I enjoyed my sessions with John and found them helpful. He is very good at listening and understanding your problem and concentrates on how to help you.
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 [email protected].
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.
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 reception team today on 020 8673 4545 to be referred to see a therapist at a time that works for you.
Our qualified private counsellors and psychotherapists are all either registered or accredited with one or more of the following professional bodies.
I have found a real safe space to work through some extremely difficult and painful things which Ella has facilitated for me. She has always been professional and although the process is extremely hard sometimes I trust that I’m in safe hands which is hugely due to how Ella has navigated our sessions. I look forward to the rest of the process.
Due to my life circumstances I knew I would only be able to have a very short course of therapy – I am so glad I was matched with Jill; I gained an outsized amount of new insight in our sessions. I found Jill to be very warm in her style and I felt comfortable opening up to her from the outset – she was an incredibly supportive listener as I wept through her box of tissues in our first session! I also particularly appreciated that in our sessions she went beyond just listening to an extent that not all therapists I have seen in the past have done – Jill asked specific follow-up questions to get me to explore and drill down into deeper layers of self-awareness – and she offered challenge, and, when appropriate, her own wise opinion, which I found really beneficial. I finished the sessions with a feeling of having shored up my resilience for approaching life-changes, and with some new behavioral / mindset interventions to put into practice to enhance my experience of day-to-day life. I would definitely recommend Jill as a therapist.
I worked with Anna over the course of 8 counselling sessions and I have found these sessions extremely helpful. Anna set some clear objectives and an initial timeline for our work together. She was professional but also friendly and approachable so I found myself at ease very quickly and was able to share more and more over our sessions together.
I felt that Anna genuinely cared about my story and while she was a wonderful listening ear, she also gave me ideas and avenues to explore in order to move forward, by interpreting how my past experiences may have shaped the person I am now and the challenges I sometimes struggle with. Her warmth and her absolute belief that anyone can change and have a healthier relationship with themselves was a great comfort to me.
After 8 sessions, I find myself with some great tools to move forward and achieve the change I am seeking. Anna has taught me that the most important thing of all is being kind and patient to myself and I am very glad I worked with her. I would be completely happy to recommend Anna to anyone who is looking for a good counsellor.
I started therapy regularly with David a couple of years ago when I was at rock bottom and going through a lot in my personal life which I couldn’t see a way forward. He massively helped me to understand my feelings, deal with past traumas and navigate to a place where I was able to get back to work and come off antidepressants. Luckily I have only had to have 2 ad hoc sessions since stopping therapy but overall I’m in a really good place. I have David to thank for being so understanding and using techniques / exercises to help me through this. I know if I ever needed therapy again I would go to him and couldn’t recommend him enough.
My short time at The Awareness Centre has been most fruitful. It is a place that from the get-go was warm and friendly. My initial phone call to the centre in order to set up standing appointments was a refreshingly friendly and encouraging experience.
Since I have started 1-to-1 sessions here at the centre, I have found that I am learning more about myself in a safe environment. I find that I feel heard in my sessions but not pandered to or dismissed, which I had not experienced before when I previously sought help.
I would recommend this centre to others seeking therapy, as my experience is very positive.
I began seeing Sylvia about 2 months ago. From the first session, Sylvia made me feel heard and understood. The environment made me feel extremely safe and very relaxed. I was able to open up to her in a way I’ve never done before and she really helped me put all the pieces back together with regards to my past anxieties. She really took the time to listen to me about past family issues and other personal issues and made me understand myself more. I have truly gained so much more confidence in myself and understand why I was the way I was and she has helped me to use my voice in such a positive way. I would highly recommend Sylvia because she really dedicates her time to listen and is so supportive. Working with Sylvia was one of the best decisions I have made.
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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, 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 seven days a week. Book an appointment online or call our reception 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 seven days a week, 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 reception team is always 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.
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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