About

I’m an experienced coach and qualified mindfulness teacher (I trained with – and have taught courses for – Breathworks). Over the years, I’ve shared mindfulness with hundreds of people, in groups of all sizes, specializing in helping people to meet difficult feelings with self-kindness. This approach has been transformative for me personally in healing from chronic anxiety, toxic shame and experiences of loss. I have written in-depth pieces about mindfulness and self-kindness for Everyday Mindfulness

I have been practising mindfulness myself since 2008 (and teaching since 2014). In recent years, my own practice has become more imaginative, nature-based and creative. During lockdown I learned that I prefer to meditate outdoors, and that writing creatively can be a deeply enriching extension of practice.

Currently I’m offering 1-to-1 Coaching Sessions online.

I’m based in Heaton Moor, Stockport (in the UK), where I live with my husband and our son. Sharing mindfulness is something I do alongside other things I’m passionate about – I write about some of them on my other sites:

Home education pieces at mindfullifelearning.com

Reflections on writing fiction, under my pen name Dawn Siofra North

My son and I volunteer with a local Sustainable Living group, and I write my own blogs about sustainable living at Cornflowers and Bean Towers

Some years ago, I wrote a number of blogs about my own mindful journey through infertility and pregancy loss – these can be found at Awakening Through Loss

“Mindfulness has helped my anxiety levels, I sleep better & found the sessions with Sheila relaxing”

“Sheila was amazing, very personable with great knowledge and experience of mindfulness”

Is My Approach Suitable For Your Needs?

I only work with adults who are over the age of 18, and based in the UK.

My sessions can be helpful for people suffering from stress. However, they are not intended to support those currently experiencing a debilitating mental health condition, or severe emotional distress.  In these cases I would recommend first learning mindfulness from a counsellor or therapist who is suitably qualified to provide support.

Sessions with me can be a good follow-on resource, once support from a therapist is no longer needed.  I know from both professional and personal experience that to get the best long-term benefits from a mindfulness practice, it’s important to start mindfulness classes at the right time (I myself had CBT therapy and counselling before I was ready to learn mindfulness).

If you have been diagnosed with (or suspect you suffer from) clinical depression, an anxiety disorder or a mental health condition, you can ask your GP about suitable support services or referral to a Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy course (MBCT) – these are usually run by therapists, and are different from the type of sessions I offer. If you are in the Stockport area, you may be able to self-refer via Stockport Healthy Minds

If you’re unsure if my sessions are right for you, I’m happy to arrange a short chat via Zoom or Skype.  If my approach isn’t quite the right fit, I’m happy to suggest alternative support options.