Our Team
Our Professional Staff at The Cabin
As Asia’s leading, residential mental health and addictions treatment centre based in Chiang Mai, Thailand, you can expect world-class medical and clinical treatment combined with the renowned hospitality and compassionate care from our Thai staff. Our clinical team is made up of a group of highly trained and unique individuals who work together to each bring a special focus on delivering the best-individualised treatment possible. Each team member is carefully selected to help clients and are all dedicated to helping others achieve lifelong recovery through our programme at The Cabin Chiang Mai, with a specific clinical focus to address addiction, depression, anxiety and trauma.
Clinical Team
Lee Daniel Hawker-Lecesne
LEAD THERAPIST AT THE CABIN
MBPsS
British Psychological Society Number: 479469
Lee is a Registered Member of the British Psychological Society. He graduated from Anglia Ruskin University in the UK with a degree in Behavioural Science, and a postgraduate clinical focus on addictions from the University of Bath. Lee is a focused and ambitious individual who has in depth training and experience of a broad range of clinical psychological interventions in the treatment of addiction, dual diagnosis, and complex trauma.
Having worked in the field of addiction for over twenty years, Lee has experience of having assessed and treated many clients and families presenting with substance misuse and chemical dependency along with managing and treating trauma. Lee heads the clinical programme for The Cabin and shapes the treatment plan bespoke to individual client needs; so that focused treatment is delivered to address specific individual needs – and thus providing for higher treatment quality that is measurable and progress that is observable to both client and clinician.
Lee’s passion is to provide the best possible clinical quality and experience to ensure that clients have an opportunity to achieve lifelong recovery and are able to be a beacon to others in their life.
Rob Everitt
LEAD COUNSELLOR
MBABCP
Accreditation Number: 150453
Rob is a very experienced and seasoned therapist. He graduated from Newman University in the UK with a degree in Psychology, and a Masters from Keele University in Counselling Psychology. Rob has undergone additional specific focus training in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and is EMDR level 1-3 certified. Rob is an accredited member of the BABCP in the UK.
Rob has worked in multiple clinical settings within the UK including positions as a CBT Therapist and IAPT Counsellor within the NHS system. In that role, he was a clinical lead for 7 years and led a team of IAPT Counselors and CBT practitioners. He provided the training within his organisation on substance misuse and helped in developing a pathway between the addiction service and IAPT service in his local area. He has taken on larger roles and has close experience working with other doctors and therapists with a focus on case management and service development. He has held the position of clinical lead for an addiction service within the UK and was involved in developing the treatment programme.
Rob has spent much of his career treating clients using the latest evidence-based practices and guidelines to create lasting recovery to improve the quality of life for both them and their families.
Rob is very passionate about his own recovery from drug and alcohol addiction, which is evident in his work with others, in this field.
We are happy to have Rob as a key part of our clinical team.
Dr. Saji Joseph
COUNSELLOR
MSW, PhD.
Dr. Saji is a trained Clinical Social Worker and a Certified Addictions Therapist who has worked in multiple international rehabs since 2009 with a strong focus on treating addiction and related psychiatric comorbidities. His PhD work focuses on addiction relapse, and his practice is based in scientific evidence, ethics and compassion. He is a Certified Substance Abuse Therapist (CSAT) Level 3 by the Asia Pacific Certification Board and an International Certified Addiction Professional (ICAP) Level 3 by the Global Centre for Credentialing and Certification.
Saji has successfully treated hundreds of clients internationally and has been instrumental in assisting individuals to recognize their detrimental behavior patterns and conditions that trigger unwanted emotions. In doing so, he has successfully guided many individuals in treatment and has provided an opportunity for long term recovery and a new way of living for both them and their loved ones.
Rob has spent much of his career treating clients using the latest evidence-based practices and guidelines to create lasting recovery to improve the quality of life for both them and their families.
Rob is very passionate about his own recovery from drug and alcohol addiction, which is evident in his work with others, in this field.
