
The Awareness Centre
The Awareness Centre (TAC) is one of London’s leading providers of in-person counselling, psychotherapy, and psychosexual and relationship therapy. Our services are BACP accredited. We also offer online appointments. We offer a warm and welcoming environment for clients seeking support for their mental health. With over 300 therapists specialising in a wide range of issues in more than 20 languages, we provide confidential therapy services tailored to adults, adolescents, and children. Whether you are looking for individual counselling or family or couples therapy, we’re here to help you find the right therapist for you – you do not need a GP referral. Call our team on 020 8673 4545 or book an appointment online.
Our Training School offers a complete professional journey from Foundation level through to our BACP Accredited Diploma in Counselling, equivalent to Levels 3–5. Our Diploma includes an in-house counselling placement, where you’ll gain meaningful experience working with real clients in a safe, supervised environment. You’ll build your skills, deepen your confidence, and graduate ready to practise. We also offer Clinical Supervision Training, empowering qualified counsellors and therapists to expand their expertise and enhance their practice. Call us on 020 3051 8235 or email training@theawarenesscentre.com.

Our Therapy Services
Therapists practicing in our private therapy service are qualified and experienced counsellors and psychotherapists and are registered or accredited. They work in person and online and are specialists in working with many issues.
We also have a team of therapists coming to the end of their training and working towards full qualification and registration who offer low-cost therapy from our Clapham & Tooting centres and online.
You do not need a GP referral to see a private therapist, unless you are using your private healthcare insurance. We work with adults, children, and adolescents and we have no waiting list for our services. Book an appointment online or call our team today on 020 8673 4545 to be referred to see a therapist at a time that works for you.
Our qualified private Counsellors, Psychotherapists and Psychosexual & Relationship therapists are all either registered or accredited with one or more of the following professional bodies.











Feeling anxious after a breakup and massive dissatisfaction with my job, uncertain as to how I could build a future, I turned to Stuart for guidance. Our weekly sessions helped me become clearer about my thoughts and feelings. Stuart is supportive, genuine, and knowledgeable, and quickly put me at ease. The sessions provided a safe, non-judgemental environment, where I felt comfortable talking about difficult problems. It was an often challenging, but ultimately extremely rewarding experience, which I’d absolutely recommend to others considering support.
Having not considered myself a ‘therapy person’ I found it difficult to bring myself to even call up about booking an appointment. I chose a therapist out of a few names provided and honestly everything changed for me once I started my sessions. Lesley was my saving grace in what was probably the toughest year I’ve experience so far in my life; I was apprehensive to share, to admit I didn’t have everything under control or figured out but literally from 15 minutes into my first session all of those feelings melted away and I was able to work through these obstacles in a safe space with the most incredible guide I could have asked for. To describe Lesley’s sessions as life-changing is no exaggeration. I am forever grateful for having found her.
I’ve been seeing Philippa regularly for the last 6 months and it has been a total game-changer for me. She’s helped me to explore my patterns of thinking and find ways to recognise and reframe them and has also helped me to understand where they come from so that I can address the root cause. She also manages to be really objective and firm whilst being friendly and engaging which is an amazing combination. I feel stronger and more positive now than I have in a long time.
I started therapy really down and broken I was overly anxious about everything big and small, through the course of our time together Valeria has really helped me understand my feelings and emotions better, she’s has recommend literature and meditation practices that have helped see the bigger picture when I start to get down or depressed. I am an overall better person now my relationships with those closer to me has improved because I am not so self involved (or at least I try not to be) and my relationship with myself has also improved as I try to be kinder to myself. What a life changing experience, couldn’t have done it without Valeria.
After the sudden death of a close friend, which had followed on from the sudden death of another good friend, I began to experience anxiety attacks. They were serious enough that I attended hospital by ambulance. I came to therapy with Donna in order to cope with bereavement. However, through her probing questions, I was able to understand where I was in terms of my life and also the loss I had felt of my inner optimism and vibrancy.
From the first session, I began to feel deep relief within myself and since then I can think of my friends and family without having an attack. I also feel liberated from the closed in feeling that I had carried with me for a while and I have regained much of my confidence both personally and professionally. I think that Donna was able to understand what I needed straight away and I am grateful for the space to be able to speak freely about my emotions without feeling judged.
When my partner and I hit a bumpy patch due to the pressures of life, we found ourselves struggling to communicate and truly listen to one another. I realised we needed a helping hand, but not just anyone. We wanted someone who genuinely cared, rather than simply following a set process. After reading many therapist biographies, Joy’s really stood out to me, so we took a leap of faith and booked an appointment.
From the very first session, Joy was warm, engaging, and deeply attuned to both of our personalities. She created a safe space where we each felt heard, giving us the time to express our feelings while gently helping us understand each other’s perspectives. The thoughtful “homework” she gave us also helped us recognise and change some ingrained habits.
We genuinely enjoyed the process, and now that our sessions have ended, we both find ourselves missing Joy. We were so impressed that we recommended her to my partner’s sister, who also found her session hugely beneficial. We would wholeheartedly recommend Joy to anyone seeking relationship support.
I attended Shirley, to treat me for PTSD, which I had for 2 years. It had gotten to crisis point. The guidance and help I received from Shirley was exceptional. Shirley introduced me to EMDR, which worked incredibly well for me. She guided me through each step and checked in with me at all times. I was amazed at how quickly I came to terms with the trauma that brought me to be treated by Shirley. I am continuing with good mental health, and am very grateful for Shirley’s expertise and professional skills. I have had therapy sporadically over a long period of time and would rate Shirley as being one of the best. I would highly recommend her therapeutic skills and knowledge.
The counselling and guidance I received by Joy at the awareness centre has been invaluable and a huge help during a challenging time in my life.
Having been in and out of therapy for many years I found the approach and support to be very helpful and it enabled me to find clarity and the ability to not just face the many challenges in my life but start to deal with them. I am very grateful and would highly recommend Joy to anyone and everyone who would benefit from additional support through therapy. As hard and challenging as it was I always left feeling enlightened and lighter which was a huge lift at a difficult time. I found myself looking forward to the session every week. Thank you Joy.
BOOK AN APPOINTMENT
Low-Cost Counselling & Psychotherapy Service at The Awareness Centre
We believe in making therapy accessible to everyone. We offer affordable therapy at our Clapham and Tooting centres and online, with therapists coming to the end of their training at our training school or with our external training providers. Our trainee counsellors and psychotherapists are carefully selected and develop their clinical experience with The Awareness Centre, while working towards full qualification and registration.
Whether you need short or long-term support, our trainee counsellors and psychotherapists are here for you. They offer confidential, affordable support from Monday to Saturday. Book an appointment online or call our team today to be referred to see a therapist at a time that works for you.
We Are Here For You
The Awareness Centre is open Monday- Saturday, with early appointments from 7am and the latest sessions at 9pm. Book an appointment online at a time that works for you, or call us on 020 8673 4545.
Our clinical team is on hand to assist you in deciding what type of therapy is right for you. We’ll talk to you about what you’re experiencing and help you take the right step forward.
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Introducing A Bunch of Therapists – a new podcast opening the door to real conversations from inside the therapy room.
Ever wondered what makes therapists… therapists? Step into a world where mental health professionals become the storytellers, sharing their own raw, unfiltered journeys and insights. Join hosts Michaela McCarthy and Dipti Solanki as they flip the script, turning candid conversations with fellow therapists into powerful revelations about the human experience – from both sides of the couch.
Whether you’re in therapy, considering it, or simply curious about how it works, this podcast offers real insight into the therapeutic journey – what it feels like, why it matters, and how it can change lives.
New episodes every Thursday.

