Dr. Gabor Maté on Workaholism, Stress, & Healing Trauma

May 6, 2025

47:13

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Episode notes

This episode originally aired in April 2024 and quickly became one of the most popular episodes of The Journey. Whether you're tuning in for the first time or revisiting this conversation, this episode will get you thinking about healing in a toxic culture.

In this episode, Morgan DeBaun sits down with renowned physician, author, and trauma expert, Dr. Gabor Maté, for a thought-provoking conversation about childhood trauma and attachment, the impact of societal norms on parenting, and the healing potential of psychedelics.

In this episode:

00:00 Introduction and Guest Overview

01:30 Dr. Gabor Maté's Early Life and Trauma

04:08 Impact of Early Trauma on Adult Behavior

04:56 The Struggles of a Medical Professional

08:22 Parenting Challenges in Modern Society

13:21 The Importance of Attachment in Child Development

21:30 Balancing Entrepreneurship and Parenting

24:03 Building Strong Parent-Child Relationships

24:38 The Impact of Technology on Children

25:36 Balancing Work and Parenting

28:51 The Importance of Secure Attachment

29:49 Understanding Individuation and Socialization

36:40 The Role of Psychedelics in Healing

45:16 Resources and Final Thoughts

Dr. Maté opens up about his own childhood experiences as a Jewish infant in occupied Hungary, where abandonment and trauma shaped his early years and later influenced his relationships with his children and career. Through personal reflection, Morgan shares her own experiences of growing up with a father whose demanding career kept him often away, and her tendency towards workaholism. She shares how she intends to do things differently with her own child.

As the discussion unfolds, Dr. Maté dives into his belief that we are living in a toxic culture, where stress and societal pressures take a toll on our mental and physical health. He highlights the direct link between our minds and bodies, particularly evident in marginalized groups facing systemic racism. Dr. Maté and Morgan discuss how it is in this context that parents are expected to raise children, and how cultural parenting norms often contradict intuitive caregiving practices, driven by economic necessities rather than emotional well-being.

The episode wraps up with an eye-opening discussion on the potential of psychedelics in healing trauma, with Dr. Maté sharing the emerging research and the need for better access to these powerful tools in mental health care.

To learn more about Dr. Gabor Maté's work discussed in this episode, check out his books The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness & Healing In A Toxic Culture and Hold On to Your Kids: Why Parents Need To Matter More Than Peers.

Tune in to this insightful episode, and make sure to leave a rating and review to show your support for these incredibly powerful conversations being had week after week!