Gabor Maté

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For other people named a similar name, see Gábor Máté and Gábor Máthé.

Gabor Maté
CM
close-up of Gabor Maté wearing a black sport jacket, looking directly at the camera
Maté in 2013
BornJanuary 1944 (age 81)
Budapest, Kingdom of Hungary
CitizenshipCanada
EducationUniversity of British Columbia (BA, MD)
Spouse
Rae Maté
​
(m. 1969)​
Children3, including Aaron Maté
Scientific career
Fields
Websitedrgabormate.com

Gabor Maté CM (/ˈɡɑːbɔːr ˈmɑːteɪ/ GAH-bor MAH-tay;[1] born January 1944) is a Canadian physician and author. He has worked in family practices and specializes in childhood development and trauma,[2] including long-term effects on physical and mental health, such as autoimmune diseases, cancer, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD),[3] and addiction.

Maté's approach to addiction emphasizes the role of trauma in the development of substance use disorders, aiming to address underlying emotional pain as part of recovery.[4] He has written five books exploring topics such as ADHD, stress, developmental psychology, and addiction.

His work has generated both interest and debate within academic and clinical communities, with some commentators raising concerns about the scope and evidentiary basis of his claims. Some scholars argue that his views overstate trauma’s role compared to other evidence-based approaches. Psychologist Stanton Peele has argued that Maté offers “a reductionist vision of addiction” by tracing most cases back to childhood trauma.[5] James C. Coyne, professor at the University of Pennsylvania, contends that Maté’s emphasis on trauma risks sidelining established evidence-based treatments for addiction and stress-related illness.[6] Vincenzo Di Nicola of the University of Montreal similarly noted that while Maté’s ideas are accessible, they are not always grounded in empirical research.[7] Nick Haslam, professor of psychology at the University of Melbourne, described Maté’s focus on trauma as “unbalanced,” suggesting it overlooks genetic, social, and neurobiological factors in disease and addiction.[8]

Together, these perspectives illustrate the ongoing debate over Maté’s emphasis on trauma, situating his work within a broader discussion about the balance between psychological, biological, and social factors in health and addiction.

Early life

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Maté was born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1944 to a Jewish family.[9][10] His maternal grandparents, Josef Lövi and Hannah Lövi, who came from the town of Košice in modern eastern Slovakia, were killed in Auschwitz when he was five months old.[10] His aunt disappeared during the war, and his father endured forced labour at the hands of the Nazi Party.[11] When he was one year old, Maté's mother put him in the care of a stranger for over five weeks to save his life. Upon their reunion, Maté felt abandoned by his mother and therefore wouldn't look at her for several days. Maté has said that the trauma of "abandonment, rage, and despair" still shapes his adult life, triggering similar conflicts he interprets as threats of abandonment—especially in his marriage.[12]

In 1956, the Maté family immigrated to Canada.[10] He was a student during the Vietnam War era in the late 1960s[13] and graduated with a B.A. from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.

Career

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After working as a high school English and literature teacher for several years, Maté returned to the University of British Columbia to obtain his M.D. in general family practice in 1977.[14]

Maté ran a private family practice in East Vancouver, Canada, for over 20 years. He was the medical coordinator of the Palliative Care Unit at Vancouver Hospital for seven years.[15]

For twelve years, Maté was the staff physician for the Portland Hotel Society (PHS), a supportive housing nonprofit organization originally based in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. He regularly visited tenants in their rooms at the society's various housing projects. A majority of his patients had co-occurring mental health and substance use issues, in addition to chronic health concerns such as HIV.[16]

Working alongside PHS founder and Canadian nurse Liz Evans, Maté helped develop and advance harm reduction and housing first initiatives supported by the organization, including needle exchange and supervised injection programs. He was recognized for prescribing the opioid agonist methadone without requiring or encouraging patients to participate in treatment programs or therapy sessions. Furthermore, he did not suspend a patient's methadone prescription if they tested positive for illicit opioids.[17] He described his experiences working at PHS and treating people with substance use disorders in his 2009 book, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction.[18] In this book, he discusses forms of trauma experienced by people with addictions, their drug abuse as a coping mechanism, and how their experiences of abuse and neglect, absent coping skills, influence behaviour and decision-making later in life.[19][20]

In 2008, Maté received national media attention when he defended the physicians working at Insite, a legally supervised injection facility, after federal Minister of Health Tony Clement criticized them as unethical.[21]

