Ashleigh Murray-Khan

I currently have availability for new clients for children, adolescents and young adults aged 5–25.

Face-to-face sessions are available from The Creative Hearts Studio in Dunstable.

Please get in touch to discuss current availability, fees and whether I may be the right therapist for you or your young person.

I am a Play and Creative Arts Therapist and counsellor specialising in therapeutic work with children, adolescents and young adults aged 5–25.

My approach is creative, relational and trauma-informed. I believe therapy works best when a person feels understood, accepted and able to communicate in ways that feel natural to them.

Some young people want to talk. Others find it easier to explore what they are experiencing through art, play, metaphor, sand, movement or creative activities. Often therapy involves a combination of these approaches.

I adapt the way I work according to the individual, their age, developmental stage, personality and needs rather than expecting them to fit one particular way of doing therapy.

The therapeutic relationship is central to my practice. I aim to provide a space where children and young people can explore difficult feelings, experiences and relationships at their own pace, without pressure to have the right words or know exactly what they want to talk about.

For adolescents and young adults, therapy may also offer space to explore identity, relationships, independence, self-esteem, emotional patterns and the transition into adulthood.

Alongside my work as a therapist, I am currently training as an Integrative Adolescent Psychotherapist.

I work with children, adolescents and young adults aged 5–25 who may be experiencing social, emotional, relational or developmental difficulties.

Therapy may involve talking alongside creative arts, play, sand, metaphor, psychoeducation and other developmentally appropriate approaches. The way we work is shaped around the individual rather than following one fixed method.

Depending on the young person, our work might explore anxiety, low mood, confidence, self-esteem, relationships, identity, family changes or school pressures, difficult experiences, emotional regulation, grief and loss, or patterns that feel hard to understand or change.

I have particular experience working with children and adolescents and understand that distress does not always show itself through words. Behaviour, withdrawal, anger, anxiety, changes in relationships or difficulties at school can all communicate something about what a young person may be experiencing.

Where appropriate, I work collaboratively with parents and carers while also protecting the young person’s therapeutic space and confidentiality. The level of parental involvement will vary depending on age, developmental needs and the circumstances of the work.

My professional background includes a PGDip in Play and Creative Arts Therapy and a PQCert in Counselling Children and Young People Creatively. I am currently training as an Integrative Adolescent Psychotherapist.

The first stage is an opportunity to understand what has brought you or your young person to therapy and what support may be helpful.

When working with younger children, I will usually begin with a parent or carer conversation before individual therapy starts. With adolescents and young adults, the process is adapted according to age, circumstances and individual needs.

Early sessions focus on getting to know one another, building a sense of safety and beginning to understand what the young person would like support with.

There is no expectation to talk about difficult experiences straight away. Some young people begin by talking, while others may use creative materials, play, metaphor or simply take time to become comfortable in the therapeutic space.

We will also discuss how therapy works, confidentiality, practical arrangements and any questions you or your young person may have.

I currently have availability for new clinical supervisees.

I offer creative, relational and reflective clinical supervision for trainee, newly qualified and experienced practitioners working therapeutically with children and adolescents.

Supervision is available online across the UK and face-to-face from The Creative Hearts Studio in Dunstable.

I offer a free 20-minute introductory call to discuss your practice, supervision requirements and whether we may be a good fit.

Frequency can be agreed based on your caseload, individual needs, and any professional body or training requirements.

I am a Clinical Supervisor and Play and Creative Arts Therapist specialising in therapeutic work with children, adolescents and young adults.

My supervision style is creative, relational and reflective. I aim to offer a space where you can think deeply about your clinical work, feel supported and appropriately challenged, and develop confidence in your own therapeutic identity.

My approach is grounded in curiosity. I am interested not only in what is happening for the client, but also in the therapeutic relationship, what may be happening beneath the surface, the use of self, emotional responses to the work and the wider systems surrounding the child or young person.

Creativity can be incorporated into supervision where helpful through metaphor, imagery, objects, sand and other reflective approaches. There is no expectation to work creatively in every session; supervision is adapted to you, your practice and what you bring.

Alongside my work as a therapist and supervisor, I am currently training as an Integrative Adolescent Psychotherapist.

I provide clinical supervision for practitioners working therapeutically with children, adolescents and young adults.

I particularly welcome Play and Creative Arts Therapists, counsellors and other therapists working with children and young people, including trainee, newly qualified and experienced practitioners.

Supervision may include exploring:

• client work and clinical decision-making
  
• the therapeutic relationship and process
  
• safeguarding and ethical considerations
  
• boundaries and professional responsibilities
  
• transference, countertransference and use of self
  
• creative and developmentally appropriate practice
  
• the emotional impact of therapeutic work
  
• professional confidence and therapeutic identity
  
• training and placement experiences for trainee practitioners
  

My supervision is collaborative and reflective. I aim to create enough safety for us to think openly about uncertainty, difficult feelings and complex clinical material, while maintaining appropriate attention to accountability, ethics and safe practice.

I also offer reflective supervision for education professionals supporting children and young people.

Our first conversation is an opportunity to explore what you are looking for from supervision and whether we feel like a good fit.

We will discuss your professional background, current role and caseload, stage of training or experience, and any supervision requirements set by your training provider or professional body.

I will explain how I work, and there will be space for you to ask questions about my approach and what you would like from supervision.

If we decide to work together, we will agree practical arrangements and establish a supervision contract covering areas such as frequency, confidentiality, boundaries, responsibilities and cancellation arrangements.