About Rebecca Sheikh. Therapeutic Parent Coach, Aware Parenting Instructor & Inner Child Journey Guide in East Grinstead, Forest Row, Sussex & online.
I'm Rebecca, mother, wife, daughter, a Level 2 Aware Parenting Instructor and UK Regional Coordinator. I'm also a Therapeutic Play Practitioner, Inner Child Journey Practitioner, Soul Collage facilitator, and Sandplay therapist in training.
But more than my passion for learning, I'm someone who understands what it's like to feel overwhelmed, triggered, and uncertain as a parent. There was a time when I knew all the “right” ways to respond to children
and still found myself snapping, overwhelmed, and questioning everything. Wondering Am I getting this wrong? Why does this feel so hard? Why can’t I always be the calm, connected parent I want to be? If you’ve ever felt this too you are not alone. I've walked through my own healing journey, am walking it and it's transformed how I show up for my children and how I support other parents navigating the same path.
I'm committed to ongoing learning and training. Professional Training & Certifications
As a parent I live this work every day, not just teach it. I know what it’s like to feel stretched, to feel unsure, to feel the weight of wanting to do things differently. And I also know what becomes possible when we are supported. At the heart of my work is Aware Parenting an attachment research-based approach developed by developmental psychologist and expert in attachment and trauma, Dr. Aletha Solter. The approach helps children heal from stress and trauma through connection, play, and emotional release rather than punishment or rewards.
It supports you to:
understand the real reasons behind your child’s behaviour
respond to tantrums and big emotions with confidence
move away from rewards and punishments
support sleep gently, without cry-it-out
build deep, lasting connection with your child
But my work goes beyond strategies. Because parenting isn’t just about your child. It’s also about you.
I provide non-judgmental, expert support that's both attachment-focused and trauma-informed. Whether you're dealing with daily tantrums, exhausting sleep battles, or wondering if your child's behavior is "normal," I help you understand what's really happening beneath the surface.
Often our own childhood hurts, fears, and painful feelings get stirred up in the parenting journey. Alongside Aware Parenting, I bring together practices that support deep inner healing and self-trust:
SoulCollage® (accessing inner wisdom through creativity)
Focusing (listening to the body’s felt sense)
Inner child work (Inner Child Journeys)
Grief and emotional release work
Compassionate listening and community support
This is where real, lasting change happens. Not just in how you respond to your child
but in how you relate to yourself. As the chair of The International Attachment Network I am passionate about healing our own attachment wounds while supporting attachment and trauma informed parenting approaches alongside your journey.
I support parents through introspection, self-nurturing, and deep awareness to help you trust your inner knowing and create a nurturing environment where children truly flourish.
My Approach
Before becoming a parent coach, I spent 17 years as a teacher. I used reward systems, behaviour charts and timeouts. I did what I had been taught “worked.” But something never quite sat right. Then I discovered Aware Parenting and everything began to shift. Not because I suddenly became a “perfect” parent but because I started to understand what behaviour really is: communication. As a home-educator and mother, I've lived/live the challenges first hand, the tantrums, the sleepless nights, the moments of doubt and overwhelm. There have been seasons in my 13 years of being a parent that brought me to my knees, moments of deep exhaustion, grief, and questioning everything I thought I knew. Times when even with all the knowledge, it felt hard to access. And yet, it was through this that something deeper emerged. A way of parenting that isn’t about “getting it right” But about coming home to yourself.
What drew me to this work was experiencing how healing happens when we hold space for emotions rather than trying to control behavior. I've watched my own children flourish when given room to feel, release, and be truly seen.
Now, as a Level 2 Aware Parenting Instructor and UK, Ireland and Sub-Saharan Africa’s Regional Coordinator, I have the honour of walking alongside other parents on this transformative journey.
My Journey to This Work
Where I'm Based
I support parents across Sussex, the UK, and worldwide who:
feel overwhelmed or triggered by their child’s behaviour
want to parent without rewards, punishments, or shame
are navigating sleep challenges or big emotions
are ready to break generational cycles
long to feel more calm, confident, and connected
“It is in your hands to create a better world for all who live in it.”
— NELSON MANDELA