Connection
Family, friends and community bring support, belonging and happiness. We help residents relate and communicate in ways that draw people closer instead of pushing them away.
About us
About The White Room and founder Fred Atkinson
The White Room is a small sober living residence in Khao Tao, Hua Hin, founded by addiction counsellor Fred Atkinson after years of helping people rebuild their lives in Thai rehabs.
Fred's story
Who is Fred Atkinson?
Fred Atkinson is an internationally qualified addiction counsellor and the founder of The White Room. He has worked in addiction treatment in Thailand for more than five years.
His commitment is personal: a life-changing year in primary care lit a passion for helping others. Fred believes sobriety is only the first step. The path to a life "more than you ever dreamed of" takes lasting change in behaviour, emotional regulation and personal growth.
Why it exists
Why Fred founded The White Room
During his years working in rehab, Fred saw many clients regain their strength, rebuild their lives and move forward. It inspired a long-held dream: a home of his own, built on the knowledge, principles and values he believes in, where he could keep supporting people in recovery.
He found the right setting in Khao Tao, in Hua Hin district: peaceful, close to nature and good for healing and reflection. Here residents can feel at home and build the strength to return to life with a sense of meaning, happiness and self-worth.
What we believe
Three things that shape life at The White Room
“The opposite of addiction is not sobriety. The opposite of addiction is connection.”
Structure
Inconsistency is a hallmark of addiction. A steady routine, starting at 6 am with a beach or lake walk, yoga or meditation, builds the discipline that real growth needs.
Honesty
Change starts with seeing yourself clearly. Fred is warm but direct: he supports you and challenges you, so you can take responsibility for the life you want.
The team
The people behind The White Room
Fred is the person you speak to when you first get in touch, and the counsellor who shapes the program: CBT and DBT skills, group therapy, psychoeducation, one-to-one counselling and life-skills training.
He works alongside The White Room team, who support residents like family and help make the house a calm, caring home. [team members' names, roles and photos – TBC]
Former clients
In their own words
Six people Fred has counselled in Thailand describe what changed for them. We share first names and countries only, to protect their privacy.
Fred quite literally saved my life.
What sets Fred apart is his honesty and his ability to get to the root of things. He didn't let me hide behind my story, my trauma, my ADHD, or anything else I used to justify my behaviour. He helped me see how my actions had consequences, why my life was the way it was, and most importantly, that if I wanted a better life, I had to be the one to change it. For the first time, I didn't just want sobriety, I wanted a completely different way of living.
I wake up now grateful, calm and clear-headed in a way I never thought was possible. I don't feel like I'm holding on for dear life every day. I feel like I'm actually living. That mindset shift alone has changed everything.
I spent over six months under the care of Fred. To say that his support was beneficial would be an understatement. Throughout this period, Fred provided consistent guidance and encouragement, challenging me when necessary and offering direction when appropriate. I entered his care a broken boy and left an independent man.
While the responsibility for change was mine, having a professional who could demonstrate effective strategies for change, provide guidance throughout the process, and offer consistent challenge and support was essential to my progress. It is because of this that I am able to say that I have been clean for over 3 years and 4 months. I'm forever grateful for the opportunity to have been under Fred's care, and grateful to be able to call him my mate.
Fred wasn't just a counsellor. He showed up as a real human. His authenticity made it easy to be vulnerable, and I knew I could tell him anything without fear or judgement. We connected on deep levels, and for the first time in a long time, I felt understood. He didn't just help me get clean; he changed the way I see life.
Because of Fred, I found hope again. Today, I am a year and a half clean. I'm studying, working, and back with my family after years of stress, separation and pain. That still means everything to me. We're still in regular contact, because Fred isn't just someone who was my counsellor in rehab, he is a mentor for life. I will always be grateful for him and for the role he played in helping me turn my life around.
“Thanks to his support, I am now 1.5 years clean from GHB, Xanax and other hard drugs. Something I am extremely proud of and could not have achieved without his help.”
“His lectures and one-to-one sessions gave me practical tools I use daily to pause, reframe and choose better responses. I am now 8 months sober and use the tools he taught me on a daily basis to maintain my sobriety long-term.”
“I had very low self-esteem, and with the tools and training I learned I can happily report that I'm living happier, healthier and more confident than I have in over a decade.”