Nurturing Resilience: Helping Clients Move Forward from Developmental Trauma-An Integrative Somatic Approach

by Kathy L. Kain, Stephen J. Terrell, Peter A. Levine (Foreword)

A practical, integrated approach for therapists working with people (both adults and children) who have been impacted by developmental trauma and attachment difficulties

Kathy L. Kain and Stephen J. Terrell draw on fifty years of their combined clinical and teaching experience to provide this clear road map for understanding the complexities of early trauma and its related symptoms. Experts in the physiology of trauma, the authors present an introduction to their innovative somatic approach that has evolved to help thousands improve their lives. Synthesizing across disciplines–Attachment, Polyvagal, Neuroscience, Child Development Theory, Trauma, and Somatics–this book provides a new lens through which to understand safety and regulation. It includes the survey used in the groundbreaking ACE Study, which discovered a clear connection between early childhood trauma and chronic health problems. For therapists working with both adults and children and anyone dealing with symptoms that typically arise from early childhood trauma–anxiety, behavioral issues, depression, metabolic disorders, migraine, sleep problems, and more–this book offers fresh hope.

Genres: Psychology, Mental Health, Nonfiction, Self Help, Health, Counselling, Social Work

252 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 8, 2018

About the author

Kathy L. Kain has practiced and taught bodywork and trauma recovery skills for nearly 40 years. She teaches in Europe, Australia, Canada, and throughout the United States.

Kathy’s trainings cover various interwoven focus areas, including trauma recovery, somatic touch, self-regulation skills, and resilience. These focus areas ultimately weave together into a unified somatic approach to touch, awareness, and relationship. Her educational approach encourages students to engage an ongoing practice that deepens their skills and expertise as they gradually embody the work and make it their own.

Kathy developed her Touch Skills Training for Trauma Therapists as a way to support professionals in more fully integrating a somatic and touch-oriented approach in their practices. She also co-created the Somatic Resilience and Regulation: Early Trauma training program with Stephen J. Terrell, which was the basis of their book together, Nurturing Resilience: Helping Clients Move Forward from Developmental Trauma. In addition, Kathy is a senior trainer in the Somatic Experiencing training program, and was a senior trainer for 12 years in the Somatic Psychotherapy training program based in Sydney, Australia. In addition to Nurturing Resilience, Kathy also co-authored The Tao of Trauma: A Practitioner’s Guide for Integrating Five Element Theory and Trauma Treatment, as well as Ortho-Bionomy; A Practical Manual.

Reviews

[Antigone · Rating 5 out of 5]

We're reading a lot about resilience in psychological literature today. It is a treatment focus emerging from the study of trauma and has to do, essentially, with increasing a person's tolerance for situations and/or interactions found to be threatening. Kathy L. Kain and Stephen J. Terrell, specialists in the field, approach resilience from a developmental angle - seeking to address the struggle of those who were traumatized in their formative years and, because of this, became attuned to the world through the perception of threat rather than the perception of safety. In layman's terms: "Everything's dangerous until it's not" rather than "Everything's safe until it's not." (One can see how this might lead to a more fraught experience of day-to-day living.)

Kain and Terrell suggest the solution is relational, meaning we require others to help us calibrate - or recalibrate - our perception of the world. In specific, we need:

"...(1) reliable access to a sense of safety; (2) care providers who help us regulate our responses and understand environmental cues contextually; and (3) coherent feedback from our social group about how we ought to categorize our experiences. Together, these three elements support the development of necessary and healthy neural platforms that neurophysiologically help us differentiate between safety and threat."

"Experiences of safety and connectedness impact us deeply, supporting important physiological benefits, such as strengthening our immune system and increasing our chances for better health overall by promoting homeostasis. It would not be an exaggeration to say that a strong sense of connectedness is one of the best ways to prevent developmental trauma, and one of the remedies that should be brought into play for repair of early trauma."

This is fascinating material anchored to a solid scientific platform that effortlessly blends the findings of neuroscience, attachment theory, child development, polyvagal theory, and cutting-edge research in trauma care. Of most interest to me were the sections addressing dorsal physiology. You've heard of fight-or-flight; this is the "freeze" aspect of trauma that is just beginning to be explored. What happens when people simply shut down? How is it possible to heal through connection when the mere offer of such drives them further into states of isolation and immobility? It is gratifying not only to see these questions asked, but to have them grappled with on the page.

This is a book intended for therapists. Not an easy read, but not a hard one either. If trauma is an area of interest? Highly recommended.

