THE DAWN - Key Persons
Alexandria is a certified alcohol and drug counsellor with IC&RC UK and Europe accreditation, and a Degree in Applied Psychology in Counselling and Communications. She began her counselling career in 2009 at Tharagay, Cape Town's first addiction clinic, before moving to the well-known Castle Craig treatment facility in Scotland.
Paolo is a certified counsellor (ICAP/CSAT) and recovery coach (RC). After receiving a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology, he pursued his Masters in Professional Counselling and Addiction Studies and had undergone intensive training on trauma informed therapy.
Dr. Khuwuthyakorn is a well-respected medical doctor in Chiang Mai. He graduated from Chiang Mai University and is board certified in psychiatry and family medicine. He previously worked at the National Psychiatric Institute, where he focused on mental health and addiction medicine. Currently he is a resident psychiatrist at Chiang Mai Psychiatric Hospital, a medical consultant at the Chiang Mai Methadone Clinic, a medical consultant at the Harm Reduction Centre and the Asian Mental Health Crisis Centre, and Chair of the Suicide Prevention Committee. He is certified in Addiction Medicine and is the leading medical doctor in Chiang Mai specialising in mental health, addiction and dual diagnosis.
Dr. Khuwuthyakorn is very experienced at working with mental health issues and addiction. He has treated hundreds of dual diagnosis patients who have co-occurring addiction and mental health issues. He oversees medication management and drug and alcohol detox, including methadone detox. He also works with specific mental health issues, including trauma related disorders, depression and anxiety.
We are happy to have Dr. Panu Khuwuthyakorn as part of our team at The Dawn. He truly cares about the lives and well-being of his patients. He is passionate about recovery medicine and enjoys seeing his patients get back on track to lead healthy and productive lives.
Job Titles:
- Clinical Director
- Certified Counsellor
Helen is a certified counsellor and a member of the psychotherapy and counselling federation of Australia (Pacfa).
Helen is a certified trauma professional and a member of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (Pacfa).
Her academic training includes a Bachelor of Counselling, a Post Graduate in Relationship Counselling as well as being a certified clinical trauma professional. Helen also has extensive training and experience working with victims of domestic violence and is an accredited crisis support worker.
At The Dawn, Helen is responsible for ensuring our clinical programme and our clients treatment is aligned with The Dawn's clinical philosophy - which includes a Trauma Informed Care (TIC) approach. She also oversees our multidisciplinary team of psychologists and psychotherapists, to ensure that all our clients receive indivdualised treatment plans that she personally reviews with both the client and their focal therapist to ensure maximum results.
She is mature and compassionate, and draws on her significant experience in heading large multicultural customer service departments in the financial sector, to take a strengths-based approach through connecting, listening, guiding and supporting across gender, age, cultures and presenting issues. Helen says that "walking our path in life isn't always easy: "There are times when we need explanation and understanding about what is occurring in our lives or direction as to where we are heading. The holistic approach at The Dawn assists clients to look at their life from both a broad and detailed perspective, supporting them to heal, strengthen and grow towards living their best life."
John is an internationally accredited and certified Addiction Treatment Professional (UTC/ICAP), a certified SMART Recovery group facilitator and a Recovery Coach (CARC), with well over a decade of experience working at behavioural health facilities in South Africa - where he treated clients presenting with both mental health and substance abuse disorders. His special focus is co-occurring disorders.
He is also a board member of a leading international SUD treatment training facility, and has conducted many public lectures, workshops and seminars on the topics of addiction and recovery, as well as been invited on radio and television talk shows.
As a former educator and school counsellor, John is especially adept at working with young adults and gaining their trust and confidence. He also has vast experience in working with youth in crisis with nearly 20 years of experience of mentoring young adults in a number of correctional centres.
As a person in recovery, John's passion for his job is very personal. "I believe that anyone has the potential to make the necessary changes in their lives if they desire to and are committed to do what is necessary. My passion lies in sharing some of these tools with clients and observing the gradual changes as they implement and practice these tools.
"I am also passionate about helping to create a better understanding of the science and psychology behind addiction and recovery in order for clients to be better equipped for the ongoing journey of recovery. I have first-hand experience of the initial uphill battle and the eventual rich and meaningful life that can be attained in recovery." he says.
John A. Smith is a Senior Psychotherapist at The Dawn and an internationally accredited Addiction Treatment Professional (ISSUP), Certified Life and NLP Coach. He is highly experienced in working with young adults and utilises a range of evidence-based therapies, including SMART Recovery, to help his clients achieve their goals.
John Paul or JP is a former nurse with a Bachelors in Nursing from Lyceum of the Philippines University. He has extensive experience in caring for the elderly and teenagers - the two demographics with the most sensitive psyches, making him a perfect fit to support our clients through their recovery journey. JP's energy, genuinely caring attitude, enthusiasm to help and attention to detail make him a valued member of the Support team and highly popular with clients.
The most rewarding thing about his job JP says is: "I feel good every time I see how much a client has progressed in his or her programme - and sometimes you can notice a positive change in just a few days."
Amm is part of the support team at The Dawn. With her amicable and helpful personality, she makes sure all clients receive the assistance they need in a warm and friendly manner.
Although she studied Applied Physics at the prestigious King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Thailand, she decided to join the behavioural health care industry because she found helping people with emotional problems much more personally gratifying. She has been working in a support role for over two years - managing clients' daily timetables, and making sure they stay on the right track during treatment.
The fulfilment she gets is "seeing the progress of each client from day one until they get well is heart-warming. I'm proud to be a part of the team that helps them recover from previous bad experiences."
Magaret is a highly experienced nurse with over 37 years of practical experience working in hospitals in Malaysia and Thailand. She holds a Nursing degree from Penang College of Nursing, Penang General Hospital and is also trained in administering Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). Margaret brings to The Dawn versatile skills in nursing, giving valuable medical support to our clients throughout their recovery journey.
This former Thai-German model might very well be the one to answer the phone when you call The Dawn. Markus has a personal interest in mental health and substance abuse issues due to his own history of family issues since a very young age. This empathy makes it effortless for him to relate to the problems of our clients - he can be consulted on all matters relating to treatment and travel logistics, and any other queries you may have.
The best thing about this job is "seeing a marked improvement in clients when they are some way into their treatment programme", says Markus. "And it is always heart-warming when a parent says ‘you've brought my son/daughter back' ".
Job Titles:
- Clinical Lead / Psychologist ( HPCSA, BHF ) Master of Counselling Psychology
Neville is a psychologist from South Africa with a Masters in Counselling Psychology and a decade of experience in the behavioural health field. He is a member of the HPCSA (Health Professions Council of South Africa) and the Board of HealthCare Funders (BHF); and has worked in both outpatient and inpatient settings. He specialises in addiction, anxiety, depression, couples counselling and stress management.
Neville's easy-going nature and sincerity gives him the ability to connect with his clients in an unassuming and empathic way, which helps him to foster a strong therapeutic relationship that is underpinned by trust and safety. He believes his strongest skill set is in helping people struggling with anxiety and depression. I believe in giving people the tools to help tackle the problematic areas of their lives and to encourage the reauthoring of their stories. Having worked in the field of addiction for many years, I have come to believe that we can all change and live a life worth living.
Neville says about his job, "I find it an honour to be invited to walk a road with each client and receive great pleasure in connecting with the client and watching them grow. I believe that we are all capable of healthy change and I'm humbled by seeing these changes start to emerge as the client starts on their journey. I simply love the beauty in human beings and encourage those around us to embrace our humanness."
Job Titles:
- Recreation & Fitness Supervisor