We are happy to have Rob as a key part of our clinical team.
Jordan Scott
COUNSELLOR
ADAP Member (Certification 1444)
An accomplished addiction counsellor with a degree from the University of Bath in Science in Addiction Counselling (CATS).
Jordan is a Counsellor who brings a lot of energy to the team and empowers both group and individual counselling sessions with this enthusiasm, making the client experience more satisfying and providing deeper insights for development. He also has a real passion for his own recovery and brings this spirit into the community and believes recovery should be a rewarding experience. Jordan has most recently worked for Sharp Action on Addiction in the UK with a focus on psycho-educational and interpersonal group therapy, and trauma informed training.
Jordan is keen and active in a variety of sports and maintains a high level of fitness as well as self-care, as these are foundational to having a sound mind and body.
Alvaro Carvalho
COUNSELLOR
Alvaro is an experienced Addiction Counsellor with more than 15 years of experience. He is very calm and approachable and has worked in many different international environments, successfully treating clients from many different backgrounds and respective underlying issues.
Alvaro’s experience has focused intensively on group and individual treatment along with CBT and DBT, clinical applications of motivational strategies, and relapse prevention. He also has experience in managing complex cases and conditions.
Alvaro speaks English, French, and Portuguese fluently and can communicate with clients and other clinicians in these languages.
Ryan Carlisle
COUNSELLOR
Ryan is a very passionate and dedicated therapist with a lifelong approach to recovery. He graduated with honors from Kelowna College in Canada with a degree in Applied Psychology and Counselling and is registered within the Canadian College of Professional Counselors and Psychotherapists (CCPCP).
Ryan has worked in multiple clinical settings in British Columbia, Canada including at Freedoms Door and William & Associates. Ryan has spent his career building rapport with clients and their families, helping others to achieve short and long-term goals, and has a drive to help others achieve lasting recovery.
We are happy to have Ryan and his positive energy within our team.
Dawn Kwan
ART PSYCHOTHERAPIST
Dawn is a multi-disciplinary visual artist who has worked primarily with painting and sculpture. Art has become Dawn’s mentor and humbler longside her own inner work journey, which has inspired her to share art therapy as a mode of healing for those around her to realise the depths of their true nature.
As an art psychotherapist, Dawn’s passion lies in working in women’s empowerment and addiction rehabilitation from a people-centric, insight-oriented, psychodynamic approach. Dawn has guided and supported individuals and groups in private art psychotherapy sessions and art-based wellness workshops. She is passionate about sharing love, building connections and being present in journeying with her clients.
In her practice, Dawn has completed over 400 paintings and has held nine major solo art exhibitions in collaboration with Singapore Tourism Board in Beijing, The American Club, Spanish Tourism Office, The Swiss Embassy and The American Club.
Dawn is a recipient of The Red Pencil (Singapore), the LASALLE College of the Arts and Nanyang Technical University College Scholarships. She works closely with several non-profit organisations to serve vulnerable populations such as Project X for sex workers in Singapore, the Humanitarian Organisation of Migration Economics (HOME), and Bethesda Care Centre’s FAME Club. She has auctioned her artworks and raised over S$400,000 for various charities including: Vietnam Outreach, The New Charis Mission, National Cancer Institute, Heart Foundation, Kidney Dialysis Foundation and Asian Women’s Welfare Association.
Outpatient & Aftercare Team
Lee Daniel Hawker-Lecesne
DIRECTOR OF
OUTPATIENT SERVICE
Jordan joins The Cabin with more than a decade of experience working as a Registered Addiction Specialist in New Zealand. He completed a degree in Drug and Alcohol Studies in 2008 and a diploma in Health Psychology in 2005. Jordan has worked with adults, adolescents, and their families in residential addiction treatment, aftercare, community, and mental health settings.
