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.
My experience with The Awareness Centre, and with my therapist in particular has had a transformatively positive impact on my life. I was provided with the professional and confidential help that I needed to allow me to deal with past issues and grow from them, I believe this will stay with me as I finish my course of therapy and have a great benefit going forward.
I am so grateful to have found The Awareness Centre, it has helped through some tough times and the support of my counsellor has allowed me to regain confidence in myself and life. I would recommend if anyone feels they need to talk through anything, here is definitely the place to do so. Thank you.
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 have previously worked with a few different counsellors at various stages in my life and Emma is the counsellor that I have worked with most consistently. I feel comfortable and supported and we have discussed realistic options for what the sessions will achieve. Emma is compassionate and insightful. Moreover, I appreciate the different approaches she incorporates into our sessions, whether it be Mindfulness-based techniques or ACT. My experience in the sessions with Emma has been evolving based on the use of different approaches and she helps me feel confident in challenging my perspectives and opening out how I think about some things in my life.
I was referred to The Awareness Centre via the NHS and worked with Tom during my 12 weeks. At first I was initially a bit hesitant on what therapy would entail, but straight away Tom made me feel comfortable and we developed a strong trust during our time. Tom leads his sessions with grace and a strong emotional intention by asking the right questions and getting you to explore connections between your past and present actions. Since our sessions I can already see a difference in building self confidence and self esteem. I encourage anyone who is curious about counselling and wants to prioritise their mental health to work with Tom!
Finally – an affordable, consistent counselling service that doesn’t have to cut off treatment to a deadline when you are finally getting somewhere. My counsellor has helped me to transform the way I see things, and given me the tools to go it alone. I haven’t had to worry about huge debts either. I couldn’t recommend this service enough.
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.
Magda was an excellent art therapist for our daughter aged 8. Over many sessions she helped her navigate some tricky friendship dynamics, work tougher he own feelings and give her confidence to start managing conflict herself. This greatly helped her self esteem. Magda was open and supportive and communicated well with us as parents throughout.
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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.
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