Maia Kruger
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This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Hi, my name is Maia. I have over ten years experience as a qualified integrative art psychotherapist, using a trauma-informed approach to help people with PTSD and CPTSD as well as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, and neurodiversity and gender identity. I work in person and online.
The process of making art and reflecting on it with an Integrative Art Therapist can be profoundly rewarding. As a dyslexic person, I often found difficulty expressing my thoughts and feeling with words, and as such I turned away from traditional talking-based therapy and found a new language to express myself and understand others by training as an art therapist.
Art therapy can reveal areas in which we are stuck, where our belief systems cause internal conflicts and create problems with our relationships with others and ourselves. You don't need to be a great artist to find value in it: we all have the capacity to create and express ourselves when given the right environment. Words can only translate our unconscious processes -- art therapy allows us to truly embody and express them.
The prolonged stress that we all face post-pandemic has left many with chronic physiological and psychological illnesses. However, I would like to offer you this space where all of you is welcome and where growth and transformation can take place to create new hope.
Techniques I use:
Trauma informed Integrative Arts Therapeutic Interventions and Preventions.
Body Mapping
Somatic Techniques
Art Based E.M.D.R.
Re-Scripting
Neuroception
If you have any questions about the art materials and techniques I use, please feel free to contact me and we can have a complimentary introductory session.
All my best,
Maia
Training, qualifications & experience
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EDUCATION, TRAINING AND QUALIFICATION.
2024-2025 – EMDR training in progress. This is a six-month accredited qualification.
2024- ADHD certificate course
2022-2023 Introduction and 1st semester into sacral cranial Psychotherapy.
2022-2023- CERTIFICATE PROGRAM - Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy
2022- Embodied Social justice certificate
2022- Healing trauma -Peter Levine
2021- Applied Polyvagal theory in yoga 1
2021 -Applied Polyvagal theory in yoga 2 and 3
2018-Two-day training and volunteering at St John’s Hospice.
2017- Tavistock Therapeutic Intervention with Dementia.
2016-Observational placement at Forensic/Psychiatric secure unit (Men’s only)
2012-2016 Masters in Integrative Arts Psychotherapy. (4 years part-time) HCPC.
2012- Counselling using the Arts course at IATE.
2012- Higher diploma in Therapy and Education in Art.
2000-05 - Fine Art and Art in the community degree.
Work experience as self Employed.
2024 – Songololo-feet has been delivering weekly group Art Therapy sessions with Clozaril patients at community house N9 0PZ
2024- Weekly somatic swimming for adults with long term mental health at Southbury leisure centre.
2024 - Songololo-feet takes over the running of Enfield clubhouse.
2023 – Enfield Young Peoples Drug Services.
1/1Trauma informed Art therapy sessions which had been referred to us.
2022-2024 Manager at Enfield clubhouse.
Adult mental health charity with enduring mental health issues.
2018-2022 Deputy manager at Enfield clubhouse (Adult mental health charity)
2021-2024 Nest and Growing wings Art therapy groups for Adults with long term mental heath issues.
2020- Thrive hive and “thrive hive thrives” Art therapy group and one on one sessions for young adults.
2017-18 Honorary position within City and Northwest NHS.
Facilitating on a project called Arts in Health in partnership with the Welcome trust.
.2017- Art Therapist at Sharp End over 50’s (part time)
2016- Art Therapist at Centre for better health.
2016 - Set up private practice
2015- Consultation work with Greenwich council.
“Art Therapeutic Intervention and prevention programme”.
2012 -2017 Praxis refugee charity
This position was a placement 5-year work experience
2011 – 2015 Core Arts Adult Mental Health Charity
I facilitated as a textile tutor for 5 years.
2011-2018 – Greenwich children services.
Facilitating annual school projects called “Anti-bullying road show” and Stepping – up. These projects were set up to target vulnerable children at transitional stage.
2008-2011- Hackney Youth clubs facilitating customizing clothing
Running workshops with young people on housing estates affected by gang violence. Our main objective was to provide a creative space where young people could meet and learn new skills
2007- Exchanging traditions
With a group of Somalian and Asian women worked together to bridge together their cultures through print.
2005-2008 East end of London schools.
Therapeutic arts workshops into schools
2004 - Hackney city farm.
Mums and toddler’s textile printing workshops
2004 – Co- Founder of Songololo-feet.
A non-for-profit Therapeutic Arts Organisation
Working with hard-to-reach grassroots communities in London. Using the power of Art as a nonverbal form of communication and wellbeing.
HOBBIES and INTERESTS.
In my spare time I enjoy swimming, gardening and travelling.
I am a practising artist and have a zest for life especially to do with sustainable living.
Cooking vegetarian food.
I’m a seasoned open water swimmer,
I love Walking and exploring and spending quality time with my family.
I’m well-travelled and fascinated about others social, political and cultural views.
Member organisations
school Registered / Accredited
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They keep a register of health professionals who meet their standards, and they take action if registered health professionals fall below those standards. They were created by a piece of legislation called the Health Professions Order 2001.
Registration means that a health professional meets national standards for their professional training, performance and conduct.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£65.00 per session
Free initial online session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
I offer a complimentary initial introductory session of 50mins.
After that, I charge £65 per 50 minute individual session.
I also offer a £45 reduced rate for refugees and people on low income.
When I work
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Monday - Thursday 6pm-9pm
Weekends 10am-6pm
Further information
During my fine art and Art in the community degree I set up my non-for-profit Therapeutic Arts organisation using printed textiles as an unconscious form of communicating especially with those whose English was not their first language and others that found it difficult to express themselves. This allowed me to place myself alongside many members of grass roots communities which helped raise my awareness of the significance of the arts as a therapeutic intervention and a self-expression tool in terms of developing insight, whilst skill sharing.
My curiosity piqued when noticing repetitive patterns been played out in family units and drawing on similarities within my country of origin, South Africa drew my attention to parallel phenomena being played out across cultures which created my driving force behind upskilling to become an Integrative Art Psychotherapist.
We now recognise this as trauma which profoundly affects our minds and bodies. We looked at how trauma, often caused by stress greatly increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and some autoimmune disorders as well as many of the more severe mental health problems. We looked at body memories and how our experience of pain is influenced by our psychological state.
But, after working in this area for the past 20 years I’d like to consider, what is we flip the coin? How does the state of our body influence our mind and emotions? Thinking about how our mental health – things like our mood, our emotions, even our compulsions – are at least in part driven by our physiology system: how the bacteria in our gut may influence our mental state; how depression and anxiety may be generated by inflammation and our immune system; how our hormones and nervous systems could impact how we think, feel and act.
Often when we encounter difficulties, we often forget the 3 words eat, sleep and exercise. I like to consider the goal for many trauma-informed- approach is to remember the 3 words, self-regulation with the addition of one extra word, socialisation. I by no means discounting the need of medication!
This form of art therapy, informed by overarching theories and the unique needs of our grass roots communities is fundamentally driven by goals of social inclusion, empowerment, and stigma reduction whilst creating and strengthening community voices and sustainability especially post pandemic.
This form of Engagement including the arts is becoming widely accepted as a method for promoting quality of life in survivors of mental health issues. My purpose is promoting autonomy and independence and fulfilling individual needs to be meaningfully engaged or occupied, thereby possibly increasing their ability to engage in the community around them.