Jordan grew up the child of an alcoholic father who eventually died of the illness. This made Jordan acutely aware of the power of addiction and the destruction it can cause. In spite of this, he remains positive and focused on helping his clients see there is hope in recovery. Jordan seeks to understand each client’s unique experiences while helping them to see that they are not alone.
He is vastly experienced in providing evidence-based approaches to addiction treatment including: cognitive behavioural therapy, motivational interviewing, relapse prevention, and mindfulness. Jordan further tailors his approach to match his client’s individual treatment needs and has seen many clients successfully engage in long-term recovery.
Vedanta Attri
HEAD COUNSELLOR
Vedanta completed her Bachelor of Psychology from James Cook University (Singapore) and her Master of Counselling and Psychotherapy from the University of Adelaide (Australia). She has experience working with youth with addictions at the Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association (SANA) and Reboot-Wellness (A Deaddiction Centre in India). Her empathy, compassion and drive to work with addiction comes from growing up in an environment where AA meetings, the serenity prayer, 12-Steps, and Al-Anon were normalized and common.
Having studied and worked in India, Australia, and Singapore, her counselling style is eclectic, person-centered, and multicultural while relying on evidence-based tools and techniques from attachment theories, mindfulness-based practices, and cognitive-behavioural therapy. Through her psychotherapy degree, she gravitates towards Expressive, Jungian, Emotion-focused, and Existential therapies, learning to tailor therapy to her client’s needs and preferences while working at The Cabin.
She strongly believes in empowering clients by creating a safe space for them to find meaning and purpose while helping them manage symptoms and cravings caused by addictions’ disease nature. In her free time, she enjoys dancing and painting.
Caitlin Bennett
COUNSELLOR
Caitlin completed her BSC majoring in Psychology and Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling (Distinction) at the University of Auckland. She has experience working with people of all ages and stages. She has worked in both community and prison settings, starting her career facilitating Men’s Programmes in MECF, Serco where she became interested in addictions counselling, and moving into community roles at IOSIS in South Auckland and SAFE.
Caitlin worked with The Cabin Singapore while running her own wellbeing business and eventually moved into her counselling role with The Cabin Sydney.
Caitlin strongly believes in an approach that incorporates unconditional positive regard and allows clients to develop the tools and strategies they require to ground and empower them. Caitlin is passionate about tailoring her approach to fit the client and operates in a strengths based manner. She incorporates various modalities including mindfulness, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Psychodynamic theory, and motivational interviewing into her practice. Caitlin is conscious of creating a safe space for her clients and encouraging authenticity. In her free time, Caitlin likes to travel, dance, swim, and be in nature.
Mark Willet
ADDICTION COUNSELLOR
Mark Willet is an Addiction Counsellor at The Cabin Hong Kong and joined The Cabin in 2019. His role involves admitting clients into rehabilitation to ensure a smooth transition from active addiction into recovery. Mark also facilitates one-to-one and group counselling sessions where the circumstances and consequences of addiction and co-occurring disorders are openly explored and addressed. Mark’s addiction counselling expertise draws on 15 years of experience with 12-step recovery approaches. It includes the application of mindfulness and CBT principles in both individual and group settings, working independently and with specialist agencies and Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) providers.
He occasionally blends music therapy principles into his counselling work – an approach that can be particularly beneficial when working with younger clients.
Originally from the UK, Mark is a British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) registered counsellor with over 20 years of residency in Hong Kong. He holds a Master of Counselling degree from Monash University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Music Therapy from Melbourne Conservatory of Music, in addition to a BA in Sociology and Theology from Nottingham and an MSc in Development Studies from SOAS University of London. Mark has enjoyed a varied career which brings a depth and breadth to his counselling work. He is a qualified instrumental music teacher with experience at international schools in Hong Kong and has previously worked in international development as a social development consultant on major projects across Asia, Africa, and Europe.
Shane O’ Neill
PRIMARY THERAPIST
Shane is a highly experienced Mental health and Addiction therapist. He holds a Bachelors of Counselling and is a member of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA).
