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.
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.
Berenice has been so helpful to me throughout my time with her. She has created a lovely & compassionate environment where I feel safe to express myself, supported, but also challenged when needed. I feel like I have made great progress since beginning sessions with Berenice and look forward to working with her in the future.
Dilnia is an incredible therapist and I couldn’t recommend working with her enough. She is highly skilled, empathetic and creates a safe, trusting, non-judgemental space which supports her clients. She is not afraid to challenge you when needed and encourages you to step out of your comfort zone. The work we have done together has truly changed my life.
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.
Riana put me at ease from the first consultation and really took time to understand what i wanted to accomplish from our counselling sessions. She has helped me understand my self concept and limiting beliefs that have stemmed from childhood. She provided written resources that I could use to further my understanding of what i was experiencing . We got to grips with how to turn things around with my thought processes. Whilst this is work in progress for me, i am
Definitely more confident within myself and have a better awareness of how to turn my thoughts around when they are negative. Riana has helped me immensely to accept the past for what it is but not let it define who i am today. I have a high regard for her professionalism and expertise in being able to pin point and draw out my thoughts and emotions and my own awareness of how to change them to positive. I have no hesitation in recommending Riana to anyone considering counselling.
This has been my first experience of therapy and Claire has really helped me in my journey to better process the personal circumstances I have been going through. This has been through providing a safe space where I feel comfortable to discuss my emotions, as well as suggesting practices which help to manage these. I have found Claire to be extremely professional and good at what she does, and I would highly recommend Claire to anyone else looking to undertake therapy.
Riana was very easy to talk to and put me at ease from the initial consultation. We worked on areas of my self concept and limiting beliefs and how this was rooted back to childhood. Riana helped me understand my triggers and how to identify them, analyse and change my way of thinking. Within 6 sessions i felt so much more confident in being able to address my issues and i know this is ongoing work in progress. Riana is honest, caring and very professional in her approach and genuinely wants the best for her clients. I would not hesitate to recommend her to anyone considering counselling. I know that if ever i needed to return to therapy, she would be the ideal counsellor for me.
I’m so grateful to have found Laura. She has such a warm, human approach that makes it easy to open up and work through challenges. Feeling heard and supported is really important to me, and she creates a space where I feel completely safe and understood. Her guidance has already made such a difference in my life, and I’m excited to continue this journey with her. I truly appreciate her care and expertise and would recommend her to anyone looking for a compassionate and effective therapist.
Nick created an environment which made me feel extremely comfortable to share things I’d previously found extremely difficult to talk about. He helped me figure out what may be causing the way I’m feeling and approached the problem in a way which resonated for me (logical and curious). Thank you Nick, you helped me enormously.
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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