In 2010, Maté became interested in the traditional Amazonian plant medicine ayahuasca and its potential for treating addictions. He partnered with a Peruvian Shipibo ayahuasquero (traditional shamanic healer) and began leading multi-day retreats for addiction treatment. Some of these retreats are hosted in a Coast Salish First Nations community that were the subject of an observational study by the University of Victoria and the University of British Columbia. Preliminary results showed that participants had statistically significant (p<0.05) improvements in some psychological measures and reductions in problematic substance use, suggesting that Maté's claims of therapeutic efficacy may be well-founded.[22] However, when the Canadian Federal Government learned about Maté's work with ayahuasca in 2011, Health Canada threatened to refer the matter to the Canadian police for his use of the illegal drug.[23]

Writings and views

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Medicine

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In his books and lectures, Maté has emphasized the role of biopsychosocial aspects of pathology and the role of psychological trauma and stress. He underlines the importance of relationships and social attachment for learning and health. His ideas are consistent with a trauma-informed care framework.[24][25]

Maté defines addiction as the use of any behaviour or substance to relieve pain in the short term that leads to negative consequences in the long term. He asserts that without addressing the root cause of the pain, a person may try to stop but will ultimately crave further relief and be prone to relapse. By this definition, many things in modern culture have the potential to become addictive, such as gambling, sex, food, work, social media, and drugs.[9] He argues the "war on drugs" punishes addicts and entrenches addiction more deeply, as studies show that stress is the biggest driver of addictive relapse and behaviour.[18] He says a system that marginalizes, ostracizes, and institutionalizes people in facilities with no care and easy access to drugs only worsens the problem.[18][26]

In a live-streamed interview with Prince Harry in March 2023, Maté diagnosed the prince publicly with PTSD, ADHD, anxiety, and depression, based on his conversation with him and reading his autobiography, Spare. During the chat, Maté told Prince Harry that he had diagnosed him with ADD after reading through his book and hearing about his life experiences.[27][28][29] Mental health experts criticized the exchange as unorthodox and irresponsible, noting that formal psychiatric diagnoses require structured clinical evaluation rather than public interviews or book reviews.[30][31][32]

Criticisms

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Stanton Peele, psychologist and psychotherapist, disagrees with Maté's notion of "tracing every case of addiction back to childhood trauma." Peele writes that Maté, whom he still admired for his work with Insite, where he also had worked, offers "a reductionist vision of addiction".[33]

James C. Coyne, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, suggests that Maté "urges us to abandon what has evolved to be evidence-based solutions to health and social problem," although conceding that "overspecialization in research and clinical practice is an important issue".[34] This is echoed by Vincenzo Di Nicola, professor at the University of Montreal, who wrote that while many of his views are acceptable and based on "well-trod ground", some of his work is not evidence-based.[35]

Nick Haslam, of the University of Melbourne, found "Maté's focus on trauma as the singular primary cause of ill health is unbalanced".[36]

Israel and Palestine

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In July 2014, Maté published an opinion piece titled "Beautiful Dream of Israel Has Become a Nightmare" in which he argued that Israeli policies were incompatible with a just peace and that the situation in Gaza could only be understood within its broader context.[37] He drew comparisons between Gaza and the Warsaw Ghetto, highlighting what he described as a severe imbalance of power.[37]

In November 2023, Maté was interviewed by broadcaster Piers Morgan, during which he stated that he had cried daily for two weeks following his visit to the Occupied Territories during the First Intifada.[38] He called for an end to the occupation and persecution of Palestinians and for the return of land occupied since 1967.[39]

Personal life

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In 1969, Maté married artist and fellow UBC graduate Rae Maté (born 1948). Together, they have three children, including journalist Aaron Maté.[40]

Awards

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Books

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  • Maté, Gabor (1999). Scattered Minds: the origins and healing of attention deficit disorder. Toronto: A.A. Knopf. ISBN 978-0676971453. OCLC 1351186533.
  • Maté, Gabor (2003). When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress. Toronto: A.A. Knopf. ISBN 9781785042225. OCLC 1079174018.
  • Maté, Gabor; Neufeld, Gordon (2004). Hold on to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers. Toronto: A.A. Knopf. ISBN 9780307361967. OCLC 1079174018.
  • Maté, Gabor (2008). In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction. Toronto: A.A. Knopf. ISBN 9781785042201.
  • Maté, Gabor; Maté, Daniel (2022). The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness and Healing in a Toxic Culture. Toronto: A.A. Knopf Canada. ISBN 9780593083895. OCLC 1443839870.