Shane’s background as an addiction therapist includes working in private hospital inpatient and outpatient programs, public residential rehabilitation facilities, and in private practice. He specialises in working with substance and process addictions, both the issues of the addiction itself, as well as the many underlying issues that can contribute to addiction such as trauma, depression, anxiety, grief, and loss. Shane is trained in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), psychoanalytic therapeutic methods, and mindfulness techniques as well as bringing his lived experience to his therapy work.
Shane’s role at The Cabin Australia is as a Primary Therapist where he facilitates individual counselling sessions, couples and family sessions, psychoeducational group sessions, and process group therapy sessions.
Medical Team
Patty Phiangpit
Sr. Clinical Nurse
Aoy Chananpat
Clinical Nurse
Miew Parnmata
Clinical Nurse
Dr. Paritat Silpakit
PSYCHIATRIST (MEDICAL LICENSE 12373)
Dr. Paritat serves as the Psychiatrist to The Cabin and is recognized as one of the foremost experts on substance addiction in Thailand. He has given several lectures and talks on the subject to an international audience. Dr. Paritat brings more than 30 years of medical knowledge and experience to The Cabin. He connects well with clients from all nationalities and has a very approachable style of engagement.
Siriporn Chaiya (Boom)
HEAD NURSE
Siriporn graduated from the Boromarajonani College of Nursing Nakorn Lampang. She has eight years nursing experience in Lamphun Hospital, Bangkok hospital Samui and has even worked in New Zealand as a nurse. Her experience at Bangkok hospital and in New Zealand make her an excellent choice when dealing with foreign clients.
Support Team
Vinny Innes
SENIOR SUPPORT STAFF
Vinny is one of the longest serving support workers at The Cabin and a very popular member of the team. He is originally from London, England and has been working and volunteering in Chiang Mai for over six years. He is well-liked by clients for his friendly and laid-back demeanor.
Vinny consistently receives positive feedback and is highly regarded at The Cabin. He hopes to use his experience to progress into a more senior role in the future.
Fitness Instructor Team
Nay Sutee
FITNESS SUPERVISOR
Nay is a senior fitness supervisor at The Cabin. He graduated from Chiang Mai University in Sports Science and has been working as a personal trainer for the last 12 years.
Prior to joining The Cabin, Nay worked at famous fitness clubs in Thailand such as California Wow and Power House Fitness. He specializes in weight training, group exercise, cardio sessions, Muay Thai and body combat. His passion is helping people of all levels improve their fitness and well-being.
Aon Jilayut
FITNESS INSTRUCTOR
Having studied and worked in India, Australia, and Singapore, her counselling style is eclectic, person-centered, and multicultural while relying on evidence-based tools and techniques from attachment theories, mindfulness-based practices, and cognitive-behavioural therapy. Through her psychotherapy degree, she gravitates towards Expressive, Jungian, Emotion-focused, and Existential therapies, learning to tailor therapy to her client’s needs and preferences while working at The Cabin.
She strongly believes in empowering clients by creating a safe space for them to find meaning and purpose while helping them manage symptoms and cravings caused by addictions’ disease nature. In her free time, she enjoys dancing and painting.
Emotional Support Animal
Misty
EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL
Research has validated the effectiveness of emotional support animals. The benefit of interacting with and petting an emotional support animal include: increasing calmness and relaxation, lowering anxiety, alleviating loneliness, enhancing social engagement and interaction, normalizing heart rate and blood pressure, reducing pain, reducing depression, and increasing pleasure.
Misty is a gentle and trusting soul who makes everybody smile when they see her coming. Clients are welcome to take her for walks, groom and pet her or simply spend time in her company.
Dear Misty,
Misty, you made me smile every time I saw you. You are a precious little dog and I will miss you. Enjoy the sun and relaxations 🙂 Big belly scratch to you!
❤Allie, client in recovery
You won’t find another rehab that takes better care of you than The Cabin
