A renowned speaker, and bestselling author, Dr. Gabor Maté is highly sought after for his expertise on a range of topics including addiction, stress and childhood development.

Rather than offering quick-fix solutions to these complex issues, Dr. Maté weaves together scientific research, case histories, and his own insights and experience to present a broad perspective that enlightens and empowers people to promote their own healing and that of those around them.

After 20 years of family practice and palliative care experience, Dr. Maté worked for over a decade in Vancouver’s Downtown East Side with patients challenged by drug addiction and mental illness. The bestselling author of four books published in over twenty-five languages, Gabor is an internationally renowned speaker highly sought after for his expertise on addiction, trauma, childhood development, and the relationship of stress and illness. His book on addiction received the Hubert Evans Prize for literary non-fiction. For his groundbreaking medical work and writing he has been awarded the Order of Canada, his country’s highest civilian distinction, and the Civic Merit Award from his hometown, Vancouver. His books include In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters With Addiction; When the Body Says No; The Cost of Hidden Stress; Scattered Minds: The Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder; and (with Dr. Gordon Neufeld) Hold on to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers. He is currently writing his next book, The Myth of Normal: Illness and Health in an Insane Culture, out in late 2021. Gabor is also co-developer of a therapeutic approach, Compassionate Inquiry, now studied by hundreds of therapists, physicians, counselors, and others internationally.

Learn more about Dr. Gabor Maté: https://drgabormate.com/
Learn more about Compassionate Inquiry: https://compassionateinquiry.com/
Follow Dr. Gabor Maté on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabormatemd/

00:01:20 – Sean Fargo introduces Dr. Gabor Maté
00:06:12 – Sean shares a personal story
00:10:24 – How can we help ourselves and others to grieve?
00:16:35 – Emotional systems in the body (Dr. Jaak Panksepp)
00:18:18 – The PANIC/GRIEF system
00:29:02 – Judgments just happen; become curious about your judgments
00:33:56 – Cultivating loving-kindness
00:39:59 – What is in the way of love?
00:44:34 – Disclaimer about this session
00:48:00 – On empathy fatigue
00:49:44 – How to practice self-care
00:55:02 – The most important spiritual work you will ever do if in partnership
00:59:47 – Exploring Don Quixote
01:07:18 – The five levels of compassion
01:21:12 – Question: Is the relationship with oneself as difficult as ones relationship with a partner?
01:25:15 – Ayahuasca recommendations
01:27:35 – Question: What role do anger, shame and guilt play in overcoming addiction and its various patterns?
01:35:27 – Anecdote from one of Gabor Maté’s personal therapy sessions
01:47:46 – Question: How can I best support my niece who is struggling who does not have the skills that I have?
01:54:20 – ‘In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts’ and ‘Hold Onto Your Kids’
01:54:44 – Working with our triggers
01:57:06 – Loss of a loved one, emotional dysregulation, and difficulties gathering one’s thoughts
02:05:31 – Noticing judgment when it happens
02:11:51 – The guilt of saying no and the resentment associated with not saying no
02:17:13 – Question: How does feeling less-than relate to addiction?
02:19:26 – What kind of power do all of us need?
02:21:14 – How powerlessness relates to addiction
02:24:02 – Question: Do you have additional insight or recommendations to add to Scattered Minds now that 20 years has passed since it was published?
02:30:51 – Frustration and resentment towards healthcare appointments
02:33:40 – When the Body Says No
02:34:50 – Not speaking one’s truth
02:38:29 – Polyvagal theory in therapy
02:39:09 – Trauma and integration
02:45:05 – Sean’s closing remarks