Counselling Perspective
The organisation team at Counselling Corner Myanmar
Healing Amidst Chaos: How ACA Volunteers Are Supporting Mental Health in Myanmar
By Edwin Briels, Counselling Corner Myanmar
“Introducing Counselling in a War-torn Country” introduced the mission of Counselling Corner, an organisation founded by Aung Min Thein to address the mental health situation in Myanmar. In a country suffering from a civil war, there is huge stigma attached to mental health and no universities offering study in counselling or psychotherapy. Director Edwin Briels joined our conference in Adelaide and gave a keynote speech reflecting on the journey to introduce mental health support in Myanmar. He asked for support from ACA members and received an overwhelming response. This article outlines updates from ACA volunteers as well as the Myanmar counsellors who received support through training, supervision and counselling.
Where do you start when setting up a counselling industry in Myanmar? That’s often the question we get when talking about our journey so far and the answer is not simple. We need awareness, we need counsellors – yet also enough work for these counsellors – we need some regulations and a code of conduct, as well as ongoing professional development (OPD).
In a previous article, I asked for help from ACA counsellors through donating some of their time to help online with training, supervision and counselling of our counsellors. The reactions were heartwarming, genuine and supportive. Within no time, we connected some of our counsellors who are confident communicating in English with Australian-based professionals through ACA’s support. The outcome has been very positive for both the Myanmar counsellors as well as the Australian counsellors, trainers and supervisors. Online workshops led by ACA volunteers have introduced new modalities, from a 28-hour training on addiction to grief counselling in crisis zones, tailored to Myanmar’s unique context.
Despite the ongoing violence, economic collapse, and censorship, Counselling Corner has expanded its reach and we’re now helping over 3,500 Myanmar clients each month who start expressing and sharing their emotions with our counsellors in group sessions or during individual counselling sessions.
The cases Myanmar counsellors are dealing with differ from Australian practice, as culturally a different, less direct approach is expected. To familiarise the ACA counsellors with these differences, we first organised an online workshop for the volunteers. We then asked volunteers how they would be able to contribute; the topic of training, time available etc and matched this with the needs from our counsellors. This turned out to be a fantastic opportunity both for our Myanmar professionals and for ACA volunteers, who appreciate the interaction with a different culture, learning from case studies specifically on war and trauma, the extra OPD points they receive and most of all the strong bonds that develop. Several times, volunteers asked if they could have more hours to train.
For the Myanmar counsellors, the impact goes far beyond technique. Here’s what Myanmar’s counsellors had to say:
“These experiences have deepened my counselling knowledge and enhanced my confidence in supporting clients more effectively” — Julia Moenge San
“As someone working in a limited, volatile situation, I feel seen, acknowledged, and I feel that there are people who would offer a helping hand. To us, ACA’s support has felt like drops of water to those stranded in a desert of limited opportunity. I’m deeply grateful and this truly means the world to me.” — Hein Htet Lwin Oo
“I’ve also found that the individual counselling sessions with my respectful counsellor, Sarita Barnett, are helpful for my own personal growth, allowing me to keep going in a community that I care about deeply” — Julia Moenge San
“Having ACA support is like an armor to move forward in the counselling field and a place to connect with others.” — Eaint Chu Moe Myint
“The Healing Addictions Training by Judith Shepherd-Pemell is very useful because I had been scared of clients with an addiction, this training has transformed my look on addiction and put a curiosity to help clients. — Eaint Chu Moe Myint
“The Overview of Child Safety and Prevention by Justine O'Malley helped me see more clearly how to protect children in practical ways. The Grief Presentation by Anika Bull was meaningful and equipped me to walk with clients through their pain with greater care” — Cherish Pui
“Supervision with Rohan gave me clarity and confidence to handle challenges professionally.” — May Thiri Zaw
“In Myanmar, access to such opportunities is limited. ACA’s involvement has helped me feel connected, equipped, and encouraged me to continue this important work.” — Thiri Myint Zaw
“I’m very grateful for the continuous support from ACA and so much appreciated for all the learning opportunities I gained” — Khin Moh Moh Kyaw
“Supervision from Rohan is really wonderful. I learned more from my client’s cases and the
process of counselling in Australia. It has been truly amazing and I am sure your effort will be a big contribution for Myanmar communities. — Tin Ko Latt
The knowledge I gained on grief has been especially meaningful, allowing me to understand and support clients experiencing loss with greater sensitivity — May Phyo Thu
Apart from doing good for others, ACA volunteers have also given feedback on how they experience the volunteering work for Myanmar counsellors:
“Throughout 2025, it has been a genuine privilege to support the dedicated counsellors at Counselling Corner Myanmar. The conversations we’ve shared have opened my eyes to just how different our working worlds can be. In Australia, we often take for granted our easy access to crisis hotlines and the availability of a broad range of mental health services. In Myanmar, those supports are scarce or simply unavailable — yet the need is just as great. Despite the barriers, the Counselling Corner team show up for their clients with commitment, courage, and compassion. As their supervisor, it has been incredibly rewarding sharing insights, exchanging ideas, exploring new interventions together, and refining case formulations to improve outcomes for their clients. Min and his team should feel immensely proud of the extraordinary work they are doing in making a tangible difference in the communities they serve.” – Rohan Watson
“Volunteering with Counselling Corner Myanmar has been a meaningful and humbling experience. I had the opportunity to share a presentation on grief and loss, exploring trauma-informed ways of supporting individuals through the emotional impact of bereavement and change. What resonated most was the dedication of the counsellors who attended, their care for their communities, their eagerness to learn, and their determination to continue offering support despite immense challenges. Their compassion and resilience were deeply inspiring. Being part of this initiative reminded me how powerful shared knowledge can be, and how committed counsellors around the world are to reducing suffering and helping people feel less alone in their hardest moments. I feel grateful to have contributed in a small way to work that truly matters.” – Anika Bull
“This year I have been providing counselling to counsellors in Myanmar and it has been such a joy! The counsellors are doing incredible work supporting people in their country and it has been a privilege to give them time and space to focus on their own well-being too. I plan to continue doing this in 2026. I encourage anyone else considering this to volunteer, it would be great to have one or two more counsellors who could help. There is definitely a need in this area, what an amazing opportunity we have to contribute to the sustainability of counselling services in Myanmar.” – Sarita Barnett
“Working with the counselling teams at Counselling Corner in Myanmar for the past 7-8 months has been a gratifying opportunity for me to share my knowledge and experience from 36 years of professional practice, and an opportunity for all of us to explore the cultural differences that can impact our approach to families, couples and individuals in therapy. The participants have been curious, receptive, and very well engaged with the learning, ideas and supervision that occupy our fortnightly online sessions. They have been disarmingly open in terms of sharing their personal experiences and applying the knowledge to their own lives and family experiences, revealing a high level of connection, team-spiritedness, empathy and support for one another, as well as their clients. I look forward to continuing with them in 2026.” – Judith Pemell
These testimonials echo a broader truth: that healing is not just clinical. It is relational.
And through this work, we’re not just building a counselling industry – we’re building hope for people.
How you can be part of the story
The journey is far from over and we continue to train new Myanmar counsellors in counselling skills with a focus on person centred therapy. These young counsellors are all eager to connect with other counsellors in the world and learn more through training, supervision, counselling for themselves or sometimes simply sharing ideas and experiences.
For more information or to get involved, visit Counselling Corner Myanmar’s website or contact Edwin directly at edwin@counsellingcornermyanmar.com.