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​Sheila Paul is an artist, author and founder of Sincerely Sheila®. Drawing upon her lived experience of Body Dysmorphic Disorder and her journey towards self-acceptance, Sheila uses art, storytelling and lifelike baby dolls to create conversations about identity, representation, emotional wellbeing and healing.
Her work particularly celebrates Black and diverse communities, helping children and adults recognise that they deserve to feel seen, valued and represented.
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Sincerely Sheila®, formerly ITs A Doll, is based in London and makes, sells and leases ethnic and caucasian reborn lifelike baby dolls to use as a calming nurturing aid. Our dolls are hand painted making them unique. Instead of painting on canvas we paint on vinyl shaped doll limbs and the result is a piece of art you can hold, as a comforter. Our dolls are designed to appeal to adults, any ethnicity and are classified as collector's items, they are not a toy and do not meet the Toy Safety Regulations 2011 therefore should not be given to children under the age of 14.
We pride ourselves on our integrity which is why we support authentic sculptors. Our kits are purchased through legitimate nominated suppliers, artists, manufacturers and reborned as appropriate.
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Mission Statement
At Sincerely Sheila®, our mission is to use art, storytelling and lifelike reborn dolls to help people feel seen, comforted and connected. Through culturally representative creativity and lived experience, we support emotional wellbeing, self-acceptance and healing while celebrating the beauty of diversity.
Feedback
I started doing research and cried reading your story as Im bipolar south african coloured grew up in apartheid and immigrated to australia and never identified with people here. I have her as Xanthe or Xeekie (boy). It's women like you who we should all look at and see ourselves as beautiful too. You are beautiful and talented and this baby is the first african baby I know of here and her owner loved her but said sadly she had bills. I'm obssessed with her hands her haaaaair just everything. My Mum loves her and says that is an african boy like you are african hayley lol, xoxoxo
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(Hayley runs a reborn mums group in her city and advocate for miscarriage loss as well as dolls of colour).
Dominique Omeonga, a Trainee Counselling Psychologist and doctoral researcher at Middlesex University/Metanoia Institute, is currently recruiting participants for important research exploring Black British women’s experiences of living with Body Dysmorphic Disorder and engaging in psychological therapy. The study is open until December 2026.
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As someone who has lived with BDD and written Black Girl, Broken Mirror to raise awareness, particularly within the African Caribbean community, this research deeply resonates with me.
For too long, the voices and experiences of Black women have been underrepresented in conversations around BDD, mental health, body image, and therapy. This study is an opportunity to help change that.
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If you are a Black British woman with lived experience of BDD and psychological therapy, or you know someone who may be interested, please do take a look at the flyer and consider getting involved or sharing within your network.
These conversations matter. Representation in research matters. Our stories matter.
