Raising voices in vital expression for a better world.
However you communicate, your unique voice matters, and so does your quality of life.
Wild Chorus Speech & Voice Therapy exists because:
01 —
We want a world with a whole lot more embodied and empowered communication and expression, from everyone - and especially from those whose voices are most often, and most easily, silenced or marginalised.
02 —
To communicate is to relate; the foundations of our humanness. We believe that people who experience difficulties with expressing themselves, understanding and being understood should be able to get high quality support to change this if they want it. For us, this means support that puts relationship at the centre and works with the interconnectedness of bodies, minds and environments.
03 —
We want parents of children developing differently to be seen, celebrated and SUNG from the rooftops as the heroes that they are. They deserve to be held and supported as they play their exceptional part in raising the thriving diverse communities of the future.
Wild Chorus Values
Interconnectedness
The mind, body and environment of the person are interconnected and so are we as humans. Social and emotional health is linked with physical health, with all growth and development, and inextricably with speech, voice and communication.
Creativity
Humans have a great resource in their creative potential. We use creative arts practices as a means of connection. Through this creative connection we can find, tell and live the stories of ourselves that most serve and inspire us.
Embodied Change
Humans grow, heal and learn through the body. The body needs to play, to attune with others, to experience safety and pleasure in relationships and sensations, and to be deeply listened to. When we make space for this, magic happens.
Positive Change
Our therapy is not about treating symptoms or fixing people. It is about attending to and amplifying areas of health, capacity and resource. We collaborate with people to manifest positive changes as powerful creative agents of their own lives.
Social Justice
We are committed to actively anti-discriminatory practice. We want our care (and all care) to be safe and welcoming for all people. We recognise how powerful unconscious biases can be and we are committed to ongoing reflection, learning and action. We want to challenge ourselves and society to be better and work with others to do so.
Wild chorus therapies is a social enterprise. We commit to reinvesting a proportion of profits to benefit the communities we serve and to address social issues relevant to these communities.
At the moment we do this by donating to Medact (campaigning and research to reduce health inequalities) and The Loveland Foundation (because we need more Black womens’ voices freely and safely expressed, respected and heard, and we understand that there is a whole lot of trauma to be held in on that journey).
We also offer pro bono places for families and individuals who cannot afford our services.
Meet Holly Maya
🔖 Speech and language therapist MHCPC MRCSLT MASLTIP
Holly Maya has always had an interest in language, creative expression, and changing the world.
As a child you would have found her up a tree writing poems, performing songs and plays or putting the world to rights through community and activist groups.
Since graduating with a first-class degree in speech and language sciences in 2011 and winning awards for her contributions to the field, she has worked as a speech therapist in various countries and sectors, as well as a professional musician and community therapy group leader.
She has particular professional interests in the link between mental health and communication, the mind-body connection, creative arts approaches, trauma-informed practice, and embodying social justice through therapy.
In 2017 she developed a chronic health condition and embarked on a personal healing quest which lead her to completely change her life to live and work more in line with the wisdom of her body and her values.
Inspired to help others with the practices that had been transformational to her own health, she trained in yoga, somatics, voicework, and narrative therapy as well as furthering her education in speech therapy.
In 2018 Holly Maya founded an independent therapy practice enabling her to work more holistically and to practice her unique approach. An approach that unites arts and sciences, professional disciplines and her different strands of interest and expertise.
Holly now lives with her husband and two children in Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK. Through her journey as a parent and as a person with a chronic illness, she has experienced first-hand what revolutionary difference safe (enough), respectful and collaborative health and community care can make to a person’s life and those around them. She brings this ethic to her role as a helping professional and hopes to inspire others to do and expect the same.
When she's not working or studying she can be found playing with her kids, drinking tea, walking in the woods, dancing and making music with friends.
Holly’s Qualifications:
First class honours degree BSc Speech and Language Sciences, Newcastle University 2011
Yoga teacher training, Yoga Alliance accredited 200 hours in therapeutic yoga with Lorraine Taylor and Tina Nance.
Yoga teacher training, Yoga Alliance accredited 100 hours in bhakti yoga and embodied voicework with Lorraine Taylor and Yasia Leiserach.
Children and Families Yoga with Rainbow Kids.
Advanced level training in Lisn’tell live inclusive storytelling with Louise Coigley
Music for communication
PROMPT introductory and bridging levels
Evidence based practice in developmental speech and language disorders
Child and adolescent mental health, graduate certificate module at Northumbria University.
Developmental trauma and resilience
Somatic therapy approaches with Dr Raja Selvam, Oya Moore and Shelby Leigh.
Sensory Integration for communication with Amy Stevens
Experience and specialist mentoring in the fields of:
Bilingualism
Complex neurodevelopmental disorders
Stammering
Developmental Speech disorders
Communication Supporting Environments (associate researcher with Newcastle University)