Sheila Stevenson is an inspiring speaker. Many people call her courageous. Many people want to meet with her. Why?

After enduring more than a dozen years of of every kind of child abuse the stage was set for her to move into marital strife. But, as a small child Sheila acquired a personal mantra, while hiding from her abusive parents in the crook of an old maple tree:  "There has to be a better way to live". She set out at an early age to create that better way of living. In the process, her thirst for knowledge, her diligence and determination, combined with gentle helping hands along the way have paid off. She has arrived at a place in life where she is comfortable in her own skin.

People want to know how she has accomplished this despite, or perhaps because of, the trauma in her personal life.

Sheila has an engaging way of sharing her struggles without the traumatic details. She brings levity and light into life's dark places and, helps adults of every age to better understand themselves.

Sheila enthusiastically engages her audiences, commanding and receiving their full attention.

Sheila's autobiographical work book, published in 2009, is titled HOPE for Survivors of Childhood Abuse - A Healing Journey Towards a Fulfilling Life. In it, she shares enough of her stories to gain the confidence and respect of readers. However, the Lesson Learned, the Helpful Tip and the My Journal portions that follow each chapter are what people are talking about (see below). HOPE is an acronym Sheila developed which stands for: Healing Our Powerful Emotions. Indeed, this book is garnering praise from the general public, as well as survivors of childhood abuse and professionals in the field. She is plugging away at a second non-fiction book.

Sheila balances her busy life by sharing time with her two children, four grandchildren, many friends, music, theatre, gourmet cooking and walking.

Testimonials:

"Sheila spoke from the heart and soul and I was inspired by her courage to speak on the topic of child abuse and to make it clear that it is possible to heal and move forwards. She is an excellent speaker and makes you sit up and listen to her carefully chosen words." Janice A. Kirwin, Lighten-Up Professional Organizer/Certified Senior Move Manager, London, Ontario.

"We asked Sheila to be the guest speaker at one of our Catholic Women's League monthly meetings. Sheila's book had just come out. She is a parishioner, but it was her book that drew a very strong presence at our meeting. She was very engaging and the women were obviously captivated as you could hear a pin drop. Her book is written in such a way that it is an aid. It would be an excellent resource for not only the victim of abuse, but also for anyone dealing with victims. Many of the lessons learned are lessons that everyone could benefit from. I would highly recommend Sheila's book and Sheila as a guest speaker to both men's and women's groups." - Dianne Kehoe, Co-President, St. John the Divine Catholic Women's League, London, ON

Not only did you deliver your material in a way that made it interesting, but you were able to constantly adjust your responses depending on the varying needs of individual group members. What a skill that is! Many thanks, not only for the excellent resource you shared with us, but also for the fine example of how to present oneself and one's material. You are an inspiration to us all! Cary Meyer, Peer Support Coordinator, WOTCH - My Sisters' Place, London, ON