If you want to know what the essence of trauma is, I highly recommend watching The Wisdom of Trauma featuring Gabor Mate.  He is a very gifted doctor who understands the subject both from a clinical and personal point of view.  I review the movie/documentary in this week’s blog.

Gabor Mate is the Epitome of Trauma Survivors Everywhere

In the documentary it is clear that Dr. Mate has experienced some of the hallmarks of someone who has suffered from the effects of childhood trauma.  He, like many others, was exposed to the horrors of post-World War II Europe and had to find a way to survive despite this.  Many people suffer from the effects of war, but others simply have other ACE’s (Adverse Childhood Experiences).  He does a good job in the film of describing how so many people in our world suffer from childhood trauma and how this can easily affect the entire trajectory of their lives.  As he puts it in the movie the concern need not be with what is wrong with you, but what happened to you instead.  It is precisely because of what happened to you as a child that what you feel is wrong with you started to emerge.

Gabor Mate Has Much To Say About Addictions

There was much time spent in the documentary focusing on homelessness and addiction, which are huge problems in our country and around the world.  The connection Dr. Mate makes between trauma and addiction is unmistakable, and it is well-depicted as a ‘method’ to solve a problem.  This helps remove the stigma that can become attached to people because of the ‘choice’ they have seemingly made to become addicted to a substance or behavior.  If someone is simply trying to escape the pain generated by their childhood trauma, then there is no blame to be placed on them.  The way out of addiction and other manifestations of childhood trauma is to help people face their pain and other effects of the trauma, which is a major focus of trauma therapies like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and Image Transformation Therapy (ImTT).  

Gabor Mate Treats Trauma More Unconventionally Than Most

While there is no argument to be made for how Dr. Mate and the rest of the clinical world understand trauma, his manner of treating it in the documentary is certainly more of a developing approach.  This is one of the key distinctions between therapies like EMDR (which is more well-established and researched), and ImTT (which is newer and doesn’t have much research behind it).  His connection with his clients is unmistakable, however; and one gets the impression that this is the central factor in why he has helped so many people to recover.  While the method of an active addict using an addictive substance is clearly unhealthy, the method of getting help from someone who understands you and treats you like a real person is one of the clearest indicators of eventual lasting recovery.  

Gabor Mate and Me

While I’m not as brilliant as Dr. Mate, I have been helping people overcome trauma my entire 12-year career as a social worker.  I utilize both EMDR and ImTT to help people recover and can attest to the benefits of both of these therapies.  You don’t have to take my word for it, though.  You can reach me at the number above or fill out the contact form below and I will get back to you and offer free 20-minute phone consults to help you get a better idea about whether I can help you or not.  You’ve lived your whole life suffering from childhood trauma, don’t you owe it to yourself, your family, friends, and loved ones to get the help you need to finally get free from what’s been keeping you down for so long?

Visit our page on trauma therapy to find out more about how Scott can help you with trauma. 

About the author:  Scott Kampschaefer, LCSW is a private practice therapist in Frederick, Maryland.  He has an extensive background in working with depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder at a clinic for older adults with these disorders in Austin.  He now works with adults and adolescents 14 and up in private practice. His most recent book is titled The 5 Pillars of Addiction Recovery and is available for purchase on Amazon and in paperback on this website.