The Curse of Being Special

Mary H/ August 19, 2013/ Paul Brenner, MD, PhD

(Original Post from Dr. Brenner’s personal Blog, August 19, 2013) Over a number of years I have had clients who demonstrate the curse of being told in childhood, how special they are.  Special comes with the shadow: anxiety, pressure to succeed, perfectionism, isolation and failure to meet expectations; and in time can lead to illness. “The gifted” may either burnout

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Wishing

Mary H/ August 8, 2013/ Paul Brenner, MD, PhD

(Original Post from Dr. Brenner’s personal Blog, August 8, 2013) A wish is a specific desire for something in the near or distant future.  When I was no more then nine years old ; my sister, Claire, a budding, fifteen year old actress, told me and acted out the story of the, ” The Monkeys Paw “. In the story,

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How To Analyze Dreams & Unusual Life Experiences

Mary H/ July 27, 2013/ Paul Brenner, MD, PhD

(Original Post from Dr. Brenner’s personal Blog, July 27, 2013) Maria Bowen, Carl Roger’s leading psychotherapist in Person Centered Therapy, taught me the most simple method for analyzing dreams.  Maria died far too soon but changed my life by bringing dreams into reality and making the waking state into a dream. 1)  Give the dream or an unusual experience of

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I Am That I Am

Mary H/ July 18, 2013/ Paul Brenner, MD, PhD

(Original Post from Dr. Brenner’s personal Blog, July 18, 2013) Ever think about where our eyes are located? Without a mirror or some other reflective device, we would never know what we look like. The eyes are perfectly located to see what is in front of us.  If they were located over our heart, belly button, top of our feet

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The Silver Spoon

Mary H/ July 10, 2013/ Paul Brenner, MD, PhD

(Original Post from Dr. Brenner’s personal Blog, July 10, 2013) As an Ob/GYN, I had an epiphany; I realized that the newborn is love made visible.  What happens to that love?  A guru once told me at birth, “we are all similar to a silver spoons thrown in the ocean, and if we are lucky before we die, we find

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Coping

Mary H/ July 5, 2013/ Paul Brenner, MD, PhD

(Original Post from Dr. Brenner’s personal Blog, July 5, 2013) The first question in May 15 blog:  In the first ten years of your life, what did you appreciate most about your parents or primary caregivers?  Please, do not use the word love.  What words or word feels most like love to you? Brief summary: What you appreciated revealed:  your values, how

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Tag, You’re It

Mary H/ June 19, 2013/ Paul Brenner, MD, PhD

(Original Post from Dr. Brenner’s personal Blog, June 19, 2013) The second question that I ask clients to elicit trans-generational emotional patterns is:  “What did you need from your mother and father or primary caregiver(s) in the first ten years of your life that you did not get?; meaning “What was your parental unmet need in the first ten years

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Ground Hog Day

Mary H/ June 8, 2013/ Paul Brenner, MD, PhD

(Original Post from Dr. Brenner’s personal Blog, June 8, 2013) I have missed posting my blog for the past two to three weeks as a result of fracturing my pelvis on a paddle board, celebrating my 80th and then pneumonia the following week.  These experiences side lined the posting of and discussion of the second question that I ask patients

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Health is a Question of Balance

Mary H/ May 15, 2013/ Paul Brenner, MD, PhD

(Original Post from Dr. Brenner’s personal Blog, May 15, 2013) “Where there is ruin, there is hope for a treasure.” by Rumi For the past ten years, I have worked as a Psychosocial Oncologist at the San Diego Cancer Center, now under the aegis of the University of California San Diego Health Systems.  My joy involves empowering individuals through their course

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The Dream

Mary H/ May 9, 2013/ Paul Brenner, MD, PhD

(Original Post from Dr. Brenner’s personal Blog, May 9, 2013) In 1978, my friend and teacher, Brugh Joy, invited me to participate with eleven other individual in Tahoe, California, for a week of group meditation and fasting.  Simply put, it was intense.  The last night, I had an amazing dream; I believe it to be a collective dream. I have

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