Films and videos

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  • The Power of Connection. Wholehearted. 2020.
  • A Masterclass for Healers. Wholehearted. 2020.
  • Healing Trauma & Addiction. Wholehearted. 2020.
  • Benazzo, Maurizio; Benazzo, Zaya (2021). Wisdom of Trauma. Science & Nonduality.
  • Joseph, Peter (2011). Zeitgeist: Moving Forward.
  • Joe Rogan (2022). Joe Rogan Experience #1869 (interview/podcast). The Joe Rogan Experience.
  • Drunk on Too Much Life (Documentary). 2021.
  • Why do some people become addicts and not others? (Interview). BBC Ideas. 2022.
  • Gabor Maté (2022). This Is Why You Feel LOST & UNHAPPY In Life! (Change Everything) (Interview/Podcast). Interviewed by Bilyeu, Tom. Impact Theory.
  • The Power of Connection & The Myth of Normal (Video Special). Wholehearted. 2022.
  • Asher Penn (director) (2023). Physician, Heal Thyself (Documentary feature).

References

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  1. ^ "Dr. Gabor Maté". Indigenous Mental Wellness & Addictions Virtual Training Conference 2021. Retrieved March 21, 2025 – via Sched.com.
  2. ^ "'How we cope with this has a lot to do with our past'". Irish Independent. January 31, 2021. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  3. ^ "Care to incarceration: what happens to those without a fair start in life". The Independent. September 25, 2015. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  4. ^ "Addiction is a Response to Childhood Suffering: In Depth with Gabor Maté". ICPPD. March 2, 2016. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  5. ^ Peele, Stanton (December 5, 2011). "The Seductive, But Dangerous, Allure of Gabor Maté". Psychology Today. Retrieved November 22, 2025.
  6. ^ Coyne, James (July 23, 2021). "Gabor Maté's Bizarre Ideas on Connections Between Stress and Disease". Medika Life. Retrieved November 22, 2025.
  7. ^ Di Nicola, Vincenzo (May 1, 2024). "The Trouble with Normal: Reading 2 Canadian Bestsellers". Psychiatric Times. Retrieved November 22, 2025.
  8. ^ Haslam, Nick (September 27, 2023). "Gabor Maté claims trauma contributes to everything: from cancer to ADHD. But what does the evidence say?". The Conversation. Retrieved November 22, 2025.
  9. ^ a b "How dealing with past trauma may be the key to breaking addiction". The Guardian. November 24, 2018. Archived from the original on February 12, 2024. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  10. ^ a b c O'Malley, JP (December 21, 2019). "Addictions guru channels survival of the Holocaust into self-help empire". The Times of Israel. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  11. ^ Gutman, Abraham (November 2, 2018). "How a traumatized America finds relief in hate". inquirer.com. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  12. ^ Dr. Gabor Maté — The Myth of Normal, Metabolizing Anger, Processing Trauma, and More, September 7, 2022, retrieved January 31, 2023
  13. ^ Nov 18, Ryan Meili; Share, 2014 10 min read. "Gabor Maté: On Storytelling, Health, and the Ruling Class". briarpatchmagazine.com. Retrieved July 12, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ "Dr. Gabor Mate – Taming the Hungry Ghosts: Combining Science and Compassion in Working with Addicted Human Beings | UBC Learning Circle". learningcircle.ubc.ca. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  15. ^ "The Myth of Normal: Speaking to Gabor Maté | Psychology Today United Kingdom". www.psychologytoday.com. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  16. ^ Mate, Gabor (2008). In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction (1st ed.). Knopf. p. 11. ISBN 9781785042201.
  17. ^ Lupick, Travis (2017). Fighting for Space: How a Group of Drug Users Transformed One City's Struggle with Addiction (2nd ed.). Arsenal Pulp Press. p. 165. ISBN 978-1-55152-712-3.
  18. ^ a b c ""In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts": Dr. Gabor Maté, Physician at Vancouver Safe-Injection Site, on the Biological and Socio-Economic Roots of Addiction and ADD". Democracy Now!. February 3, 2010. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  19. ^ Kanowski, Presented bySarah (February 27, 2025). "Transforming trauma with Dr Gabor Maté". ABC listen. Retrieved September 30, 2025.