[Morgan Blackledge · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is what the issue of complex ptsd and somatically oriented trauma therapy needed. A well written, well researched, realistic and credible resource.

AWESOME!!!

[Travel Writing · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was in a training recently and a dear friend plopped this book in my hands and said, "This is amazing. I think you'll love it."

Currently, I am obsessed with trauma, attachment styles, development trauma and somatics. Yeah, I am mad fun at parties: "OMG! Let me tell you about the polyvagal theory! It will blow your mind!"

My go-to for everything is Deirdre Fay's amazing workbook Becoming Safely Embodied and her book Attachment-Based Yoga & Meditation, and Nurturing Resilience is another rock-solid resource of information on development trauma. As some reviewers have mentioned, it is not chalk-o-block full of interventions or skills. But for me, it is invaluable. The bibliography alone is a gold mine.

One thing that stumped me was the short explanation of how to use the APGAR score with adults. I still have no idea how to wrap my head around that, but I like that someone out there read that and thought: OMG! That's brilliant!

What was brilliant is the tables, and diagrams. So much info/data in snapshots. I often return to them when I am reading other material, just to place myself and the information in context.

[Harry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contains such important information. If the health care system could more fully acknowledge and integrate this knowledge (and embodied wisdom), so much needless suffering and misunderstanding might be avoided.
If you believe you have suffered from early life adversity or trauma, or if you are currently in psychotherapy, I recommend you read this book.

[Denim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nurturing Resilience makes sense of the mind/body/mind in a way I had never encountered before, which gives me genuine hope for real growth and healing in the lives of people who experienced developmental trauma and/or adverse childhood experiences.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the great privilege of participating in advanced training in Somatic Experiencing with both Kathy Kain and Stephen Terrell. The impact on me of the training, both in terms of my professional and personal development, was nothing less than transformational. It was thus with great enthusiasm that I learned Kathy and Steve were publishing this book. In short Kathy and Steve's work is a ground breaking publication. It pulls together the work of Allan Schore, and our understanding of early attachment, with the work of Stephen Porges' deeper understanding of our autonomic nervous system and the latest research on the impact of cumulative stress on health outcomes from the Adverse Childhood Experiences studies and most impressively delivers practical clinical applications of this work. Among the most powerful contributions are Kathy's modification of Daniel Siegel's concept of the "window of tolerance" to include chronic adaptations when there has not been healthy development of regulatory capacity which she calls "faux" windows of tolerance. Kathy and Steve go on to describe how therapists can become skilled in observing these somatic and behavioural strategies and skillfully support their clients towards developing a genuine regulatory capacity and ultimately the resilience necessary to live life with greater ease and capacity. Of great importance is Kathy and Steve's understanding of the connections between developmental issues and chronic medical illness, and how clients create narratives around these connections often tied with feelings of shame and lack of control. All of us who work in the area of mental health are well served by understanding these connections more deeply so that we can support the empowerment of those struggling with these issues who so rarely experience true understanding from health care providers. Very strongly recommend for everyone in the field of mental health or chronic physical health issues.

[Shelley Diamond · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another essential book for clinicians using the Polyvagal Theory in their work with trauma patients. High level of relevant details and clarity of writing. Slight amount of redundancy among the chapters but not too much, could have just used a bit more editing before publication. Basically excellent resource.

The main problem with these type of books is that they focus on the importance of relationships but don't discuss the fact that many people have no one in their lives who is a good social connection! Many people unfortunately have very few kind and compassionate relationships. Many only know people who are frequently abusive, insensitive, neglectful, manipulative, co-dependent, etc.

It is difficult to help people become more capable of intimacy when there is no one available to give/receive in return.

[Maire Marran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dense clinical tome that gives good coverage of current theories and research on developmental trauma (including sympathetic/parasympathetic system involvement and Polyvagal theory.) Includes information on attachment styles, regulation, windows of tolerance/faux windows of tolerance, and somatic therapies. Covers these topics thoroughly, but it's a long way to go for the amount of information that can be used in a self-help modality or directly with one's therapist in session. Contains essential information to assist clinicians in developing and delivering trauma-informed therapies.

[Noor Abu Hassan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative, I enjoyed it, learned alot .

[Nate Bate · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my pastoral training I was not taught to consider the physiological. Over the last couple of years I have been studying this, and I am glad I have! There are measurable physiological responses that go along with life after trauma. To help someone with trauma using only spiritual concepts without helping them handle what is going on physiologically can be counterproductive.

Kain and Terrell give a practical and accessible approach stepping clinicians though how to recognize somatic considerations and then how to deal with them. I do not consider myself a clinician, but I do consider myself someone who helps people deal with trauma.

