Reading work by Gabor Maté has been so influential on my practice as a counsellor with teenagers and young adults in Devon and Cornwall, and the richness of the content in ‘the Myth of Normal’ has been hugely profound for me.

Maté has a way of making challenging, complex subjects seem extremely understandable, and his discussion around the vast topic of emotional trauma is insightful and compelling.

Maté takes the reader on a journey that helps build a greater awareness and understanding of emotional trauma, covering an array of areas within this.

The parts where I found most growth and personal development came from developing an understanding of Attachment and Authenticity. Maté describes the shift from a baby being its authentic self to it having to make changes for the need to have attachment with a care giver for survival. This loss of authenticity, Maté suggests, is a key component of how me lose ourselves and therefore lose a sense of wholeness that can lead to emotional problems. He describes it a s a Traumatic Tension.

He also discusses the impact of societal trauma and how we suffer disconnection from ourselves as a result of this. It’s a fascinating insight into a huge subject that we’re starting to develop greater awareness of.

The part where I arew most came in Part V where Maté discusses how we can work towards wholeness. His ideas around the 4 A’s (I won’t reveal them so as not to spoil the read) was such a simple yet powerful tool that has helped me make much greater sense of my own world. Reflecting on these As and engaging in ‘self inquiry’ enabled me to see where I still have work to do. I have also been able to introduce these ideas into the therapy room with clients and it has been remarkable to see sense be made of complex journeys as a result.

I could write far more on this lengthy read but would simply suggest to any therapist and anybody wishing to develop a greater sense of self to pick it up and work through it. It certainly isn’t easy but it was most definitely worth it for me.

If you’d like to speak with me about the possibility of working together, please get in touch and we can speak through your needs and desires for your therapeutic journey. Contact me on 01822 661316 or via the form on the contact page. 

Go well and be kind to yourself.