Sharon Terry: Gestalt Awareness Practice

“I don’t see fear as a warning to turn away. I see it as an invitation to go forward because in it lies love and the path to greater love. If I turn with gentle curiosity toward that flicker, I discover new paths to everything from practical systems change to the core of healing and health.”
~Sharon Terry, TED Talk

Sharon is a long-time student of Chris Price. Her intensive study included watching and cataloging many of the 30,000 archival audio and video recordings she digitized for the GPLRC Archive. She co-leads long-term study programs with Chris and offers GAP workshops and individual sessions. Sharon also teaches GAP in Japan, continuing a program Chris established nearly 30 years ago.

For three decades, Sharon has led PXE International and Genetic Alliance (see sidebar), where teams regularly orient to Gestalt Awareness Practice. Both organizations use GAP tools, especially for support and clear communication. Sharon also brings this practice to broader settings, weaving brief exercises into keynote talks, academic annual meetings, and gatherings for parent-led advocacy organizations.

How I work
My offerings are simple and practical: grounding, presence, and a few reliable practices—showing up, turning toward, allowing time and space, and meeting experience with the breath. The work is less about fixing a single problem than about building capacity: distinguishing direct experience from the stories we add, strengthening contact and communication, and recognizing choice even when challenged. Formats range from one-hour introductions to multi-day series for teams, leadership cohorts, and communities, online or in person. The through-line is usefulness: clear structure, attentive presence, and skills people can apply immediately.

I value that Gestalt Awareness Practice, and gestalt practice more broadly, recognizes each person as the expert of their own experience. As the mother of two now-adult children with a genetic condition, I have spent decades advancing the rightful role of individuals, families, and communities in shaping research, healthcare, and services. GAP offers a structure and a set of practices that align closely with my commitment to helping people take greater agency in their health and in their lives.

I am also drawn to the support GAP offers people who live with suffering day to day—whether they are living with illness themselves, caring for someone they love, or working to improve health and address disease. It creates room for people to remain present, connected, and able to choose how they respond, even when circumstances cannot be changed.