I found this book fairly concise without a lot of overlap. There is some, but it wasn't bothersome to me. There was a lot of overlap from other books I have read. Thus, someone who has done a lot of reading on this topic already will experience a lot of reinforcement. The authors' effort to make this an integrative approach necessitates this.

There were two important concepts in this book that were especially helpful to me. First, it was here that I read my first substantive definition and explanation of what safety is. Perhaps it was in other books I have read, but it stood out for me in this book.

Second, this book describes what they call a "Window of Tolerance" and then a "Faux Window of Tolerance" along with "defense accommodations." People who have gone through trauma experience the brokenness of not being able to process reality or to process what is going on inside of them (somatically or psychologically). The concept of a window of tolerance is great matrix that equips clinicians, mentors, and friends to understand what is going on in the person they are trying to help.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

a super acessible, practical primer on developmental trauma aimed at clinical mental health professionals. i wish there had been more about touch & intervention tools, and content centred on bodyworkers (especially since kathy kain is a bodyworker & her approach is very touch-centred), but c’est la vie psychiatry ruins everything.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, so important for understanding your mind + body connection. Somatic approaches to healing.

[Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would say this is a primer at best. While part two was much more interesting than part one, I found this book lacking much substance. I expected more descriptions of what a somatic approach might actually look like in the therapy room. Ultimately this took me way too long to read and I was relieved when I finally finished.

[EagleRose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basically, we need each other to co-regulate. A child, especially, learns to regulate their emotions by interacting with other people and most preferably, the same person, ideally, their mother because they are usually bonded the most with their mother. Fathers are also important but if they have one bonded adult in their life when they encounter traumatic events, they will fare better emotionally and physically, because trauma that is not co-regulated, affects the vagus nerve and thus physical health. This book is a good pair with Living From the Heart Jesus Gave You by Jim Wilder. The authors of this book can only recommend years and years of therapy if a child has holes where no on was there to help with this but Wilder's book and Larry Crabb's book Connecting, show a model where a church community can help each other fill in the gaps.

[Jess Kiddun · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disappointed. This book had been recommended to me, but fell well short. Verbose. Pooly edited. Repetitive. And lacking substance. It often seemed about to reveal something important, only to deflect with statements like "that has been well-covered by others," or "that would take too much space here." I found little in it of direct, practical application. It's message is basically, "go slow," "be careful," "it's tricky," "take lots of time supporting regulation," without ever talking about HOW!

Go to the original sources: Levine, Porges, even Stout or Naparstek.

Not recommended. I'd like my money back. (And the time it took to read every page — I kept hoping.)

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an important book discussing how Developmental Trauma sets in and how it shifts the way we navigate life through the lens of that trauma. Not just relationally, but how our entire nervous system develops/maladapts due to that trauma. It gives hope to those who feel they are "damaged goods" and reminds us that their is a way to find healing while shifting our neurological wiring.
It is definitely written from a therapist lens. Not the greatest book for a lay person.

[Selina Streahorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very in depth book highlighting areas of psychology and drama you don't readily learn about. I now have a deeper understanding of what a faux window is, signs of what that might be and how to move forward both for myself and my partner thanks to reading this. I am not a counselor, but enjoy learning as much as I can related to trauma due to my massage therapy career and own personal experiences. If you're wondering whether to get this book it's deep, and heavy, but worthwhile.

[Micaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something I come across too often when reading about treatment for PTSD, CPTSD and other trauma-related disorders is a certain impatience to apply exposure-based therapies. Exposure, in one way or another, is needed to resolve trauma, but it can be too easy to neglect or deem secondary the importance of stabilisation and foundational skills, when in fact they are quintessential to recovery.

Kathy L. Kain highlights throughout the book the depth and impact of a regulation-informed approach: a focus on nurturing a secure attachment, noticing subtle cues that inform us about our client's state, reducing rather than augmenting our interventions to keep our clients in their Window of Tolerance, teaching and adapting regulation techniques, supporting and titrating accurate interoception and co-regulation attempts, promoting a felt sense of safety, reducing the need for defensive accommodations, changing the narrative and making sure stress exposure remains manageable.

While I read the book, I found myself at times frustrated as the author frequently does not detail specific techniques to achieve all of this. But this has actually forced me to reflect deeper about how different techniques and approaches I might use promote or difficult these fundamental aspects. Despite my missing more structured, practical content I think the format has achieved the author's objective: to make me rethink the ways I plan and execute my interventions. I would 100% recommend this book to anyone looking to do trauma and developmental trauma work.

