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ajansen13 's review for:
Gabor Maté has a valuable voice regarding trauma, illness, and healing. Maté's writing is directly linked to his own experiences personally and linked to those he has worked with in the DTES and other locations. Recognizing that trauma is not necessarily what happens to us but what happens inside of us as a result of what happens to us is important to understand and Maté does an excellent job of articulating this. He does so in a way that liberates the person who has experienced trauma. The book also contains practical tips for working towards healing while recognizing that that journey is going to look different for everyone. Maté also communicates towards the end a hopeful vision forward that is optimistic yet is a long and difficult road ahead. What I appreciated from Maté is the recognition of what the individual part to play in healing is while recognizing the part that the toxic culture, which Maté defines as "the entire context of social structures, belief systems, assumptions, and values that surround us", plays in traumatizing or retraumatizing people. Additionally, I valued Maté's recognition that as humans we will stumble through the healing process because of the simple fact that we are human. I find that because of this recognition, Maté does not slip into the impossible expectations that the self-help movement can place on people but instead has realistic expectations of the human journey and the beauty that is found in all of it.