Our Team
Our team is made of people passionate about helping refugees in their journey of healing from trauma and navigating the challenges in living in a new country.
Freedom to Flourish’s therapeutic programmes are designed and guided by professional counsellors and psychotherapists and assisted by trauma-informed volunteers and culture/language helpers.
If you are interested in joining our team of volunteers, please reach out!
Our StoryWe have deep empathy for and understanding of the complexity of challenges faced by those who have been displaced from their homes, families and communities due to prejudice, oppression, war, and other adverse situations.
Freedom to Flourish was co-founded in 2019 by directors Angela Ngiam and Caroline Hochstetter. Angela and Caroline have many years of experience working amongst people from refugee backgrounds, those seeking asylum in Australia and CALD groups.
We recognise that conventional cognitive and talk-based therapies have limitations in helping people from many cultural backgrounds, especially those experiencing ongoing effects of trauma.
The Freedom to Flourish team of experienced therapists design programmes integrating the Expressive Arts, Horticulture, Nature, Somatic and sports therapies with other evidence-based psychotherapy approaches for holistic trauma recovery and mental health.
Meet some of our Volunteer Counsellors & Psychotherapists
Caroline Hochstetter
B.AppSc, M Couns, CCAA
Caroline is a Counsellor and Psychotherapist with more than a decade of experience in journeying alongside people from Refugee backgrounds in Sydney. She specialises in Refugee Trauma Recovery, psychological and spiritual well-being and utilising Expressive Arts in healing. She believes that her counselling flows from God given gifts of mercy, compassion, joy and healing, as well as skills acquired through specialised training and experience supporting people of refugee backgrounds in settling in Australia. She has been serving with the Sydney Refugee Team since 2014 and she co-founded and is co-director of Freedom to Flourish .
Caroline loves to learn about different cultures and to explore new places, traditions and faith expressions in Australia and overseas. She gains inspiration and refreshment by creating with textiles, paper and other art media, as well as bushwalking, swimming, jigsaw puzzles or watching movies and dramas, with her husband and three adult children.
Caroline facilitates group programmes in Wentworthville, Merrylands and Blacktown.
Caroline is available for counselling Thursday and Friday afternoons at Merrylands or at other times by special arrangement.
Angela Ngiam
BEd, M Couns, HDip Couns Psych, PhD
Dr Lydia Gitau has an extensive background in trauma support, especially for refugee survivors of torture and trauma. She has previously worked as a counsellor in Kenya, and for the NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS).
Lydia volunteers as a counsellor with Freedom to Flourish, providing trauma support for people from refugee, asylum seeker, and migrant backgrounds. This includes using Expressive Arts to promote psychological, social and emotional wellbeing, as well as designing and running participatory workshops.
Lydia also works as a Research Fellow in Psychosocial practice at the UNSW Big Anxiety Research Centre (BARC), where she is central to the team's development and delivery of trauma support programs and tools for diverse communities. Lydia holds a Bachelor of Education, M.A. in Counselling, Higher Diploma in Counselling Psychology, and a PhD in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Sydney.
M Couns, ACA, PACFA
Angela is a trauma and relationships counsellor and co-founder of Freedom to Flourish.
She combines her counselling skills, her faith, her desire for people to find freedom from trauma, and her business knowledge, to create and give direction to the activities within Freedom to Flourish.
She is a migrant herself and understands what it is like to learn a new language, a new culture, the stresses of living in a new country, and the joys of belonging and contributing to Australia.
She loves the outdoors and is a passionate gardener. She is married and has two young children.
Lydia Gitau
MGenPsych
Rees is the psychologist who facilitates the Social Soccer Program. He has completed five years of education including a Master of General Psychology and has experience providing therapy for individuals from a range of backgrounds. He provides professional support in a trauma-informed manner and understands the difficulty many men face when discussing their mental health.
From personal experience, Rees witnessed how the group environment and the common ground of sport can make those conversations easier. He has played soccer since he was six years old and enjoys playing and watching most sports. Rees enjoys time outdoors, especially visiting the beach. He maintains balance by relaxing with a good book or movie, and enjoying foods from around the world.
Rees Hopper
Jillian Rattray
M Couns, B.AppSc (Information), CCAA, PACFA
Walking alongside people and offering a place to talk through distressing feelings, thoughts or circumstances is Jillian’s emphasis. Her role as a counsellor involves working in person-centred ways in response to people's diverse needs. Trauma informed and recovery-oriented care underpin her work and this draws on body awareness and calm approaches. Jillian is an Internal Family Systems informed therapist and has found this is a compassionate and gentle approach which recognises each person is unique. Not everyone finds healing through talking and for some people wellbeing is experienced through creative expression, working in a garden or nature. Jillian volunteers at Freedom to Flourish because she values the emphasis on restoration, creative expression and approaches that enhance wellbeing through connection for group participants. Focus is on healing within a community and group setting and a felt sense of healing within the body.
Jillian values the importance of faith and community life as well as time spent with her family and friends. She also enjoys Tai Chi for health, dancing and walking her dog.