We provide short-term NHS Talking Therapies in Lambeth, Sutton and Wandsworth. Our counsellors and psychotherapists are either in training or have qualified in many approaches to therapy. We offer face-to-face or online sessions. You can self-refer or be referred by your GP. All NHS clients must be 18+.
The NHS will triage you for this counselling service by phone. Therapists work with clients who want to explore their symptoms of anxiety and depression.
BOOK AN APPOINTMENT
Take the first step and book your counselling appointment today. We do not have a waiting list.
FAQs
The first step in starting counselling is to find a therapist you can work with. If you’d like to make a start, check out our team of therapists to see which have the experience and expertise for the issues you’re bringing to therapy.
If you’d like more guidance in deciding on the specific mental health services or professionals that are right for you, please call our team on 020 8673 4545 and they will point you in the right direction.
If you are seeking private therapy or low cost counselling , you can self-refer and call us on on 020 8673 4545 or book an appointment online. However, you do need to be registered with a GP to use the low cost service. If you are using your private healthcare insurance to pay for your therapy, you will need a GP referral. For our NHS counselling service, you can either self-refer or be referred by your GP.
Once you’re booked in for an appointment, your therapist will call to confirm day and time, check any details, and to answer any practical questions you might have. Your counsellor won’t be able to provide a therapy session on the phone before you start. You’ll be able to talk about your issues during your first full session.
We don’t offer interpreters for our low-cost and private counselling services; however, our multilingual therapists offer counselling in over 20 languages.
Our Diploma in Integrative Counselling was accredited by BACP in May 2024. BACP do not accredit Foundation Certificate or Supervision courses. However, our courses are created according to BACP guidelines and the competence framework for supervision.
We welcome students with no formal qualifications or previous experience to join our Foundation Certificate In Counselling. To join our Diploma in Integrative Counselling you will need the TAC Foundation Certificate in Counselling, or equivalent qualification from another training provider. For the Diploma in Clinical Supervision, you need to be a qualified counsellor, psychotherapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist. Please see the individual course pages for more detail about enrolment requirements.
Our courses are not currently eligible for student finance. However, we do offer a direct debit monthly payment system to support your monthly budget

















































