Sharon Bray, Ed.D.
Best known for my expressive writing workshops with cardiac, cancer and others living with illness or hardship, my work was inspired by my medical experiences and a lifelong love of writing. When I discovered James Pennebaker’s research on the health benefits of writing, I was inspired to initiate a series of expressive writing workshops for cancer patients in 2021. Since then, I have initiated and led several writing programs at different California cancer centers and non-profits, including Bay Area Breast Cancer Network, Stanford Hospital, Scripps Clinic, and UCSD Moores’ Cancer Center. After returning to Toronto in 2017, I initiated the “Writing Through Cancer” program for Gilda’s Club of Greater Toronto, which I led from 2017 – 2024.
In 2008, I was diagnosed with heart failure and became a cardiac patient at Peter Munk Cardiac Center. My cardiologist expressed interest in my writing groups, and together with the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research, we launched an expressive writing series for cardiac patients. In 2022, I was honored with a UHN “Patient Partner” award for my work with TRCHR. In 2023, I also led two six-week workshops (Writing Your Transplant Story,)” for UHN’s Center for Living Organ Donation, encouraging patients and donors to tell their stories of illness and healing.
Since beginning my initial program, I’ve been fortunate to lead writing workshops for several organizations, including Young Adult Cancer Canada, the CURE Today forums (sponsored by Cure Magazine), Writers’ Symposium by the Sea, University of Illinois, and the Omega Institute. Additionally, I taught creative and transformational writing for UCLA extension’s “Writers’ Program,” DeAnza College, and the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley. From 2005 – 2017, I had the honor of leading the monthly series, The Writers’ Workshop at Stanford Medical School”(a part of Stanford’s “Medicine & the Muse” program founded by Audrey Shafer, MD). The day-long sessions included faculty, alumni, and medical students who all wrote together.
I launched this blog in 2006, initially called “Writing Through Cancer,” with posts informed by themes emerging in my workshops. In 2022, I changed the title to “When Life Hurts, Writing Can Help, ” to reflect how writing can help us heal during different life challenges. (http://www.whenlifehurtswriting.ca).
I completed graduate studies at Mt. St. Vincent University in Halifax and earned a doctoral degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Toronto. I also completed additional studies in creative and transformative writing. I’ve written two books on the healing experience of expressive writing, co-edited an anthology of cancer patients’ writings for Stanford University, and written several articles on the healing power of expressive writing. I now live in Toronto with my husband, a retired psychologist, and our rescue dog, “Maggie.”
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To Contact me: Email: sharon@sharonbray.ca
When Life Hurts, Writing Can Help 