A belief in the wisdom of Nature goes hand-in-hand with a fundamental belief in the spontaneous unfolding of human potential. The study of the human brain reveals incredible inner springs to action – instincts, emotions and defenses – all meant to take care of us when distressed and help us to flourish when conditions are conducive. Assuming that something is wrong with the brain is tragically self-fulfilling. The brain has its reasons – the key is depending upon the brain as it works to take care of us and our children. We live in a time when the evidence of the wisdom of Nature has never been greater, yet the faith in Nature to take care of us remains rare.

Our 2023 conference theme, Wisdom of Nature, was inspired by Gabor Maté’s special on The Wisdom of Trauma, which catapulted him into the stratosphere (over 6 million views) in the therapy community. His recent book, the Myth of Normal, written together with his son Daniel, has been on the New York bestseller lists. We thought it only appropriate to invite Gabor and Daniel to a dialogue on this material, especially as it applies to parenting.