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mistakes subtle signs of trauma for stress, anxiety, or chronic disease—sometimes even retraumatizing patients with outdated and misguided methods.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 you: - 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.
About the Author
Aimie Apigian, MD, MS, MPH, is a double board-certified physician in preventive and addiction medicine with masters degrees in biochemistry and public health. Beyond her foundational medical training, Dr. Aimie is a functional medicine physician with specialized training in neuro-autoimmunity, nutrition, and genetics for addictions, mental health, mood, and behavioral disorders.
Her extensive training in trauma therapies, including the Instinctual Trauma Response Model, Somatic Experiencing, NeuroAffective Touch, and Sociometric Relational Trauma Repair, have formed her knowledge and services in trauma, attachment, and addiction medicine, focusing on trauma at a cellular level. Her original inspiration came from Miguel, who she adopted from the foster care system during medical school.
Industry Reviews
“As healthcare providers, we are trained to treat what we can see and measure, but Dr. Aimie’s groundbreaking work on The Biology of Trauma illuminates what has long remained invisible. By meticulously mapping how trauma manifests in our cells and systems, she has created not just a new framework for understanding the internal human experience of trauma, but a practical road map for healing.”
—Dr. Richard Hart, MD DrPH, president of Loma Linda University Health and Adventist Health International
“Dr. Aimie’s The Biology of Trauma brilliantly illustrates what I’ve emphasized throughout my career—that health emerges from the dynamic interaction between our genes, environment, and experiences . . . This work represents a significant advancement in our understanding of the matrix of factors that influence health and disease, offering both clinicians and patients a pathway toward genuine transformation.”
—Jeffrey Bland, PhD, the “father of functional medicine” and founder of Big Bold Health
“Dr. Aimie translates complex science into practical guidance, helping readers reframe their symptoms, access the body’s innate capacity for healing, and reconnect with the biology of safety. This book provides a compassionate and scientifically grounded road map for transforming trauma into a journey of regulation, resilience, and restored connection.”
—Stephen Porges, PhD, founder of Polyvagal Theory, distinguished university scientist at Indiana University, and founding director of the Traumatic Stress Research Consortium
“What makes this book particularly valuable is how it translates complex science into practical strategies that families and schools can implement to support children affected by adverse experiences. This book equips our community with both the knowledge and the tools to create environments where children affected by trauma can heal, learn, and reach their full potential.”
—Yvonne Johnson, National Parent Teacher Association president
“Dr. Aimie Apigian explains, in clear, accessible language, just how the accumulation of stress and trauma can often be the cause of such physical suffering. This book goes beyond the limits of psychosomatic medicine and shows just how these stressors can affect mind, body, and spirit. In The Biology of Trauma, Dr. Apigian leads readers, whether physicians, therapists, other healers, or laypeople, on a road of discovery and healing, armed with the vital knowledge presented in these pages.”
—Peter A. Levine, PhD, developer of Somatic Experiencing® and author of Waking the Tiger, In an Unspoken Voice, and An Autobiography of Trauma
“This isn’t just another book about trauma; it’s a scientifically grounded road map for reclaiming your future by healing your biology. For anyone serious about sustainable personal transformation, this work provides the missing piece between intention and lasting change.”
—Dr. Benjamin Hardy, organizational psychologist and founder of Scaling.com
“I am deeply moved by the honesty, hope, and healing that permeates every page of this important book. As a practicing physician, I see countless patients carrying emotional pain in physical ways. If you’ve ever felt stuck, shut down, or unseen due to unresolved trauma, Dr. Apigian’s work offers a lifeline. It is essential reading for our time.”
—Partha Nandi, MD, FACP, New York Times bestselling author of Heal Your Gut, Save Your Brain and president and chief medical officer of Pinnacle GI Partners
“Having spent decades documenting how early trauma shapes child development, I recognize this work as a landmark contribution that makes biological mechanisms accessible, personal, and genuinely practical. Here is the comprehensive understanding we’ve been missing—one that offers real hope and deep healing.”
—Robin Karr-Morse, therapist and author of Scared Sick
“As a spine surgeon who has witnessed the profound connection between unresolved trauma and physical pain, I find Dr. Aimie’s The Biology of Trauma to be revolutionary . . . This book should be required reading for every healthcare provider who has ever been frustrated by patients who don’t respond to standard treatments.”
—David Hanscom, MD, leading spine surgeon, author of Back in Control, and mind-body chronic pain specialist
