Our Team

Services:Counseling
Education: BA Accounting, MA Social Work

Sidan has almost 13 years experience working with International Justice Mission (IJM) in Cambodia. She began at IJM as an accountant, then social worker, and eventually moved to a management and leadership role in her last five years at IJM. She became expert in issues of social service provision, trauma, violence and exploitation, justice system development, staff-care programming, and team management. She was involved in the steering committee of Chab Dai Coalition from 2012-2015 and has held a position on the founding board for the Association of Professional Social Workers of Cambodia (APSWC) since 2014.

During her years at IJM, Sidan encountered hundreds of survivors of sex trafficking and other forms of violence. She has learned so much about this broken world from both her personal life and work experience, and her heart has grown for justice and for restoration of the people God has created. This passion inspired her to work with the IJM Aftercare program for over seven years, with a focus on crisis intervention, victim restoration program development, and system reform.

In 2015, she got a sense of God’s calling for a broader approach of healing ministry to her Cambodian people. She has spent almost two years searching God’s will for this vision, doing some research by meeting people with similar heart.

In September 2016, Sidan felt the vision being affirmed, though it required a greater of courage to step out of the boat and walk by faith. Sidan left her full-time job and commit her time to God’s calling by joining Vana Eliezer to set-up Garden of Life, the center for Life Enrichment and Training in Professional Counseling. “For it is not about the center, but about God’s glory shining in the lives of people through healing, so that His Kingdom may be extended”, she said. 

Sidan is married to Visal Peou, and they have two children, Rebecca and Joseph. They both love their small family so much, and are always eager to be grown as parents, wife, and husband.

Services:Counseling and Training
Education: MEd(TESOL), BA(Hons.), Grad Dip in Counselling,Grad Dip in Human Relationships, Dip in Missiology

Vana brings with her years of teaching, educational management and counseling experience. Her experience as a counselor ranges from pastoral to professional, from one-on-one to family therapy.

Vana is passionate about helping people discover their inner-self, past scars and to build on them to realize people’s full potential. She supports her clients along their journey as they begin to deal with issues that come in the way of having a meaningful and fulfilling life. Her approach to counselling is one of being person-centered rather than over focusing on the problem. To this end, she is able to weave some of the therapeutic approaches to fit the individual’s personality and needs.

Vana brings with her years of teaching, educational management and counseling experience. Her experience as a counselor ranges from pastoral to professional, from one-on-one to family therapy.

Vana is passionate about helping people discover their inner-self, past scars and to build on them to realize people’s full potential. She supports her clients along their journey as they begin to deal with issues that come in the way of having a meaningful and fulfilling life. Her approach to counselling is one of being person-centered rather than over focusing on the problem. To this end, she is able to weave some of the therapeutic approaches to fit the individual’s personality and needs.

Life Enrichment Guidance department, dealing with basic self-awareness to complex counseling needs in a community, has been in Vana’s hands at NaCE, a local Christian NGO, since its inception five years back. During which time Vana has been growing in astuteness to make professional counseling training accessible to Cambodians. She shirked God's call but couldn’t resist any further when she was introduced to a Cambodian with similar burden.

Vana’s contribution to Cambodia started 20 years ago. She set up the English Language Program at the Faculty of Dentistry (Royal University of Phnom Penh) and has served on the Board of International School of Phnom Penh (ISPP). Currently she is a member of the International Christian Fellowship (ICF) Council and of local Celebrating Church, providing leadership and pastoral care. She continues to serve as a founding Board Member of NaCE.

From Australia to serving in Cambodia meant that Vana and Inpa’s two children grew up in Cambodia, and are now back in Australia. The journey for Inpa and Vana actually began in Sri Lanka, land of their birth, where they were married prior to migrating to Australia.

Rasmey began counseling in 2016 at Mercy Medical Clinic. She has been providing counseling to adult men and women, youths and teenagers, and she has experience working with people facing various mental health challenges. Currently, Rasmey serves as the Head of Counseling and Counseling Psychologist at an international NGO, as well as being a part-time professional Counselor and Training Associate with Garden of Life.

Rasmey’s educational training comes from RUPP; bachelor’s degree in Psychology, and master’s degree in Holistic Care from the Lutheran Seminary in Hong Kong. Now she is pursuing master’s degree in Clinical Psychology and Counseling at RUPP.

Rasmey’s counseling approach is a natural person-centered therapy and integrated therapy.

Rasmey is passionate about helping people to work through difficult emotions including anxiety, depression, relationship problem and trauma, which are commonly experienced by many people. She is skilled at helping people to heal from these painful experiences and to move positively forward with their lives.

Rasmey brings empathetic and non-judgmental stand in her counseling sessions, and she strongly believes in providing a safe place for client by listening with compassion and ensuring a client feels valued and heard.

Ravy has a diploma in Professional Health Counseling from the University of Puthisastra. Her additional, completed training includes Bachelor of Education in English, Certificate of Completion of the Basic Christian Counseling (CWR / ASIA) and Certificate of Completion of the Introduction to Counseling "Listening with the heart" (Vital Connections).

Ravy is experienced in professional counseling to support the mental health of people working in different places such as churches, organizations and private companies as well as church members since 2019. She now works part-time with Garden of Life. Ravy focuses on Person-Centered Therapy and is most helpful with trauma and stress.

Services:Integrative Cross-cultural Psychotherapy, Clinical Supervision, and Member Care
Education:MA Integrative Psychotherapy, Postgraduate Certificate Clinical Supervision

Shirley is a registered psychotherapist based in the UK, who is working online after spending around twelve years working in Cambodia with OMF International, as a librarian, a counselor and a clinical supervisor. She has worked in English and Khmer with Cambodian counselors and social workers, and with expatriate counselors.

