Listen free for 30 days

  • Call of the Wild

  • How We Heal Trauma, Awaken Our Own Power, and Use It for Good
  • Written by: Kimberly Ann Johnson
  • Narrated by: Kimberly Ann Johnson
  • Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
  • 4.9 out of 5 stars (17 ratings)

1 credit a month, good for any title to download and keep.
The Plus Catalogue—listen all you want to thousands of Audible Originals, podcasts, and audiobooks.
$14.95 a month plus applicable taxes after 30 day trial. Cancel anytime.
Call of the Wild cover art

Call of the Wild

Written by: Kimberly Ann Johnson
Narrated by: Kimberly Ann Johnson
Try for $0.00

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $35.73

Buy Now for $35.73

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.

Publisher's Summary

From trauma educator and somatic guide Kimberly Ann Johnson comes a cutting-edge guide for tapping into the wisdom and resilience of the body to rewire the nervous system, heal from trauma, and live fully.

In an increasingly polarized world where trauma is often publicly renegotiated, our nervous systems are on high alert. From skyrocketing rates of depression and anxiety to physical illnesses such as autoimmune diseases and digestive disorders, many women today find themselves living out of alignment with their bodies.

Kimberly Johnson is a somatic practitioner, birth doula, and postpartum educator who specializes in helping women recover from all forms of trauma. In her work, she’s seen the same themes play out time and again. In a culture that prioritizes executive function and “mind over matter", many women are suffering from deeply unresolved pain that causes mental and physical stagnation and illness.

In Call of the Wild, Johnson offers an eye-opening look at this epidemic as well as an informative view of the human nervous system and how it responds to difficult events. From the “small t” traumas of getting ghosted, experiencing a fall-out with a close friend, or swerving to avoid a car accident to the “capital T” traumas of sexual assault, an upending natural disaster, or a life-threatening illness - Johnson explains how the nervous system both protects us from immediate harm and creates reverberations that ripple through a lifetime.

In this practical, empowering guide, Johnson shows readers how to metabolize these nervous system responses, allowing everyone to come home to their deepest, most intuitive and whole selves. Following her supportive advice, readers will learn how to move from wholeness, tapping into the innate wisdom of their senses, soothing frayed nerves and reconnecting with their “animal selves".

While we cannot cure the painful cultural rifts inflicting our society, there is a path forward - through our bodies.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook. 

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2021 Kimberly Ann Johnson (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

What listeners say about Call of the Wild

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    16
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    14
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    14
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Revolutionary For Women’s Health!

This book gave me new yet simple insight and new tools to help me better manage my anxiety disorder, and manage my personal relationships more effectively! The information that Kimberly has gathered and shares here is a total game changer when it comes to what we thought we knew about women’s health and our unique nervous systems AND how to heal!! Highly recommend!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Emerging out of Fauning

I just listened to this book while wrap napping my almost 5 month old son (my first, we freebirthed in our condo) out in the early mornings of end of summer amidst large trees, by big water. It’s been about two weeks of listening to bits a pieces while he slept on my chest each day.

I feel that the all levels transformation of becoming a mother primed me to be ready to integrate a new way of being into my system. I’ve been taking steps towards metabolizing some sexual trauma for many years, and been aware of polyvegal theory and attachment styles etc., but the pathway still felt loose or scattered to me.

Something about the way you layered it all in, segment by segment, and being able to listen to a voice I know + practice the guided activities in real time, really clinched some things together for me. I immediately experienced profound releases doing the activities around some old stuff, and have found the framework of TIMES and tracking my system immediately beneficial as well.

I am stepping out of fauning, a loop I have been stuck in since high school, and it feels so good.

This book provides a method to bring yourself into greater coherence in a really beautifully accessible way, while also emphasizing our need, of course, for each other in the greater culture.

If you are a woman alive in the modern world today, read this book! And find power in the tending to your wounds.

Thank you so much.
— Kayla

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Life Changing

After listening to this, I had to buy the physical book as well because I have so many notes to take and want to read it slowly and give myself more time to digest some of the material. A lot of information here ties in well with other research on complex-trauma and gives a different perspective at the same time. Amazing work!! Easy to digest but also thought-provoking and insightful.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Stunning

I will be buying this for my sisters, niece and mother.
This is critical work for women.
Listen, read and come back to yourself.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

INCREDIBLE!

EXCELLENT!!! Do yourself a favour and get this book NOW! I bought this AND the hard copy, it was so good

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Amber Scott
  • Amber Scott
  • 2021-05-07

Too Woke-Sick to Stomach

I'm having such a hard time sitting through the wokeism. It's ruining the content. The author has swallowed far left narratives whole. I want to get the value of the subject matter, but I'm getting tired of puking in my mouth a little each time she assumes her subjective reality is true for the world. Enough with the politics. Trauma is personal and this book excludes trauma victims who don't outsource their thinking to the far left narratives being spouted by MSM today. This author is incapable of connecting with an audience that's outside her leftist echo chamber. Only 3 stars for being exclusionary and difficult to consume. I'm considering asking if I can return it and get my credit back.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

24 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for NR
  • NR
  • 2021-08-27

Brilliant book! Unfortunately audible version very hard on my nervous system due to the narrating voice

This is such an amazing, well written, well researched, directly experienced work! An absolutely brilliant book!

