Graeme Winthrop | Director.

Graeme moved to Phnom Penh in 2015, initially to serve as the director of Flame Cambodia, an organization that helps children who live in slum communities. After leading Flame Cambodia through a period of growth and re-organization, Graeme joined the pastoral team at International Christian Assembly (ICA) working in children’s ministry, Chinese ministry, and also a ministry for ex-drug addicts.

Graeme’s passion encompasses seeing people thrive and reach their potential as well as seeing organizations reach excellence and grow to achieve their vision. Graeme’s background before coming to Cambodia includes leadership in business as mission work in China, Laos, and Vietnam for 12 years as well as project management in New Zealand for 15 years.

Ange McCann-Bateman | Counsellor (based in Australia) | B.A. of Counselling.

Ange is a professionally qualified counsellor and lives with her husband, Geoff, in Darwin, Australia, who is also a professional counsellor.

In counselling, Ange takes a strength-based, collaborative approach with clients, seeking to create a safe, non-judgmental space where clients feel heard, valued, and empowered to make the changes they desire in their life. Over the years, Ange has worked in a number of cross-cultural settings within Australia, enabling her to appreciate the stretch and strain of cross-cultural living & working.  As a long-time supporter of the work of Mercy Teams International (OM) in Cambodia, she visited their projects in 2017, giving her a glimpse into the unique joys and challenges experienced by both the local and global workers in Phnom Penh and rural Cambodian communities. She is overjoyed to have the opportunity to provide support for those living & working in Cambodia via online counselling.  

Meet Ange

Lara Blair | Counsellor (based in Australia) | Masters of Counselling (Morling).

Lara is a professionally qualified counsellor and a CCAA member. She lives with her husband and 7 children in Sydney's inner west. Lara has over 20 years of experience in Christian ministry to children, youth, young adults and women.

In her Masters of Counselling, Lara majored in kids & youth, and trauma & relationship counselling. She has experience counselling youth, young adults, and women from a variety of nationalities. She understands the difficulties associated with the transition to another culture having lived with her family in Cambodia. Lara considers it a privilege to walk alongside people of all nationalities seeking change and authenticity in relationships. 

Meet Lara

Hannah Ellis | Assistant Director and Counsellor in Person | Master of Counselling Psychology.

Hannah is trained in CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) , Person-Centered counselling and EMDR and is accredited with the BACP. She can offer a structured approach with set techniques and exercises, or just provide the space to talk about whatever would be helpful.

Hannah has experience in counselling adults with depression, anxiety, stress, and bereavement, as well as those who are survivors of sexual abuse.

She offers a safe space for clients to talk about and process the client’s concerns and will help explore different ways of looking at things.  Hannah’s heart is for the client to thrive as the person they were created to be.

Meet Hannah

Elijah Sim | Counsellor (based in Phnom Penh) | Master in Family & Systemic Psychotherapy.

Elijah is trained in social work with post-graduate qualifications in marital and family counselling and clinical supervision.  Born to a Singaporean Chinese family, Elijah has worked in different social work and counselling settings for 24 years in the cosmopolitan Singapore society. In between these years, he spent four years in Cambodia (2004-2008) as the Project Manager of Mercy Teams International (Cambodia) working cross-culturally with vulnerable children and families. He enjoys working relationally and finds it immensely fulfilling to journey with couples, families and individuals (including those who are people-carers themselves) to find healing through giving voice to untold and unheard stories. He believes that wounds and vulnerabilities can be turned into assets if there is a compassionate space to hold and re-story them. Elijah is also the co-editor of two books.

Meet Elijah

Ian Atkinson | Counsellor (based in Northern Ireland) | Diploma in Counselling Applied Skills and Professional Standards, COFRA 121, ICISF Approved instructor.

Ian has been heavily involved in helping first responders deal with the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress resulting from their workplace experiences as well as the everyday stresses of life. He has also worked a great deal with individuals struggling with pornography addictions in group and one to one settings.

Ian has connections to Cambodia through the Phnom Penh Elim Church and BE Free project. 

Meet Ian

Chris Rottcher | Dip in Theology & Counselling.

Chris is trained as an Integrative Therapist, being able to draw on different therapeutic approaches ranging from Psychodynamics to Humanistic therapies such as Existential, Person-Centred and Gestalt among others. This means he will use a combination of therapeutic techniques and uniquely tailor them to you. His training as a REMA therapist is scripture based and his past experience as a missionary among the shepherds of Lesotho (2 years) makes him approachable when it comes to struggles on the mission field and struggles around topics of faith.