About One Step Rehab Thailand
An independent addiction treatment centre in Chiang Mai, built by the people who pioneered rehab in Thailand
- Small facility — limited to 14 clients at a time
- Founded by pioneers of the Thai rehab sector
- Our own evidence-based treatment method (REBT + MI)
- 12 months online aftercare included
- Mid-range pricing — treatment quality over luxury
Available 7 days a week
Get in TouchWe built One Step to be the rehab we'd want to send our own family to — small enough to know every client by name, experienced enough to handle the hardest cases, and honest enough to tell you what actually works. — Alastair Mordey, Founder
Who We Are
One Step is a 14-bed independent residential addiction treatment centre in Mae Rim, Chiang Mai. Fully licensed by the Thai Ministry of Health, we cater to predominantly international clients, especially from the UK, US, and Australia.
We put the client back at the heart of recovery — no production-line approach, no revolving door of inexperienced staff, and no hiding behind luxury amenities instead of doing the real work of treatment.
As a small centre, we limit capacity so our team can deliver genuinely individualised care. Every client gets a treatment plan built around their specific situation, not a generic programme applied to everyone who walks through the door.
Our treatment method is designed to equip you with the mental toolkit to manage life without addictive behaviours — and to genuinely thrive after you leave, not just survive.
Our Treatment Approach
A specific, developed method — not a generic mix of therapies pulled from a textbook. Each modality was chosen because it works, and refined through years of clinical experience in Thai residential treatment.
CBT & REBT
We use Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy, a foundational form of CBT. You learn to identify the self-defeating belief systems that cause emotional and behavioural consequences — then dispute them and build effective new behaviours. Alastair was the first to popularise REBT for addiction treatment in this region.
Recovery Coaching
Twelve step facilitation explained in secular terms that ordinary people can understand. You learn how addiction is a dopamine-related disorder that impairs your sense of reason — and what to do about it, whether or not 12-step programmes are for you.
Motivational Interviewing
Not everyone arrives ready for change — and that’s normal. MI uses a stages-of-change model to guide resistant clients from pre-contemplation through to action, rolling with resistance rather than forcing acceptance.
Mindfulness Meditation
Our meditation coaches have direct experience using mindfulness for addiction recovery. Rooted in the Vipassana tradition of Southeast Asian Buddhism, mindfulness is especially effective for managing cravings through urge surfing techniques.
Trauma-Informed Care
Trauma therapy done too early can be harmful. We use body-based therapies like TRE (Trauma Release Exercise) for progressive relaxation, combined with Trauma-Focused CBT when clients are ready for deeper processing of PTSD and complex trauma.
Physical Activity
Movement is therapy. Muay Thai, fitness training, yoga, hiking, cycling through the rice paddies — physical activity was pioneered as a core treatment tool by our founding team, and it remains central to the programme.
A Typical Day at One Step
Structure is one of the most powerful therapeutic tools we use. Addiction thrives in chaos, irregular sleep, poor nutrition and unstructured time. Each day is deliberately organised to stabilise the nervous system, rebuild physical strength and create consistent behavioural momentum.
Weekends include excursions, structured leisure, family calls and additional reflective work. Over time, the brain begins to associate reward with effort, connection and progress rather than substances or compulsive behaviours. Clients leave not just with insight, but with a lived experience of what stable, structured days feel like — and how to recreate them at home.
We’ll have an honest conversation about whether our programme fits your situation. No sales pitch, no pressure.
Talk to Our Team
Our Mission
Our team’s core focus is to make One Step the best value treatment centre in the world. The location in Mae Rim is the perfect backdrop for morning walks, sunrise yoga, outdoor adventures, or simply sitting back among the surrounding paddy fields. But while the backdrop is calming, the work of treatment is what matters.
Too many centres offer beautiful surroundings with nothing in the way of real clinical content. Many don’t have their own specific treatment method. We do, and we’ve been refining it for years.
We know that many people today have to go out-of-network to access addiction treatment, or can’t afford to wait on long lists for government-funded places. So we built a programme that delivers real clinical quality at a price that doesn’t require a second mortgage.
The Team Behind One Step
Our founding team are credited as pioneers of the Thai rehab sector. They have over a century of combined experience running residential treatment centres and have directly shaped many of the treatment approaches now used across the region.
Alastair Mordey was the first to popularise REBT for addiction treatment in Thailand, pioneered the use of outdoor therapeutic programmes for young men in recovery, and has presented at international addiction conferences on topics from kickboxing therapy to motivational interviewing.
When you choose One Step, your treatment is led by people who built this industry — not staff who read about it in a manual.
Why People Choose One Step
The things that actually make a difference in treatment — not marketing buzzwords, but operational realities that affect your recovery.
Small & Independent
Limited to 14 clients at a time. Your counsellors know your name, your story, and your progress. No production-line treatment where you’re a number on a spreadsheet.
12 Months Aftercare
Ongoing online therapy for a full year after discharge, including weekly Saturday alumni groups. Stay connected to the community that got you on your feet. This is included — not an add-on.
Real Value, Not Luxury Theatre
We invest in clinical staff and treatment quality, not infinity pools and marble lobbies. Our setting in Chiang Mai is beautiful, but the real value is in the programme itself.
Proven Treatment Method
A specific, developed approach built on REBT, motivational interviewing, mindfulness, and trauma-informed care. Not a generic mix — a method refined through years of hands-on clinical experience in residential treatment.
Chiang Mai Setting
Set among rice paddies and mountains in Mae Rim, 30 minutes from Chiang Mai airport. Far enough from city triggers to focus completely on recovery, with national parks and outdoor activities on the doorstep.
Family Programme
Addiction affects the whole family. We include weekly family video calls and optional family therapy sessions so the people closest to you understand the process and can support your recovery.
Accommodation & Facilities
A calm, structured environment designed for recovery — comfortable without being a distraction from the real work.
Who Our Rehab Is For
One Step works best for people who are ready to commit to a structured residential programme. You may be an ideal fit if any of the following apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about One Step Rehab, our team, and how we work.
Three things: size, method, and aftercare. We’re small enough (14 clients) that treatment is genuinely individualised. We have our own specific treatment method built on REBT, motivational interviewing, and mindfulness — not a generic programme. And we provide 12 months of online aftercare included in the programme fee, which is unique among Thai rehabs.
One Step was founded by Alastair Mordey and a team with over a century of combined experience in addiction treatment. The founding team pioneered many of the treatment approaches now standard across Thai rehabs, including REBT-based addiction therapy and outdoor therapeutic programmes.
Our programme is built on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (specifically REBT), Motivational Interviewing, recovery coaching, mindfulness meditation, trauma-informed care (including TRE and Trauma-Focused CBT), physical activity, and structured relapse prevention planning. Every client receives an individualised treatment plan based on their specific needs and situation.
One Step is positioned as mid-range — we invest in clinical quality rather than luxury amenities to keep costs accessible. For current rates, visit our pricing page or contact our admissions team for a confidential discussion about your situation.
We provide 12 months of ongoing online therapy after discharge. This includes weekly Saturday group sessions with alumni and continued access to the counsellors you worked with during treatment. The aftercare is conducted by your primary therapists, so you maintain the relationship you built in-house.
We’re in Mae Rim, a district about 30 minutes north of Chiang Mai city centre and airport. The facility is set among rice paddies with views of the surrounding mountains — a calm, rural setting that removes you from city triggers while still being accessible from Chiang Mai International Airport.
Your journey to One Step Rehab begins with an email or phone call. After an informal chat with our admissions team, you’ll complete a short phone assessment so we can understand your needs and develop an appropriate treatment plan.
We'll respond within 24 hours