The Awareness Centre
The Awareness Centre (TAC) is one of London’s leading providers of in-person and online counselling, psychotherapy, and psychosexual and relationship therapy. Our services are BACP accredited. 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 Certificate level through to our BACP Accredited Diploma in Counselling, equivalent to Levels 3–5. With our Diploma, there is an opportunity for 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 a Diploma in Clinical Supervision, empowering qualified counsellors and therapists to expand their expertise and enhance their practice. During the course, trainee supervisiors have access to an in-house supervision placement to support them in building valuable experience with supervisees. 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.
Trainee counsellors and psychotherapists can access therapy with one of our qualified therapists at a reduced fee while completing their professional training.
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.
Working with Jackie has been an incredibly positive experiences I’ve had for my mental and emotional wellbeing. From our very first session, she created a safe, welcoming space where I felt genuinely heard and understood. Her compassionate approach, combined with thoughtful questions and practical tools, helped me gain clarity and confidence in navigating challenges that had put me in a very difficult place.
I never felt judged – only supported. Over the past few months, I’ve noticed real improvements in how I communicate and importantly care for myself. I’m truly grateful for the guidance and professionalism from Jackie. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a therapist who is skilled, kind, and deeply committed to their job.
Holly was very warm right from the start and I felt I could be completely honest with the thoughts and feelings I had through a very challenging period of changes in my family life. Our weekly sessions gave me an opportunity to take stock of what was happening, acknowledge the pace of change and how I was responding. In fact, I returned to Holly a while later when circumstances became more challenging again as I knew how beneficial it was to have that regular time and space to reflect and clarify my thoughts.
Last year, I went through some traumatic events and was recommended EMDR therapy. Shirley’s professionalism and guidance not only helped me process these experiences but also uncovered some underlying conflicts that had been weighing on me subconsciously. I am very grateful to Shirley and wholeheartedly recommend her services.
Had a good experience with The Awareness Centre when my son did some counselling with Magda Florek in preparation for secondary school. Her approach through art worked really well with our son, who is on the quiet side, and she had some practical advice and reassuring commentary at the end of our round of sessions.
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 have been working with Tom for the last 6 months. From the outset he was warm kind and compassionate, listening intently to me describe my emotions, feelings and behaviours. This created a safe space where I feel completely accepted and respected, enabling me to be honest and open in I way I never have been before. Over the this time, our way of working together has developed and I have gained greater clarity and confidence from it. I feel more empowered to say how I feel and ask for what I want to those I love and who love me. Tom is a fantastic therapist and incredible person. Thank you!
Phil was an excellent therapist, both giving me space to speak my mind to the conclusion of a thought, and then at the appropriate time stepping in to suggest new ways of seeing my emotions in context. I’ve emerged from the experience enriched and better able to perceive the perspectives of others in my life and relationships, without negating my own emotions within them. I would highly recommend speaking with Phil if you have a situation in your life which you feel a lack of control over – his calm, patient and kind approach was invaluable in navigating several very difficult months for me.
I brought my 7 year old son for a session with Esmie and it immediately unlocked all his worries. The way she handled him (and me) with care, humour but also practicality meant we went away from the session with both him and me feeling that we’d had a major breakthrough. He asked if he could go back again because he liked her so much!
Esmie has been a godsend to us, at a most challenging time for my teenage son. She took time to listen and understand what was needed. I felt heard by her. In a relatively short time of working with him she has managed to gain his trust and allow him to open up, in a way that other therapists haven’t been able to do after a year of therapy. She has supported me through this process generously taking the time to feedback when appropriate so that I can best support my son through his difficulties. Because of her he will finally get the right help he needs which means he will be able to move forward and thrive managing the situation appropriately. Esmie has been so accommodating to fit around the difficulties we had with fitting in sessions due to shared custody arrangement. She has made easy work of navigating this process with our fraught & challenging back ground. Her professional but compassionate approach to this work has meant I feel safe in the knowledge my son is in safe hands.
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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 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.
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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