Shirley is particularly focused on providing much-needed supervision for the growing number of Cambodian counselors, and supporting the growth and development of counseling as a profession in Cambodia. She is passionate about Garden of Life, which she believes can be a key part of this growth.

Shirley is married to Mark, who is a Computer Science university lecturer, and they have two grown up children who also now live in the UK.

Education: MA in Urban Planning (MUP), BA in Botany and Environmental Science

Deb has zero experience as a counselor but has benefited greatly, in many ways, from life enrichment , counseling, and coaching services throughout her (long) life. She is a strong advocate for these services and how they can help people grow, move forward in life and find healing from life wounds.

Deb brings many years of experience in non-profit management, project design and evaluation. She has lived in Cambodia and Thailand for 17 years first arriving in 1994. Deb led Christian community development organizations in various capacities and currently serves as Leadership Development Facilitator and Organization Development Consultant with Reformed Church in America Global Mission.

Deb is married to Mark Wilson and they have one favorite son, Zachary who is now in college in the United States which is their passport country.  Zach spent 13 of his growing up years in Cambodian and Thailand.  Deb and Mark like gardening, watching movies and elephant racing for fun.

Samnang grew up in the Dangrek and Site Two refugee camp at the Thai border in the aftermath of the Pol Pot regime. In Singapore, Samnang studied for a Bachelor of Theology, and in the Philippines for the Master of Divinity in Biblical Study. Furthermore, he holds a MBA in Management from Cambodia

Samnang began his ministry by being a Pastor in Cambodia. Then, he moved to be a Translator; advancing to becoming the Faculty Member, the Academic Dean and the Principal of the Phnom Penh Bible School. Later, he was called to serve at the Evangelical Fellowship of Cambodia to facilitate, mobilize and engage church leaders for a holistic ministry. Currently, Samnang serves as a Visiting Teacher at the Phnom Penh Bible School, as well as the Lead, Community and Savior Voice at the International Justice Mission.

Samnang is married to Mrs. Limsophea Am, and they have two children.

Samnang tells: “Although I do not have counseling skills, I am able to connect Garden of Life to my vast networks of NGOs and churches. With my experience of organizational leadership and strategic planning, I believe that I can contribute to the development of Garden of Life. I pray that I can continue to link Garden of Life to be a blessing to NGOs and churches in Cambodia”.

Education: MA in Social Work, BA in Management.

Since 2011, Sochenda has worked for the Royal University of Phnom Penh as a course teacher, field learning manager, and direct practice course lecturer in the Social Work Department. She served as a youth supervisor from 2003 to 2010 at the Evangelical Fellowship of Cambodia - Youth Commission. She believes in God's healing flow from the root of people's story all the way to the roof of recovery so that people can pass through the real Garden of Life. She has three children, Shalom, Ruthiya, and Prachnha.

Education: BA Psychology, MA Clinical and Counseling Psychology.

Mr. Hem Kia graduated his bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 2012 and Masters’ degree in Clinical and Counseling Psychology in 2015 from Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP). Kia has been working for Hagar International Foundation in Cambodia since 2012 serving women, men and children who are the survivors of trauma of trafficking, slavery, and abuse. His roles are ranging from counselors, project manager, and interim clinical director. Kia used to involve with Mekong Project II (a project that provide trauma capacity building and psychological services to Cambodia and Myanmar) as a therapist for 1 year and a half. He was trained in variety of modalities and evidence-based practices including TF-CBT, EMDR, Creative Art Therapy, Family Therapy, and other forms of client-centered therapy as well as trauma therapy.

He got certificates of social supervision from department of social work of RUPP and TF-CBT supervisor from Hagar. Kia is currently in ongoing international training of clinical supervision in EMDR to become EMDR clinical supervisor and consultant. He has both clinical experiences and leadership and management. He decided to study psychology 10 years ago because God spoke to him and called him to work in this field. His passion is to bring the restoration and emotional healing to his broken nation who experienced trauma in their life and from the past history of Cambodia. His interests include counselling, training, wellbeing, trauma therapy and supervision. He wants to build more human resources in the field of counselling and psychotherapy as there is less resource in this area. Kia joint GoL because he felt like GoL’s vision is matched with the vision that God has given him 10 years ago to widespread the healing among his nation.

Education: MA in Development and International Studies, BA in Sociology

Chantrea has two years of experience as a Counselor and Social Worker; from her 4th year at the university and then after she graduated with her bachelor's degree in Sociology. She later worked at Christian Radio as a Program Producer, where she was in charge of five programs.

Currently, she is the Executive Director of NaCE; a local NGO working with children, youth, their parents, and their community. At NaCE, many people's lives have been changed, youth have been educated to get a degree or certificate, and parents have been nurtured & learned skills, and were educated to become resourceful citizens in the community. From the NaCE programs, their difficult lives have been enhanced to now better coping with life challenges and for a better future. Through learning God’s truth, their lives have been elevated to a higher perspective in coping with world affairs.

Besides being the Director of NaCE, Chantrea is also a teacher, trainer, coach, and she also involves in church ministry. She is a member of the Celebrating Church committee, a mentor, and a counselor. Her heart is used by Jesus for the people’s better lives and for their eternal glory, setting them free from all the chains and ties of this world.

Chantrea is married to Mr. Vannak, who is an FCA staff, soccer coach, and the leader of the sports ministry of Celebrating Church.