  20. ^ Kelly, Len (June 2008). "In the realm of hungry ghosts. Close encounters with addiction". Canadian_Family_Physician. 54 (6): 894. PMC 2426971.
  21. ^ "Doctor calls Clement's Insite comments 'repugnant'". The Canadian Press. CTV News. August 20, 2008. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved October 18, 2008.
  22. ^ Thomas, Gerald; Lucas, Philippe; Capler, Rielle N.; Tupper, Kenneth W. & Martin, Gina (2013). "Ayahuasca-Assisted Therapy for Addiction: Results from a Preliminary Observational Study in Canada". Current Drug Abuse Reviews. 6 (1): 30–42. doi:10.2174/15733998113099990003. PMID 23627784. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  23. ^ Posner, Michael (November 9, 2011). "B.C. doctor agrees to stop using Amazonian plant to treat addictions". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  24. ^ Maté, Gabor (2012). "Addiction: Childhood Trauma, Stress and the Biology of Addiction". Journal of Restorative Medicine. 1 (1): 56–63. doi:10.14200/jrm.2012.1.1005.
  25. ^ Treisman, Karen (2021). A treasure box for creating trauma-informed organizations: a ready-to-use resource for trauma, adversity, and culturally informed, infused and responsive systems. Volumes 1 and 2. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. ISBN 978-1-83997-136-5. OCLC 1255846476.
  26. ^ MacBride, Katie. "This 38-year-old study is still spreading bad ideas about addiction". The Outline. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  27. ^ "Trauma expert Gabor Maté diagnoses Prince Harry with ADD but says it 'can be cured'". ok.co.uk. March 4, 2023. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  28. ^ "'This is dangerous': How people have reacted to Harry's conversation with Gabor Maté". yahoo news. March 6, 2023. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  29. ^ "Response to the Dr. Maté - Prince Harry Interview: Debunking the Trauma Industry". Dr. Mario Martinez Channel. March 5, 2023. Archived from the original on March 8, 2023. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  30. ^ "Prince Harry Diagnosed with ADHD by Gabor Maté? An Expert Fact Check". ADDitude. August 4, 2025. Retrieved November 22, 2025.
  31. ^ "Prince Harry's ADD diagnosis during interview called 'irresponsible'". Geo News. July 1, 2025. Retrieved November 22, 2025.
  32. ^ "ADHD, Trauma, and the Controversial Gabor Mate-Prince Harry Interview". Bonding Health. January 16, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2025.
  33. ^ "The Seductive, But Dangerous, Allure of Gabor Maté". Psychology Today. December 5, 2011. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  34. ^ Coyne, James (July 23, 2021). "Gabor Maté's Bizarre Ideas on Connections Between Stress and Disease". Medika Life. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  35. ^ Di Nicola, Vincenzo (May 1, 2024). "The Trouble with Normal": Reading 2 Canadian Bestsellers". Psychiatric Times. New Jersey: MJH Life Sciences. Retrieved May 27, 2025.
  36. ^ Haslam, Nick (September 27, 2023). Case, Jo (ed.). "Gabor Maté claims trauma contributes to everything: from cancer to ADHD. But what does the evidence say?". doi:10.64628/AA.4kdqvyr9w.
  37. ^ a b Maté, Gabor (July 22, 2014). "Beautiful dream of Israel has become a nightmare". Toronto Star. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
  38. ^ Piers Morgan Uncensored (November 28, 2023). Israel-Hamas War: Gabor Mate vs Piers Morgan On Palestine and Gaza | The Full Interview. Retrieved October 30, 2025 – via YouTube.
  39. ^ "Holocaust survivor Dr Gabor Mate calls for land return to Palestine". Middle East Monitor. November 29, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  40. ^ Cocozza, Paula (March 23, 2019). "'If you focus on control, you have lost the battle': how to win back your kids". The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 31, 2019. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  41. ^ "Civic Merit Award". vancouver.ca. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  42. ^ "Dr. Gabor Maté". The Governor General of Canada. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  43. ^ "Sheila Heti and Gabor Maté among winners of $10K Vine Awards which recognize best Canadian Jewish books". CBC Books. October 23, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
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