[Nieva21 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nurturing Resilience by Kathy L. Kain and Stephen J. Terrell is one of the most integrative and compassionate books I’ve read on trauma and the autonomic nervous system.

I was especially struck by their exploration of the dorsal vagal system and the complex dance between activation and shutdown — how the parasympathetic and sympathetic can operate simultaneously, creating states that look “functional” on the outside but are deeply taxing on the inside. Their explanation of why “dips” between these states can impair optimal functioning made sense of so many patterns I’ve witnessed — in myself, my clients, and my supervisees.

The case studies brought the science to life, especially around how early trauma imprints on the body, shaping not just emotional regulation but physical health — including autoimmune expression and functional neurological symptoms.

As a clinician and supervisor, I appreciate how this book bridges neuroscience, somatics, and relational repair. It reminds me that resilience isn’t a fixed trait — it’s nurtured through safety, attunement, and co-regulation.

I initially picked it up as part of my professional reading list, but it’s become a mirror for my own journey. It affirms that understanding the body’s language — and honoring its survival patterns — is at the heart of trauma-informed leadership and supervision.

Highly recommended for anyone working in behavioral health, supervision, or leadership who wants to understand not just what happened to people, but what happened within them.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Jenny Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the topic fascinating and the authors’ approach consistent, reliable, and trustworthy. As I continue to work on my dissertation (which focuses on charismatic gifts and the Book of Mormon from a literary perspective), I am consistently drawn to subjects where the somatic element foregrounds the importance of the relational. Trauma is one such space: the relationship between trauma and the body has considerable rhetorical overlap with the relationship between the Spirit and the body, and in both the emerging consensus is that the process of titration (for Spirit or trauma) takes place within dependable, ongoing communities.

To be clear, this book speaks purely from the clinical side of trauma itself, and doesn’t make any claims to the theological. The writing is clear, the charts and graphs are super interesting and informative, and though I am not a professional clinician I was able to follow the arguments laid forth as they are clearly conceived and formulated to make specific, related points.

Recommended to any interested in the relationship between the body and the brain both in diagnosis and treatment.

[Sherrie VandePutte · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not a professional counselor or psychologist and had a difficult time understanding this on the first reading. I am the daughter of teenagers, who probably themselves experienced developmental trauma aka Complex PTSD. I also read The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van der Kolk and then read this second time, and understood it much more. I find this new paradigm more helpful than any therapy I've received in 50 years.

[Lucie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this as an audiobook and found it very insightful. It provided an in-depth explanation into developmental trauma and how best to work with clients presenting with issues caused by it. However, I would like to have had a physical copy just so that I could make notes and be able to refer back to sections whenever needed.

[Katharine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book that emphasizes the importance of attunement and co-regulation as pivotal components of safety in the therapeutic relationship. It's not so much what we *know* it's how we *are* when we sit with clients. Another plug for therapists doing our own deep healing work so we can be as grounded and regulated as possible as we work with clients with attachment trauma.

[Jiri Rosenmayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have worked with my childhood trauma for some years now. I have to say that the book provided some additional insights as to what is happening in my mind and body and why. And even though it's not enough just to understand on the mind level it helps to illuminate the work which lays ahead. I gave it 4 stars because many ideas are repeated throughout the book.

[April Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfect summary of all elements of a neuro-informed approach to interpersonal healing. It will be a bit heavy on technical language for some, but that is also its strength, as it establishes these sometimes therapist-intuited approaches firmly in scientific inquiry.

[Donovan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, and well-researched book

This book really opened my eyes to the way adults are affected by developmental trauma. And further, by using effective strategies, with compassion and awareness, clinicians can make such a great difference in trauma survivors lives.

[Romina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good overview on somatic approaches to deal with developmental trauma for mental health professionals. It is a good intro to the topic with some practical examples. Sometimes the examples are a bit redundant and long, especially considering it is a book intended for professionals.

[Morten Christiansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not specific enough. Not a waste of time, but would not have bought it if I knew what I know now.

[LemontreeLime · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, but awkward reading. More for the professional than the patient.

[Jacqueline Mast · Rating 4 out of 5]

The authors have laid out the basics of poly-vagal theory and the fundamentals of a sound, integrated approach to developmental trauma therapy. These authors have tremendous experience in their professional journeys which contributes greatly to the book... the explanations and the experience for the reader.
If you are interested in a thorough review of the nuances of developmental trauma, related symptoms, and how resilience is a very realistic option in our world today, then definitely read this book!