Mia Sheard

I work primarily with adults, but have worked with some teens. Sessions are co-created
between me and my client, which means I don’t come to the session with a pre-conceived idea
of where my client should go. My job is to uncover what is getting in my client’s way of living a
full, rich life now.

The first half of our lives we had to adapt to our environment in order to survive. We needed to
stay connected to our caregivers if we wanted to live. So, we modified or hid parts of ourselves
that we perceived both implicitly and explicitly were not acceptable to the adults in charge .
Now, as adults ourselves, we often navigate the world as if we’re still in that environment - still
kids needing to modify or hide parts of ourselves, fixed in our beliefs about ourselves and our
behaviours. This is exhausting.

My job is to help my clients regain a fuller range of expression, to become more whole, more
aligned with their true self, and more flexible in their responses to their environment.
It takes awareness to do this. I help my clients become more aware of their fixed patterns of
behaviour so that they have choice. Once we have choice, we can move from reacting into
responding. I might invite my client to try an experiment in the moment in order to build their
awareness, or provide feedback on what I’m noticing.

Something shifts in us when we’re seen and heard, and when we allow ourselves to feel.
“Feeling is healing.”

Finally, I bring my client’s attention to their breathing. This is essential. It’s our first line of
support. It might seem trite, but it’s huge. Our breathing brings oxygen to our blood and
enlivens us. Our breathing brings us back to our senses and back to the present moment. We
can only know if we’re safe when we’re in the present. This is why I will often ask my client to
come back to their breathing — back to the here and now.