Preamble:
Resources here are limited for people in distress and suffering from difficulties that come up in life. As a licensed and practicing clinician, I'm aware of a number of qualified professionals people can turn to. I want clients to have choices and to be able to find the provider that best suits their life needs and personal style. The purpose of this list is to increase awareness about well-trained, mental health professionals available here in Bangkok. People are able to find help and help themselves in an amazing variety of ways. This list represents only one method: the professional practice of counseling and psychotherapy, based on established professional practices and scientific principles.
How did I assemble this list? These are people who I am personally familiar with who are able to provide professional and competent mental health services (counseling, psychotherapy, assessments). This means that I am including only professionals with education, training, and supervised experience that meet international standards. I give preference to professionals who have obtained a legitimate professional credential in their home country (provided that their home country has a sound and consistent regime of training and credentialing, which is not the case in all countries). While a license by itself is not proof of great wisdom or maturity, it is proof that a person has gone through a rigorous credentialing process (at least, in North America, where standards are rigorous). I have personally met each of these people and refer clients to them myself.
Never be afraid to ask a provider about their training, experience, credentials, etc. Please remember that adults are free, thank goodness, to spend their money on whatever treatment they prefer; I'm providing this incomplete and subjective list in order to help people who are interested in a professional, mental health consultation.
The list first list organizations providing mental health services (their websites have lists of available practitioners) and the second section identifies individual practitioners and their websites. For more information, please contact each organization or practitioner directly. I invite you to share any feedback about your experiences with these providers directly with me.
(1) Organizations
NCS New Counseling Services
61/1 Soi Intamara 3
Sutisan Road
Phaya Thai (Sapan Kwai Area)
Tel.: 02 279 8503
Languages Spoken: English, Dutch, Thai, and German
A good selection of different counselors from many nations. A good place to refer your Thai friends for western style counseling.
Psychological Services International
9/2 Sukhumvit Soi 43 (near Phrom Pong/Emporium)
Bangkok 10110,
Tel: 02-2591467
Fax: 02-2620505
Languages Spoken: English, French and Thai
[Disclosure: I practice at PSI] PSI offers services from highly qualified and experienced clinicians. We're committed to high-quality mental health practice. Highly skilled Thai counselors are also available. A good place to refer Thai friends.
Saisilp: The Centre for Creative Growth and Professional Training
BB Building, 54 Soi 21 Sukhumvit
Tel: 02-258 7562 (press 0-Office, press 1-Khun Piyachat)
Languages Spoken: Thai and English
--Piyachat Finney, LMFT, LMHC, ATR, CP is an experienced and bilingual Thai clinician who also sees expats. Aj. Piyachat was trained in the USA and is credentialed there. She specializes in expressive therapies, including art therapy, psychodrama and play therapy for children. Her current credentials include Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (in Massachusetts State), Licensed Mental Health Counselor (in Massachusetts State), Art Therapist Registered (by the American Art Therapy Association), and American Board Certified Practitioner of Psychodrama.
(2) Individual Practitioners
[A list of individual mental health practitioners in the Bangkok area, listed in alphabetical order by last name, follow the link to find out more about their professional backgrounds and specialties. If you know of someone you think should be on this list, please contact me]
Catherine Barbier. MA (Clinical Psychologist)
Jean Francois Botermans, PhD (Clinical Psychologist)
Dan Boyd, MA, MS, CAS (Counselor/Psychotherapist)
Johanna DeKonig (Counselor/Psychotherapist)
Iris Hertz (Counselor/Psychotherapist)
Carl Janowitz (Counselor/Psychotherapist)
Ali Khakpoor, MS (Educational Psychologist)
Erin Larsen, LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker)
Siriluk Latsamrit, PhD (Counselor/Psychotherapist)
Eric Mason, LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor)
Mallika Meinhold Bergman (Registered Psychologist in Germany; see bottom of p.5 in linked document)
Saovanee Noppaprach, PhD (Counseling Psychologist)
Sharda Singh, MSS, LSW (Clinical Social Worker)
Ben Weinstein, PhD (Licensed Clinical Psychologist)
Ann White, LPC (Counselor/Psychotherapist)
Folks to Avoid in Bangkok
After long consideration, I've decided to include a list of places to avoid when seeking qualified help in Bangkok. These are folks about whom I have received consistent feedback that they have injured clients in one way or another.
1. The person or persons behind the website bangok-counseling.com (it's notable that unlike other legitimate helpers, no professional is named on this site).
2. Anyone who invites you to receive counseling in their apartment. This is generally a very bad sign. If someone who calls themselves a counselor invites you to have a session at their home, please use caution.
Beyond BangkokJean Francois Botermans, PhD (Clinical Psychologist)
Dan Boyd, MA, MS, CAS (Counselor/Psychotherapist)
Johanna DeKonig (Counselor/Psychotherapist)
Iris Hertz (Counselor/Psychotherapist)
Carl Janowitz (Counselor/Psychotherapist)
Ali Khakpoor, MS (Educational Psychologist)
Erin Larsen, LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker)
Siriluk Latsamrit, PhD (Counselor/Psychotherapist)
Eric Mason, LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor)
Mallika Meinhold Bergman (Registered Psychologist in Germany; see bottom of p.5 in linked document)
Saovanee Noppaprach, PhD (Counseling Psychologist)
Sharda Singh, MSS, LSW (Clinical Social Worker)
Ben Weinstein, PhD (Licensed Clinical Psychologist)
Ann White, LPC (Counselor/Psychotherapist)
After long consideration, I've decided to include a list of places to avoid when seeking qualified help in Bangkok. These are folks about whom I have received consistent feedback that they have injured clients in one way or another.
1. The person or persons behind the website bangok-counseling.com (it's notable that unlike other legitimate helpers, no professional is named on this site).
2. Anyone who invites you to receive counseling in their apartment. This is generally a very bad sign. If someone who calls themselves a counselor invites you to have a session at their home, please use caution.
Many foreigners live outside Bangkok and may find this list not very helpful. Check out the community resources list maintained by ISB. Some of the organizations on this list will offer phone consultation. Other people may choose to travel to Bangkok to receive treatment weekly, biweekly, or monthly. Most counselors on the list above will provide internet-based services for people living outside Bangkok but within Southeast Asia.
There are also useful self help resources on the internet (along with much that is not helpful)- for people interested in that, please get a copy of the Authoritative Guide to Self-Help Resources in Mental Health, edited by John Norcross (among others). It's an outstanding, peer- and consumer-reviewed guide to self help resources (book, video, internet) in a really broad range of areas.
I'm open to hearing about more resources that could potentially be on this list; please contact me if you want to suggest a resource (you may contact me through my website or through PSI).
