About Sarah Gaw
I understand: I've lived with a chronic illness for most of my life.
Living with a chronic condition often means living with constant stress. That stress is not a moral failure. It is your nervous system doing its best to protect you.
I help you understand your nervous system's response to stress and teach you how to gently shift it when you want to. I offer practical stress management support that respects your limits, your lived experience, and your energy. We go at a pace that feels safe and doable, building skills that help your body settle, recover, and respond more calmly over time.
This is not about pushing through symptoms or forcing yourself to stay positive. It is about learning how to care for your nervous system so your body has more space to heal, rest, and function.
Photo by Julia Gaw
Sarah Gaw
Stress Management Specialist supporting those with chronic conditions and their caregivers
I bring more than 25 years of experience working with people of all ages. I'm a musician, an artist, a mother of two, and a life-long learner. I have a bachelor's in psychology and a minor in studio art from Skidmore College. My early career focused on visual and technical consulting for artists as they prepared projects for exhibitions, but I never lost my interest in psychology.
As my own health deteriorated, I completed three certificate programs in health and wellness coaching at Harvard Medical School Executive Education. I delved deeply into learning about chronic pain, somatic techniques, trauma-informed practices and how our stress systems work by taking numerous classes at PESI. At the Polyvagal Institute, I studied performance coaching and systems for measuring and shifting autonomic nervous system states with Michael Alison’s Playzone™ coaching program.
At The Academy of Therapy Wisdom, I've learned about many therapy modalities. If needed, I can help you find a licensed provider qualified in the best strategies for you. I've learned from so many great teachers like Bessel vanderKolk, Janina Fisher (TIST), Terry Real (RLT), Stephen Hayes (ACT), Arielle Schwartz (trauma informed yoga and resilience based work), Linda Thai (also trauma-informed work), Julianne Taylor Shore (STAIR), Aimie Apigian (Biology of Trauma®), Frank Anderson (IFS), Stephen Porges (PVT) and others. I take all of this knowledge, translate it into the bite-size information you need to make transformation happen for you.
My clients are navigating stress, illness, life-long conditions, pain, and major life transitions. I am, too. Despite the struggles, I am deeply curious, always learning, and committed to translating complex neuroscience into clear, usable tools. I am careful to stay within the scope of coaching while offering meaningful support.
Free Guide: 5 Simple Stress Reduction Strategies
Interested in the paintings on my site? Meet my daughter, Julia.