Frequently Asked Questions
You’ll likely have many questions about your stay at The Dawn. Here you can find answers to some of the most common inquiries. For any additional questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Treatment
The Dawn is licensed by Thai Ministry of Public Health. Our treatment centre is run by a team of fully credentialed Western-trained professionals who have extensive experience in treating mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression, and we also have medical staff available around-the-clock.
Whether you’re seeking treatment for anxiety, depression or another condition, we will tailor your treatment plan specifically to your needs. The length of your treatment will depend on the complexity of your diagnosis as well as your responsiveness to treatment, a process that can take anywhere from four weeks to six months. Ideally, we ask clients to try to clear their schedule for approximately two months in order to see clear results.
Our clients typically participate in two individual counselling sessions and over 20 hours of group therapy per week. Your counsellor will continually monitor your progress during these sessions. If they find that you are struggling, you’ll get additional one-on-one time to further explore your issues and needs, and strengthen your recovery.
Yes, group therapy sessions and group activities are a major component of treatment at The Dawn, and play a pivotal role in the effectiveness of our mental health programmes. In fact, most of our clients attribute a big part of their recovery to the ability to identify with the group and the support they received from the community.
Yes, we offer weekly online group counselling sessions in both northern and southern hemisphere timeframes. We believe that aftercare is vital in helping you work through any issues as you settle back into your daily routine at home. Aftercare is also a key factor in preventing the re-occurrence of symptoms and to support your continued recovery.
The Dawn has a 24-hour onsite professional nursing team who has vast experience in handling medications as well as patients with psychological issues. Under the supervision of our psychiatrist, who handles all prescription medication, the team carefully monitors and assists clients as required.
This will depend on your initial assessment by our medical team. If medication is determined to be necessary for your condition, then it will be prescribed by our psychiatrist.
Centre Policies
Yes, visitors are welcome if the visit is of therapeutic value and the visitor is pre-approved by your focal counsellor. Visits are typically encouraged during the weekend and last for a maximum of two hours so as not to disrupt your treatment schedule.
Yes, but with a few conditions so as to ensure your continued recovery. During the first four weeks in treatment, you’ll enjoy a weekly group outing with members of our staff. Any other trip off-site during this critical month in treatment must be for medical reasons, and include a referral from our in-house medical team and a staff escort.
After a minimum of four weeks in treatment, you will be allowed to leave the centre unescorted for a few hours, as long as the outing has been pre-approved by your focal counsellor.
Though a loved one is welcome to drop you off at the Centre and to come for periodic visits (as long as the visit is pre-approved by your focal counsellor), only clients are able live on site. This is to help you focus your time and energy solely on yourself and your recovery. However, our staff is happy to recommend hotels for your loved one if they would like to stay nearby as you concentrate on your healing and wellness.
Yes, we allow phone, computer and internet access – unless restricted by our Clinical team for therapeutic purposes.
Travel, Accommodation & Services
As a popular destination for international travellers and sightseers, Chiang Mai is accessible through many modes of transportation. If you’re traveling from abroad, you can search for direct flights to Chiang Mai International Airport via a wide variety of international airlines. If you prefer a stopover in Bangkok first, you can continue on to Chiang Mai on a range of domestic carriers with a flight time of about an hour.
Many countries are eligible for a visa on arrival and do not require a visa for a 30-day stay in Thailand. If you have a passport that is not eligible for visa on arrival, then you must apply for a visa before coming to Thailand. We can check the requirements and process the visa for you, and we can also help you get a visa extension if you decide to stay for more than 90 days. Please note that a visa fee may be required.
The weather in northern Thailand is fairly straightforward. It is mostly dry from November to February and March to May, though November to February is cooler than the higher temperatures from March to May. Northern Thailand’s rainy period is from May to November. Chiang Mai’s average annual temperature is 25-30 degrees Celsius.
There are some general items that you should bring with you to The Dawn in order to feel more comfortable during your stay. We recommend bringing around one week’s worth of clothing (we have laundry facilities on site), toiletries and personal items. Some items that you should bring from home include:
– Prescription medication
– A list of emergency and information contacts (including next of kin and your doctor)
– Sandals, walking shoes and running shoes
– Several sets of fitness wear
– Swimwear– Sunglasses
– A hat– Sunscreen– Insect repellent
– Spending money for excursions
– Optional items such as books or a computer (these must not contain violent, offensive or pornographic material)
Yes, you will have a private, resort-style room and an end-suite bathroom with toiletries, a widescreen television, and high-speed Internet access.
The Dawn’s regular meals are delicious and varied, and yes we can cater for special dietary needs as well. Our daily buffets feature a wide range of Thai and international dishes to choose from, as well as a variety of tasty salads. Please let us know about your particular needs in your enquiry and our chefs will prepare accordingly.
For Family
We understand your concern about your loved one while they are in treatment. You can request a phone call or receive weekly progress reports from your loved one’s focal counsellor. Be assured that in case of any emergency or urgent matter, our staff will get in touch with you.
Communication via cell phone is not restricted at The Dawn, so clients and their loved ones are able to chat at their convenience. We know that partners, family or friends can be a tremendous source of support and encouragement during the recovery journey. However, it is important to remember that your loved one is in treatment, and will need to be able to devote as much of their time and focus to their recovery as possible.
Admission and Costs
We have a simple, yet robust, intake procedure. Within 12 hours of receiving your initial enquiry, we will contact you to gather more information about the client’s personal details and history, as well as provide an overview of The Dawn and answer any questions you may have. After this initial contact, one of our Clinical staff members will follow up with the client to do a preliminary assessment to gage if we can treat your condition effectively.
We require a US$2,000 deposit at the time of booking. After we receive the booking and deposit, we can help our clients with travel arrangements, such as visa support, flight bookings, and airport transfers.
Yes, we accept insurance from leading healthcare providers worldwide. Please consult with your provider about their coverage to ensure that all your questions are answered prior to treatment.
We offer a pro rata refund if a client chooses to leave within the first 7 days of treatment. No refund will be processed after 7 days. The deposit is completely non-refundable.
Our fees are inclusive of all psychotherapy and wellness activities, weekly excursions, accommodation and food but do not include special medication and TMS therapy or unplanned medical situations. However, you might want to bring some money in case you want to buy something during one of our excursions; such as snacks or souvenirs. At the time of admission, we will hold your money for you and give it back to you for personal expenses during your stay.
Confidentiality
We take the confidentiality of every one of our clients very seriously. Our staff strictly adheres to international standards of medical confidentiality, and no information about you will ever be released without your written permission.