Ali Angus

Ali Angus is a trainee counsellor and a student member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), currently working towards a Diploma in Integrative Counselling. She works within The Awareness Centre’s Low Cost Service in Clapham, offering a confidential, supportive holding space where clients can speak openly, feel heard, and safely explore their difficulties. Her style is intentional, empathetic and non-judgmental. She works collaboratively with her clients to create a safe space, accompanying clients through the challenges of change and growth. Ali holds a deep belief that change is always possible, no matter where clients find themselves in the present or what has happened in the past.

In working with clients, Ali supports people of all ages facing a wide range of difficulties. She has a particular interest in working with clients dealing with the effects of childhood trauma, drawing from both her studies and her own lived experience. Ali believes that all humans have an innate capacity for hope and healing, and that counselling is valuable not just in a crisis, but as a path to good mental health through reflection and self-awareness. She particularly enjoys working creatively, using myths, images, and art materials to help clients who find expression and meaning-making beyond spoken words. Ali has an interest in supporting clients dealing with addiction and substance use, as well as those navigating family challenges. She has experience working with clients exploring sexuality, intimacy, and identity, and she is deeply attentive to how cultural backgrounds and family histories shape a person’s life.

Prior to her counselling training, Ali spent many years working psychotherapeutically in group settings, including opening a drug treatment programme and volunteering as an alcohol counsellor. She has also worked for over a decade in the charity and not-for-profit sector, successfully supporting small groups to find funding, serving as a trustee for a Patient Participation Group Network, and setting up a small grants incubator programme to support social enterprise. This rich background informs her sensitivity to the impact of wider systems, community, and life transitions on emotional wellbeing.