An Introduction to

Fiona Sheikh

Therapeutic Attachment Specialist©

Director/Trainer

 

My first experience of children in care, was when I was a teenager, and my parents fostered teens.  This was a positive experience for me and inspired me to work with children in care.

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It wasn't til many years later, when my husband, son and I relocated to Sheffield, that the seed planted in my heart as a teen started to come to fruition.  In 2005, we became foster carers for Sheffield City Council.

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This was a real eye opener!  As a mum and auntie and having experience working with children and youth clubs and social care, I thought I knew what I had let myself in for.

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Our first night as foster carers, to siblings aged 3 and 4, I was introduced to how early life trauma can impact on children and young people, as a tiny little 3 year old swore at me, hit me and threatened to throw me down the stairs!  I quickly realised I was out of my depth and "love and an extra bedroom" wasn't all you needed!

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Since that first night, I have undertaken lots of research and training (see details below) to try and understand what children and young people exhibiting difficult behaviour due to early trauma are trying to communicate.

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After fostering for 5 years, I joined the Targeted Mental Health in Schools Team in Sheffield where, again, we were referred lots of children with early life trauma who were struggling.

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In 2014, I decided I wanted to specialise in working with children who had experienced early life trauma and quit my job and established Hope Attachment.

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I have been privilaged to offer therapeutic support to many families personally and through a great team of practitioners I have had over the last almost 7 years.  Alongside this, I have provided lots of consultations and training to schools, especially from 2014-2018 when I was commissioned by Sheffield City Council Virtual Schools Team to undertake an active research programme in Sheffield Schools, produced a specialist Emotional Wellbeing and Attachment Toolkit for Schools as well as providing training via the NHS Future in Mind Initiative.

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After almost 7 years, I have done a lot of soul search and decided that it's time for a new direction and will be focussing on working therapeutically with young people aged 12+ and their families, as well as continuing to support schools.

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My aim is that families and schools receive a bespoke package of support for their needs, as no two young people or school settings are the same.

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If you would like to enquire about therapeutic support or training, please check out the relavent pages on this website or email referral@hopeattach.co.uk for therapeutic support or training@hopeattach.co.uk for training support.

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Fiona's has undertaken the following training:

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• BSc (Hons) Psychology

• Theraplay Level 1 and 2

• Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Level 1 and 2

• Neurophysiological Psychotherapy Level 1 and 2

• Sensory Attachment Integration – Just Right State Programme for Children and Adults

• Family Future's Therapeutic Life Story Work

• Attachment Narrative Therapy Training

• The Infant CARE-Index Training

• Child Attachment & Play Assessment (CAPA) Using Narrative Story Stems Training

• Adult Attachment Interview Training

• Professional Diploma in Therapeutic Life Story Work (Richard Rose's Model)

• Teenagers and Bereavement - Child Bereavement UK

• Traumatic Bereavement: Working Therapeutically With Children and Young People - UK Trauma Council/Anna Freud Centre

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Fiona is a graduate member of the British Psychological Society and a member of Therapeutic Life Story Work International.

 

Fiona receives reflective supervision monthly to support her practice.

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