Leonie der Kinderen

Leonie

Thanks to my background in drama therapy and dramatic improvisation, I enjoy working with practical, creative and body oriented exercises. My workshops and therapy sessions facilitate a safe space to reflect and practice in a playful and explorative way. There are many ways to learn, and I enjoy the challenge of creating customized learning experiences for people of groups. 

As a therapist I find it important to work within an equal and consensual relationship. I find the therapeutic relationship to be a very important and fruitful part of the therapy. I find working around self-esteem and the relationship with self to frequently be a vital part of personal development or recovery. Which means I often weave this into the treatment. I also often find it effective to pay extra attention to body awareness, physiology and meditation. 

Therapeutic background

During my training as a drama therapist, I focused on adolescents with personality problems, a target group where my humour and my enthusiasm were appreciated. Afterwards I started working within a company that focused on children with developmental problems (ADHD, autism). In addition to therapeutic counselling, I also went into the woods with these children and built dens in which we ate food the kids and me prepared together. Later, I enjoyed working with adults with mild cognitive and behavioural disabilities within a wonderfully dynamic team where there was plenty of room for experimenting with structure to improve the quality of care in our department. After this I broadened my work experience working with incredibly beautiful and challenging young children with severe mental and physical disabilities. Where I enjoyed enhancing their development through doing arts and crafts, play and making music together. When I started to shape Centrum Vaktherapie with Casper Maas and Sirik de Jong I worked simultaneously at within Koraalgroep, an institution that focuses on young people with a mild intellectual disability and behavioural problems. At these places I gained experience in various methods within drama therapy, behavioural therapeutic frameworks, training in social skills and collaboration with various disciplines within the healthcare sector. Within Centrum Vaktherapie I mostly see adults in individual therapy settings next to creating many different workshops in which I use my therapeutic background to facilitate personal growth.

Workshops

Communication
In workshops about conversation skills I combine theory and practical exercises. Focusing on dialogue offers the opportunity to improve communication and conversation skills such as listening, empathy and (self)reflection.
Body oriented
Dramatic therapy focuses on non-verbal communication and self expression. It focuses on the experience of the body. I really enjoy the workshops in which we explore mainly (non-verbal) contact or expression, for example through improvisation, dance or theatre.
Improvisation
Improvisation is a wonderful way to practice social skills in a playful and humorous way. In addition, it is a fantastic comfort zone enhancer. I mainly focus on improvisation within theatre and movement.
Assertiveness and Boundaries
When you involve your body in reflecting on personal boundaries, it often brings clarity in past experiences, feelings and preferences in contact with others. Assertiveness is best learned with practical exercises such as role-playing.
Relationships and Intimacy
Within these subjects, I mainly focus on consensual contact. How can you shape relationships consciously in collaboration? Consentwork includes boundaries, self awareness, assertiveness, open communication and tuning into the other.
Tailor made workshop?
I regularly give workshops on location for external clients. (Improvisation lessons at schools, workshops in consent and boundaries in higher education, team building activities). Feel free to contact me with specific questions or to request a quotation.
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Reviews

Guido
GuidoCliënt dramatherapy
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"The most relevant thing I have gained is that I now recognize when I am no longer in contact with my deepest inner self and that I can restore that contact. Being connected to your deepest self makes your life so much richer and calmer. Leonie acknowledged this in a perfect way, she understood what was wrong and was able to approach this from different angles. My compliments for that!"
Natalie
NatalieCliënt dramatherapy
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"Thanks to your help, I became ready to be a mother. Thank you for your wonderful help!"
Monique
MoniqueMother of a dramatherapy client
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"I think, no, I'm sure that you were a good addition to the children here at school. You understood Jesse so well so quickly. How you interacted with him and the result of this was great. I was amazed and very impressed by your approach. People with an understanding like you had with children are rare."
Hannelore
HanneloreCourse participant
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"I followed a DvT course at Centrum Vaktherapie and had a very good experience! The theory was interesting and the guidance was good! Certainly an added value in Maastricht! Great!"
Sanne
SanneParticipant workshops
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"Thanks for the - again- successful evening! 🙂 All the activities I attended were great. With your creativity and enthusiasm, it couldn't be any other way!"
Ingeborg
IngeborgBuurttheater Maastricht
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"We have only worked together for a brief time. But I have experiences you as a nice and capable person. Thank you for your understanding, support and time!"
Lea Stoicheva Chan
Lea Stoicheva Chan Participant of improv Group
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"I can strongly recommend the improv classes! It has always been so much fun, a true stress relieve and somehow by exploring different characters I got to know myself more and always went out with more confidence of who I want to be. Leonie is a fantastic leader - creating a welcoming environment for everyone, no matter if you are an experienced improv lover or if it is your time. The games she leads us into have always been fun and thought provoking! Thank you very much for organizing such incredible improv sessions! The fruits of your work are shown in everyone who has been to your classes :)"
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Centrum Vaktherapie

Centrum Vaktherapie was founded in 2015 by expressive art therapists Sirik de Jong, Casper Maas Leonie der Kinderen (sole company owner since 2020). Over the years, they have entered into inspiring collaborations with other healthcare professionals who endorse the value of embodied and experience based treatment. Thanks to the different backgrounds and qualities of the founders and their collaborating partners, a good foundation has been established during the first years. The co-creation around the shaping of treatment, research and inspiring events has enriched Centrum Vaktherapie as well as its teammates, volunteers and cooperation partners.

Objectives

We strive to maintain a network of dedicated healthcare professionals in order to improve the quality and continuity of our care. We do this by collaborating and maintaining contact with other healthcare professionals in Maastricht. In collaboration with other organisations such as Hogeschool Zuyd, we contribute to research within expressive arts therapy. Within our range of activities and treatments, we often make use of art forms. Theatre, music, dance and visual arts have been ways of expressing personal and social issues for centuries. Important social themes can be addressed and influenced through art. In this way we bring about social changes and at the same time we grow in our development as human beings. Within our range of activities and treatments, we often make use of the arts. Theatre, music, dance and visual arts have been ways of expressing personal and social issues for centuries. Important social themes can be addressed and influenced through art. In this way we bring about social changes and at the same time we grow in our development as human beings.

Impression

Articles written by Leonie

Consent

This article is a reflection on your (intimate) boundaries, it speaks about consent workshops originating from a collaboration between Consent Matters Maastricht and Centrum Vaktherapie.

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drama therapy

Drama Therapy

Drama therapy is expressive and is ideal for practicing new behaviours or working around emotion regulation. Within drama therapy, many non-verbal methodologies around play and theater are used.

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