The treatment of trauma can be some of the most complex work practitioners face. And for years, this challenge was complicated by not having a clear picture of the impact that trauma has on the brain.

But scientific advances within just the past few years have opened the eyes of practitioners to what actually happens in the brain of someone who has experienced trauma.

And according to Bessel van der Kolk, MD, there are three major ways that the brain changes in response to trauma.

To find out what they are (and their impact on the body), take a look at the video below – it’s just 3 minutes.