However as audible version (which I usually always prefer ) this was really hard on my nervous system ! Just the opposite effect of the content and point of the book

If I am to be fully honest it was almost painful to listen. The high pitched /girly /nasal voice triggered my nervous system a lot and I could listen to it in small dosages only fighting to focus on content and ignore the sound

I cannot understand why the author insisted to narrate it herself? I consider it a big mistake.

I gave the audiobook 3 stars only for that reason while I will give hard copy version that I also have 5 stars.

It is interesting to me that someone who did so much inner and body work still speaks with such a high pitched almost screaming voice - especially since it is clear that she can produce deep tones (practice in the book). Then again - Our body work is never over so that is no problem
… What is baffling and creates problem is that author is either not aware of that or is and still believes she should read the book. If the latter is the case the arrogance and disrespect for the buyer is truly mind blowing to me. Especially having the topic and the nature of the work in mind .



It is obvious that voice of the author can only put your nervous system in high alert. Yet she insisted to do it .
Too bad - because the content itself is absolutely brilliant !!!


I hope this book will come back as audible version narrated by someone else

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Mark S.
  • Mark S.
  • 2021-08-11

A seminal work in the field of trauma!

Call of the Wild is PHENOMENAL!!!! Kimberly Ann Johnson offers incisive perception and delivers it in relatable, easy-to-understand ways. I’ve been studying trauma for years, and still learned so much from this book. It’s a must-read for professionals working with traumatized individuals and groups, and also for anyone wanting to heal old patterns and move forward with greater ease, clarity and strength.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Michele Waterman
  • Michele Waterman
  • 2021-05-24

This is a MUST read for trauma integration!

Holy smokes! I listened to Call of the Wild in 1 1/2 days while cleaning, organizing and gardening. Stopped to be in my body several times. The Call of the Wild is a priceless gift to my soul. It is every bit if not MORE important than Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk’s masterpiece The Body Keeps the Score. It’s going on my recommend list and now I am diving in to the hard copy. Thank you for sharing THIS vitally important roadmap for understanding how to integrate trauma, for bringing PEACE and wholeness to my BODY by helping me fully embrace every important aspect of my nervous system. And thank you for sharing the HOPE of what is to come from fully embracing myself—beyond the reckoning I know I will realize restoration, reclamation, and reimagine a whole new way of LIVING in the safety of my mind/body/soul. Deep bows for your courageousness.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Ashley McIntosh
  • Ashley McIntosh
  • 2023-01-06

Dear author, Please get out of your own way

Varying political beliefs do not have to stand in the way of good material, however, this author allows it to seep into every aspect of the principles she’s attempting to convey. This is not true psychologically based content in the scientific sense if it’s being cast through an extremely political lease. The author chose to make her information relevant to only one group, why do this if you’re generally attempting to help in the name of healing trauma? The most inclusive claiming political affiliation alienates and steps in the way of what could have potentially been a powerful concept because it had to voice its political affiliation…gross.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Brenna  Geehan
  • Brenna Geehan
  • 2021-04-27

Life changing book

I recommend this book to all humans that are still stuck regardless of how much inner work they’ve done. This book gives you insight into some of the deepest patterning within that are extremely difficult to see. It’s a rare human that feels like they are truly authentic and knows how to express themselves verbally and physically whether it’s with family, in the workplace, or in the bedroom. This book will help you find yourself!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Anna Stewart Gilligan
  • Anna Stewart Gilligan
  • 2022-01-05

A beautiful, heartfelt book

I love that Kimberly read her own book. The wisdom she shares feels very authentic and deep. She invites readers to a grounded acceptance of our own lives, and she teaches us how to open to more pleasure and felt sense of joy. This feels like a culmination of much wisdom from many people, and she gives credit to her many teachers and supporters. Thank you Kimberly. This book felt brave.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Kaseybuxton
  • Kaseybuxton
  • 2021-04-26

best book ever

this guy loved it from beginning to end thanks Kimberly i live you and love you sister namaste love and light blessed for all beings eturnity .

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Anonymous User
  • Anonymous User
  • 2023-09-04

Helped me escape from abuse

Abusers teach us to ignore the stories our bodies tell us. This book empowers me to listen to my body. I feel more confident listening to my intuition instead of having to always logically explain why I feel unsafe. It helps me act faster and feel more justified in my choices to get away.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Chelsey Murdock
  • Chelsey Murdock
  • 2023-02-11

Fascinating and informative

Great book! I love polyvagal and somatic work. This book gives so wonderful techniques to try.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!