Coaching & Counselling
Find your way back to your own voice.
We often get asked what the difference is between coaching and counselling/therapy and the truth is that there’s a lot of nuances needed in the answer. So let’s break it down.
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Psychotherapy
A reparative process that is accredited and safe to work with mental illnesses. There may be a focus on the past to heal emotional wounds and trauma, as well as some action points to work through those. On a baseline, clients may desire support to move from a state of dysfunction to function. Psychotherapists are legally required to have the relevant education, training, and license to practise (we only have the safest Associates to work with!)
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Coaching
A developmental, action-orientated partnership that focuses on the present to help you set goals and move towards them and may look at past successes to help springboard from. On a baseline, clients may need support to reach higher levels of performance or personal fulfilment. Coaches do not have to go through as rigorous training as psychotherapists (although, it this is a prerequisite for our company because we value client safety so highly).
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The Muted Healing Approach
Neither service is about fixing you or offering a ‘one-size-fits-all’ prescription. We create the conditions in which you can hear your own wisdom clearly enough to gain clarity, healing, and action. Our work is grounded in Positive Psychology and Appreciative Inquiry, meaning we begin with what’s already strong in you, not what’s broken. We ask; “what do you need?” rather than “what’s the matter with you?” Every person who works with us brings different needs, different histories, and different goals, as outlined below. We respond to all of them. Together, we create the conditions for the silenced parts of you to become audible again.
Do not cut the person to fit the cloth.
Areas we work in
You don’t have to explain the whole context before we begin.
We hold experience across a wide range of life areas. Some clients come with one clear goal. Others are carrying several things at once. Both are fine.
Career development & transitions
Direction, progression, pivoting, purpose
Mental Health & Wellbeing
including anxiety, depression, (C)PTSD, burnout and stress recovery
Neurodivergent support
ADHD, autism, dyslexia, late diagnosis, masking fatigue
Cultural identity & belonging
Hyphenated identities, South Asian heritage, code-switching
Relationships & communication
Boundaries, patterns, family dynamics, self-advocacy, intergenerational trauma/strengths
Spirituality & meaning
Faith, purpose, existential questions — held without agenda
Productivity & patterns
Breaking cycles, goal-setting, values-aligned living
Coping with life events
Grief, loss, diagnosis, major transitions
Leadership & professional identity
Especially for first-gen and global majority professionals in leadership
The People
Practitioners who practice what we preach.
Every practitioner at Muted Healing is trauma-informed, properly accredited, and committed to showing up as the whole human they are — not a neutral professional behind a clipboard. We believe the relationship is the work.
Afsar Ali
FOUNDER · POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY COACH
I built Muted Healing from personal experience with trauma, healing, and the particular weight of a hyphenated identity. My coaching is grounded in Positive Psychology and Appreciative Inquiry — we begin with what’s already working in you, and build from there. I specialise in neurodivergent coaching, cultural identity, burnout recovery, and supporting professionals who are doing well on paper and exhausted underneath it.
I believe the coach-client relationship should feel like a warm cup of tea, not a performance review. My door is always a conversation first.
Mariyam Qureshi
PSYCHOTHERAPIST · MBACP-406759
Muted Healing mirrors the values I bring into my own practice operating from a person-centred, and culturally responsive place. I specialise in supporting people going through difficult chapters like anxiety, depression, grief, chronic illness, relationship difficulties, and the exhaustion that comes from navigating religious or cultural pressures. I hold space within a psychotherapeutic and ethical framework that honours both the clinical and the deeply personal aspect.
Whatever brought you here, I am glad you came!
Trusted By
How We Work
No commitment before we’ve even spoken.
Every coaching relationship at Muted Healing begins the same way — with a conversation. Here’s what to expect from there.
Free chemistry call
15–30 minutes to meet, get a feel for each other, and ask anything you need to. No obligation, no awkwardness. We’re establishing whether we’re a good fit — together.
Initial session
After establishing fees and contracts, your first full session is booked in. We explore where you are, your goals, and how you’d like to work.
Ongoing support
We work at your rhythm – weekly, fortnightly, or as needed. Sessions can be 1-2 hours (decided together in stage 2). We review progress together and adjust as life does what life does.
Your pace, always
Some people work with us for six weeks. Others for years. There’s no right answer. When you’re ready to pause or close, we do that thoughtfully — not abruptly.
Fees & Structure
Bespoke pricing. Flexible where it matters.
We discuss fee structures individually during your chemistry call.
The options below give you a starting point and where you are unable to be funded by your organisation, we can still discuss sliding scale and concession rates as we still take a few clients each year at a ‘pay-what-you-can’ rate.
Get in touch to ask.
Individual
Single Session
60-minute coaching session
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One-to-one with Afsar or an associate
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Online or in-person (London)
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Preceded by a free chemistry call
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Sliding scale available on request
Exact fees discussed during your chemistry call.
Most Popular
Coaching Package
Block of sessions – greater continuity
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6 or 12-session packages
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Discounted from single-session rate
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Best for sustained, meaningful change
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Progress reviews built in
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Pause and resume with notice
Ideal if you know you’re in this for the longer arc.
Organisations
Corporate & Teams
Bespoke – from workshops to retained coaching
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Workshops, resilience, strengths, DEI
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Retained 1:1 coaching for employees
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Psychologically safe team facilitation
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Bodymind away-days
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Full proposal on request
Get in touch to discuss scope and budget.
The first step is just a conversation.
Book your free 15–30 minute chemistry call. No commitment required. We’ll see if we’re the right fit — and if we’re not, we’ll do our best to point you to someone who is.
What Clients sAY
Those who found their voice said:
Coaching Client Testimonial #1
Afsar is a fantastic coach, and is a pleasure to speak with. He is brilliant at listening to all of your cluttered, messy thoughts and being able to summarise what you are saying in a way that makes your overwhelmed confusion make sense. I find myself leaving our sessions with a level of clarity I haven’t had before, and feeling fully heard and listened to. His approach of being able to discuss and understand the root cause of some feelings, perceptions and difficulties whilst keeping the session forward-thinking, positive and proactive is thoroughly refreshing and efficient. I highly recommend Afsar!
Coaching Client Testimonial #2
Coaching has allowed me to feel as if my troubles are manageable. For quite some time, I have felt like the issues I am dealing with are too great of a challenge to resolve so I must learn how to shoulder this heavy weight. However, the practical tools coaching has put in place has once again demonstrated how I don’t have to live with the issues rather, I can combat the issues using the step by step guidance provided. It genuinely feels like a huge relief knowing that I don’t have to live with the issues I’m facing.
Coaching Client Testimonial #4
As stated above, I am only 2 sessions in and I have found Afsar to be incredibly valuable already. Afsar has given me tools, techniques and resources to deal with both immediate and medium term challenges. Afsar pauses at the right time, gives me time and support at the right moments, completely understands me and I feel safe in his presence within our sessions, to talk about everything. Afsar is also able to keep the sessions focused, on time and to agreed outputs as well as letting the sessions organically flow where required.