Heidi Miles Psychotherapy and Counselling

04/03/2026

For Parents, Teachers & Professionals

23/02/2026

No one is connecting the dots on SEND. More and more children need extra support with school - but that doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with our children. The problem is a school system that lacks flexibility, and which can’t accommodate the many different ways in which children learn and develop. The problem is a system which sees 'behaviour' as something to be punished, rather than feedback on a situation that isn't working.

We have a school system that prioritises test results over developmental needs, that favours control over autonomy and in which there is little time and space for meaningful relationships between adults and children. It turns too many children into failures, measuring them against a narrow academic benchmark. It punishes them for minor misdemeanours and teaches them that learning is mostly about doing what you’re told. It prioritises attendance over meaningful engagement.

Then when children show us that this doesn’t work, we say there’s something wrong with them. We say they need to attend more, try harder, put more effort in. And when that doesn’t work, then the system says they must have SEND, because why else would they need something different?

Of course SEND costs are rising, because the school system isn’t fit for the children it serves. We need an education system that start the goal of with providing what children need to thrive, not with ‘driving up standards’ or ‘100% attendance’.

More play for the younger ones. More autonomy for the older ones. More diversity of opportunity. More focus on relationships. And an emphasis on interest-led learning and finding purpose, rather than on tests and exams. It's not rocket science.

For the more you put the pressure on to get those standards up, the more of our children are squashed in the process.

17/02/2026

🧵✨ Mindful Stitching – A Gentle Hour for You ✨🧵

📅 Upcoming Dates:
• 13th March
• 17th April
• 15th May
• 19th June

In a world that rarely slows down, this is your invitation to pause.

Join me for a small, welcoming and therapeutic stitching circle — a quiet, nurturing space where you can spend an hour simply being present. Together, we’ll slow the breath, soften the mind and follow the thread as it moves rhythmically through fabric.

Mindful stitching offers a calming, grounding experience. The simple, repetitive motion of needle and thread can:

🌿 Soothe the nervous system
🧠 Gently improve focus and clarity
💛 Reduce stress and anxious thoughts
✨ Encourage a sense of achievement and inner calm

You don’t need to be experienced — this is not about perfection or productivity. It’s about noticing the feel of the fabric, the movement of your hands, and giving yourself permission to slow down.

Spaces are intentionally limited to keep the group small and supportive, so please book in advance to secure your place.

Come and experience the quiet calm of following the thread. 🕊️

13/02/2026

Yep you may be talking to a cushion in a session with me. You don’t have to but who knows. 🙂
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1bCmkwPne5/?mibextid=wwXIfr

11/02/2026

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/adoption-support-that-works-for-all

We're seeking views on a more responsive, holistic and evidence-based system of adoption support, including changes to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund.

11/02/2026

Group & Individual Clinical Supervision – Spaces Available

I currently have a slot available for group supervision, and I also offer individual supervision sessions.

If you work with parents, children, or young people — even if you are not a therapist — supervision can be hugely important in supporting both you and the people you work with.

Clinical supervision isn’t just for counsellors. It is highly beneficial for:
• Teachers
• Teaching/Support Assistants
• Social Workers
• Family support workers
• Pastoral staff
• Youth workers
• Early years practitioners

The Benefits of Clinical Supervision

✔ Safe reflective space – Time to think, process and reflect on challenging situations in a confidential, supportive environment.

✔ Emotional support – Working with children and families can be emotionally demanding. Supervision helps prevent burnout and compassion fatigue.

✔ Professional confidence – Gain clarity, reassurance and increased confidence in decision-making.

✔ Better outcomes for families – Reflective practice improves the quality of support offered to parents, children and young people.

✔ Ethical & safe practice – Explore boundaries, safeguarding concerns, and complex dynamics safely.

✔ Peer connection (in group supervision) – Share experiences, reduce isolation and learn from others in similar roles.

Supervision offers a dedicated space to pause, think and feel — something that is often missing in busy school and social care environments.

If you’d like to know more about joining the group or arranging individual supervision, feel free to get in touch.

04/02/2026

Permission

Permission to speak the thoughts that you are ashamed of.
Permission to have got things wrong.
Permission to be supported through your grief.
Permission to go at your own pace.
Permission to feel that your therapy is as important as getting your hair cut/nails done/massage etc.
Permission to own your past and present and permission to want to change your future.
Permission not to attack yourself as others may have.
Permission to feel you want to attack parts of yourself.
Permission to be different.
Permission to be the same or want to be.
Permission to feel it’s everyone and everything else.
Permission to start to feel your impact, potency and power.
Permission to be scared of that power.
Permission to know there are so many barriers to a fulfilling life and we can just start where we are right now.

03/02/2026

🌻💐🪻🌼
I’m popping to the Quilt Show in Harrogate later this week to get supplies and further creative inspiration for the mindful stitching sessions and creative process some of my clients enjoy.

It’s important as a therapist to fill your own cup to be able to be fully available for your clients.
Supervision, personal therapy and for me creativity are part of that process as well as being with loved ones and in nature.

I hope you all take even just a few minutes each day to mindfully engage in something that brings you to yourself. Maybe try and just spend a minute to focus in on a tree or bird or feel the wind on your face and know you are alive.

Photo from the quilt show website.

27/01/2026

I’m just here in the therapy space I use in Doncaster, thinking about how challenging it is for my clients to develop a sense of self.

So many have learned to give to others, to mask in order to fit in, or to sacrifice their own development just to feel loved.

Sometimes that “who am I?” feels so far away from what they thought their life would be that we need to pause and take a really close look… and maybe grieve first. We look at the fragmented parts, the relationships, and then slowly start to pull in the things they want to keep — and gently let go of the things they don’t.

Slowly, slowly.

So much of the work I do is about loss… and yet, bit by bit, we rebuild.

I feel incredibly grateful to be part of the journey and the reconstruction. You are all doing what you can with the resources you have, and you do have hope — sometimes more, sometimes less — and that matters. 💛

20/01/2026

Hello everyone 👋

I’m Heidi, a relational psychotherapist with 20 years experience based in Cawood and online.

I offer relational psychotherapy, supporting people with emotional wellbeing, relationships, life transitions, and nervous-system awareness in a grounded, compassionate way. Alongside therapy, I also facilitate mindful stitching—a slow, creative practice that supports regulation, presence, and connection through handwork. This is something I offer once a month or you can book sessions for a small group or individually.

I am also a Reiki practitioner and teacher, which I practice from a psychotherapy-informed stance. This means sessions are trauma-aware, relationally held, and integrated with psychological understanding and offered as a stand-alone energetic experience or can be integrated into your therapy in a safe and supported way. (Reiki North Yorkshire on FB)

If you’re curious, seeking support, or simply want to know what might fit for you, you’re very welcome to reach out or send a message. 🌱

Also see my website

Heidi Miles Psychotherapy, Consultation and Reiki offers online and in person support to adults seeking support and direction in overcoming life's challenges.

16/01/2026

For me this highlights the importance of the journey towards self acceptance as well as the changes needed to institutions. Being told not to click a pen, keep your foot still, not sit on your knees on a chair is missing what would actually help a child be able to be present in the neurotypical setting.

“Still” and “calm” aren’t the same thing as regulated.

I see this mix-up all the time. Movement, noise, chopping, running, shouting, singing, climbing are treated like things children do so that they can eventually sit still and listen.

But for lots of people, that movement is the regulated state.
Not a warm-up. Not a strategy. Not a stepping stone.

I know for myself there is no amount of exercise that will suddenly make sitting still feel good or accessible. That doesn’t mean I’m dysregulated. It means my flow state looks like motion, sound, rhythm, effort.