How to Heal It explains the physical and emotional effects of trauma. Dr. Aimie Apigian explains why trauma causes problems and the ways those problems appear in a person’s life. In addition, the book explains the author’s methods of treating the underlying trauma instead of just the symptoms that express that trauma.

The first half of the book focuses on understanding what the body and mind go through as a result of a traumatic event. The second half of the book explains how to repair the damage trauma has caused, or at least to mitigate it. If properly treated, individuals with trauma can go about their lives without the ordeal continuing to intrude.

Dr. Apigian herself is a victim of trauma and started thinking about how it appeared in herself and others. She discusses the evolutionary reasons our body and mind react to situations by developing trauma versus by growing more resilient. The most common cause is a large, overwhelming event or situation, such as a car crash. A long, slow drip can also cause trauma, like tending to a loved one at the expense of oneself. The body and mind become overwhelmed and react in ways that historically helped people survive, but do not work well now.

I have read a lot of books on treating trauma, and this book has explained what causes trauma and how to treat it in a way that makes more sense to me than any other book I have read. The illustrative cases are well written and helped me understand what Dr. Apigian’s theories meant in terms of life lived. I did find the book somewhat dense and heavy to read, although the language and writing are well done. The paragraphs could get long, but not overly so. Often, that means something in the book has triggered me.

Readers who are easily triggered may have trouble reading this book. Even if you are not easily triggered, you may want to work through the book with a therapist instead of doing it alone. While the subject matter makes this a difficult read, The Biology of Trauma by Aimie Apigian, MD delivers on its promise to explain what happened and how to treat the result.

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Biology of Trauma redefines how we think about trauma by going beyond the surface of emotions to explore how traumatic experiences are literally stored in the body at a cellular level. Dr. Aimie Apigian draws on a decade of research and clinical insight to argue that conventional approaches often mislabel the effects of trauma as mere stress or anxiety, leading to treatments that only address symptoms. Instead, this book maps out how the nervous system, immune responses, and even chronic pain can be tied to unresolved trauma, while offering a grounded framework for true healing and resilience.

I appreciated how the author blends scientific research with compassionate narrative, making complex biology accessible without oversimplifying. The book doesn’t just tell you that trauma lives in the body — it shows mechanisms, gives real-life examples, and connects dots that many self-help or psychology books miss. Dr. Apigian’s explanation of overlooked symptoms like fogginess, unexplained worry, and chronic lethargy reshaped how I think about the interplay between mind and body. It feels rooted in evidence yet human enough for anyone interested in personal growth or healthcare.

If there’s a limitation, it’s that the scope is so broad that some sections feel more conceptual than practical — especially for readers who want step-by-step healing protocols. While there is guidance on how to work with the nervous system safely, those wanting a very prescriptive toolkit might wish for more concrete exercises or timelines. Even so, this doesn’t undermine the value; it just means the book feels more like a paradigm shift than a quick fix.

I’d recommend this book to anyone who has ever felt stuck by patterns they can’t explain, whether it’s recurring stress responses, chronic pain, or emotional reopening despite therapy. It’s especially insightful for health professionals, caregivers, and patients who want a deeper understanding of trauma beyond labels, as well as readers seeking a mind-body integrative perspective on healing. For people who want science alongside empathy, this book consistently delivers.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Biology of Trauma" explains how trauma impacts our bodies in a very specific sequence of steps designed to protect us long term. The first half of the book explained these steps in detail, how to recognize where you are in the sequence, and what to do so you don't get stuck in a trauma response. The author went into enough depth in the science (explaining how the body reacts down to a cellular level) for professionals but used analogies and clear examples to help non-medical readers understand the material. I found this information very useful because I can now recognize when I'm hitting the Overwhelm part of the sequence and can change things (also explained in the book) so I don't go into a trauma response, or at least don't linger there. She pulled information together that I've heard before and tied it together in a way that made a lot of sense. I'd recommend this book just for this section.

I was disappointed in the second half, in which the author took some of the cases that she'd used as examples and described how she treated them to help them recover. Unfortunately, her approach is individualized and you basically have to sign up for her courses. For example, she said that these clients went through a series of somatic exercises/movements that are foundational to recovery but didn't describe them beyond a few examples, like one woman needed to do hands-and-knees crawling for weeks. While this section gave an idea of things to check out (nutrition deficiencies, etc.) and what sort of things are done in the author's program, it's not something you're equipped to do on your own by the end of the book.

