658. His Practice of Laughter Brings Healing Smiles
Dr. Jeffrey L. Gurian
Jeffrey knew at age 12 he wanted to be a healer, probably a dentist. But, at the same time, he already loved writing comedy. He was confused. He asked himself, how could he possibly do both? Who ever heard of a comic dentist?
Dr. Jeffrey L. Gurian, a former cosmetic dentist and clinical professor at NYU, is also a practitioner of spiritual healing and energy work and has been on the board of the Association for Spirituality and Psychotherapy since 1999. He is also a nationally known comedy writer, comic, and author who has written for stars like Rodney Dangerfield, Joan Rivers, and Jerry Lewis. In his new book “Healing Your Heart, By Changing Your Mind–A Spiritual and Humorous Approach To Achieving Happiness,” he has combined all of his fields to teach people how to be happy by changing their thoughts, as he has done himself to overcome many obstacles in his own life, including curing himself of a severe stutter.
How Did You Start Using Your Talents?
“Most 12-year-old boys want to be something exciting like a firefighter. I had already decided by then that I wanted to do something where I could help people. I wanted to be a doctor, but I knew I was too sensitive and couldn’t handle life and death situations. So, I decided I wanted to be an orthodontist, because I had braces. I liked the idea of making people look better. So, I decided I wanted to be that. But I was already writing comedy. It was confusing for me. I thought, “I want to be a dentist, and I want to be in show business, but who ever heard of such a thing?”
The Most Impactful Turning Point?
After developing a stutter at around age six or seven, Jeffrey went through speech therapy, special classes and a range of treatments that did not help. Some made things worse. He began learning about himself, his fears, and the reasons he felt he needed to stutter. Gradually, he applied his healing abilities and his own insights to find a way to cure his stuttering. Then, he began working with other stutterers to help them overcome their own challenges.
The Most Powerful Lessons Learned?
“We all collect what I call heart wounds. From the time we are children, every time somebody breaks a promise to you, or hurts your feelings, or makes a derogatory remark about you, it stays with us. They stay with us in our heart chakra. They affect every thought we have, every decision we make. It is so important to work on identifying them and letting them go, then creating healthy thoughts about ourselves.”
Steps to Success from Dr. Jeffrey L. Gurian
1. If you’re holding negative thoughts about yourself, analyze them to see where they are coming from.
2. Make a “good and bad” list. Write down every good thing that you know about yourself, and every bad thing that you know about yourself. Be 100% honest with yourself. You don’t have to share it with anyone else, but you do need to write it down.
3. Use your list and insights to change your thoughts. Every negative thought can be replaced with a new, positive thought.
4. Find things that make you laugh. There is great healing power in laughter.
On His Bookshelf
Connecting With Dr. Jeffrey L. Gurian
Website: www.comedymatterstv.com
Facebook: facebook.com/jeffreygurian
Twitter: @jeffreygurian
YouTube: youtube.com/guriannewsnetwork
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jeffreyguriancomedy/
Free Gift
Free 10-minute phone call from Jeffrey to people who order his book and subscribe to his Comedy Matters TV YouTube channel at youtube.com/guriannewsnetwork. Must contact Jeffrey with proof of purchase and subscription at jeffrey@jeffreygurian.com
Careers: Author, Comedy Writer, Comic, Dentist, Professor, Spiritual Healer
Topics: Alternative Medicine, Bullying, Comedy, Facing Fear, Self Image, Stutter