Counselling First-Aid

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"This workshop was life-changing. It is so impactful to finally have training that combines soul, spirit, and body. I wish more people could hear it!”

Attendee of CFA, 2026.

Counselling First-Aid Project

Counselling First-Aid

Caring for the psychosocial needs of the forcibly displaced.

Reference: TBD

Trauma can leave people feeling lost, isolated, and disconnected from who they are. For refugees and forcibly displaced individuals, these experiences are often compounded by uncertainty, loss, and the challenges of rebuilding life in a new environment. Without timely support, the emotional impact of trauma can affect wellbeing, relationships, and everyday functioning.

Counselling First Aid (CFA) equips frontline responders to recognise the effects of trauma and provide compassionate, culturally sensitive support. By training those who are often the first point of contact, CFA helps create pathways to healing, connection, and hope, ensuring that displaced people have greater access to the mental health care and support they need to recover and thrive.

About Our Partners in CFA

Philoi Global is proud to partner with Amecet Ministries in supporting and strengthening communities through compassionate care and practical training.
 
Amecet Ministries has been equipping caregivers, ministry leaders, and community workers in trauma care since 2003. Through its work across Africa, North America, Asia, Europe, and Australia, Amecet has supported communities affected by conflict, displacement, and hardship, including refugee and vulnerable populations. The organisation is committed to providing practical, culturally sensitive, and faith-based trauma care training that empowers frontline responders to promote healing, resilience, and hope within the communities they serve.
 

As the founders of Amecet, Adrian and Sherene have walked alongside communities affected by trauma and displacement for more than twenty years.

"We have worked with our partners in the professional mental health community to develop tools and methods that have been simplified in order to be remembered and administered. All tools and methods must be contextualized and translated to meet the needs of the people groups and languages of those we are serving."

Adrian and Sherene, Amecet Ministries

How Does It Work?

In close partnership with Amecet and our ministry networks, Philoi is committed to supporting Counselling First Aid (CFA) initiatives in refugee-hosting countries around the world. 

Our goal is to equip local leaders with practical, culturally relevant trauma care skills, strengthen their capacity to serve displaced communities, and, where possible, provide financial support to sustain and expand this vital work.

We also seek to mobilise practitioners who can walk alongside our partners and host community leaders, sharing knowledge, encouragement, and expertise. Together, we aim to build resilient networks of care that empower local communities to bring hope, healing, and compassionate support to refugees and forcibly displaced people.

Examples of CFA in Action

South Asia: Decades of conflict, displacement, and ongoing social challenges have left many communities in Sri Lanka carrying the hidden impacts of trauma, grief, and loss. These experiences can contribute to emotional distress, hopelessness, and an increased risk of suicide, making it essential that churches and community leaders are equipped to respond with understanding and care.

"We consistently witness results of joy and freedom following our sessions. The feedback we receive speaks to the participants having found words to express their inner processing, pictures to understand themselves, and tools for healing, managing, and communicating their feelings."

Adrian and Sherene, Amecet Ministries
Australia: Philoi is building a growing network of ministry leaders and frontline responders across Australia who are equipped with Counselling First Aid (CFA) tools to better serve refugees, asylum seekers, migrants, and displaced communities. Through strategic training and partnerships, we are strengthening the capacity of local churches and ministries to provide compassionate care.
Adrian and Sherene teaching in Sydney, 2026.
We have organised multiple training workshops in Sydney and Melbourne, delivered in partnership with Amecet Ministries, and brought together leaders from across Australia in a powerful environment of learning, collaboration, and shared purpose. Participants gained practical skills to recognise distress, respond effectively to trauma, and support healing within their communities. Together, we are building a stronger network of equipped caregivers and envisioning a future where every displaced person has access to informed, compassionate, and effective care.

“This workshop was honestly life-changing. So impactful to have training that combined soul, spirit, and body! Wish more people could hear it!”

– Attendee of CFA, 2026.

By supporting the Simplified Trauma Care Toolbox, you can help train frontline responders to recognise the effects of trauma, provide compassionate support, raise awareness of suicide risk, and promote prevention within their communities. Together, we can strengthen local capacity for healing, restore hope, and help create safer pathways to recovery for those affected by past and ongoing displacement.

Reach out for more information on how you can support CFA, or donate below.

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