I received a free ebook advanced reader copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

[John Loppnow · Rating 5 out of 5]

As both a therapist and a fellow traveler in the work of healing, I found this book to be profoundly clarifying and deeply compassionate. Dr. Aimie Apigian brings a rare combination of medical precision and lived empathy to the topic of trauma. She bridges the gap between mind and body, science and soul, with language that honors the body’s wisdom rather than pathologizing its pain.

What stood out most to me is her framing of trauma not as a story from the past, but as a biological state that can be transformed through safety, connection, and gentle regulation. This perspective frees people from shame and opens a door toward curiosity, self-compassion, and embodied peace.

As a therapist, I recommend this book to many of my clients. It gives us a shared language for exploring what safety feels like in the body and how to move toward it together. As a person, I felt seen by her words and grateful for the reminder that healing is not about fixing ourselves, it’s about remembering the safety and connection our bodies were designed for.

It’s a beautiful invitation to engage not just ideas, but a way of being that restores hope and vitality.

[Jordan White · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Biology of Trauma explores the research on how trauma affects the body and offers a path to healing. While the premise is promising, the book felt repetitive and lacked new information that cannot be found in other, more widely read books. Much of the advice — eat well, exercise, get enough sleep — is fairly basic and familiar.

I listened to the audiobook, which frequently referenced supplemental resources on the author’s website. Unfortunately, at the time of listen, those materials were not available. But the website did reveal itself to read more like an “As Seen on TV” advertisement and less like a serious supplemental tool — full of materials for purchase, retailer links, videos and quotes from so-called experts, including a “celebrity nutritionist.”

Some readers and listeners make find clarity and validation in this book, but I struggled to get past its distractions.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for the advanced listening copy of #TheBiologyOfTrauma.

[Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title of this book kinda had me. I am newer to the side of understanding all the effects that trauma has had on me and honestly did not make the connection to my health being biologically changed as well. There are so many things you go through in the stages of healing i never would have connected things i am medically going through having a direct correlation to the mental trauma. I think everyone goes into a doctors appointment expecting certain things to be checked but often i have left feeling a frustration at why there are so many things going on. Realizing the correlation has put a new light on my health journey. I was already eating healthy and exercising but realizing why there are so many issues after leading a pretty healthy life has been eye opening.
Thank you NetGalley for the copy

[Lisa Brooke Reads Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Biology of Trauma is a profound and illuminating read that changed the way I understand healing. Dr. Aimie Apigian brilliantly connects the dots between our experiences, our nervous system, and how trauma embeds itself in the body. Her compassionate and science-based approach offers both hope and practical tools for true recovery.

What I loved most was how accessible she made complex biology without losing depth or heart. This isn’t just a book about trauma, it’s a roadmap for anyone ready to understand why they feel stuck and how to finally move toward freedom and wholeness.

A must-read for anyone interested in the mind-body connection, emotional regulation, or the science of healing. Beautifully written, deeply insightful, and full of hope.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Shelton Kiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

As both a therapist and a mother, I found The Biology of Trauma to be an incredibly valuable and insightful resource. Dr. Apigian offers a compassionate, science-informed exploration of how trauma impacts the body, and she presents it in a way that feels both accessible and deeply validating.

What stood out most to me were the practical tools woven throughout the book. These strategies are not only grounded in clinical understanding but are also genuinely usable in both personal and professional settings. I’ve already found myself integrating several of them into my work with clients and into my own daily routines.

I can’t recommend this book highly enough for anyone who wants a clearer understanding of trauma, whether for their own healing or to better support others.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the advance audiobook copy.

[Rachel (rache1reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very interesting read. This book was obviously written by a professional in the field. It reminded me more of a textbook than a self-help guide. Each chapter and section started with an explanation of what's to come and has a recap at the end, which I found a bit distracting. The author obviously focuses mainly on the biology but a lot of the answers to heal seemed to involve adding supplements rather than something that can be fixed. I think this book can be used to help start discussions with professionals that can help test for the biological issues.

I will say that the author read the audiobook herself and I thought it was well done. Thanks to the publisher for the Netgalley ALC.