In our recent Voices of PS2025 interview, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk explained that the most significant barriers aren’t always the memories themselves — they’re the internal capacities we need in order to face those memories. Alexithymia — difficulty identifying or describing your emotions — makes it nearly impossible to engage in meaningful talk therapy. Deep shame or self-hatred keeps people silent. And if your body immediately relives the trauma, rather than observing it, there’s no space for r