What Participants Say
Stories from Families
Who Came to the Table
Every family's situation is different. What they tend to have in common is that they left Hearthway feeling clearer — and a little calmer — than when they arrived.
Back to Home340+
Families supported
4.8
Average feedback rating
6
Years in Chiang Mai
93%
Would recommend
Participant Feedback
What People Shared After Their Sessions
"The Calm Conversations Session gave us a structure we did not know we needed. My partner and I had been talking in circles for weeks. After the half-day workshop, we came home and had the first genuinely useful conversation we had managed in months. The facilitator did not steer us anywhere — she just made it easier for us to hear each other."
Rachel H.
Chiang Mai — June 2025
"The workbook was more thorough than I expected. I assumed it would be basic prompts, but it asked questions I had not thought to ask myself. Going through it alone first, then comparing notes with my husband, was genuinely revealing. There were things we had both assumed the other one felt strongly about — and it turned out neither of us did. Small thing, but it moved things forward."
Pairin S.
Chiang Mai — May 2025
"I came to the Extended Programme as a single participant — my wife did not feel ready to attend together. That was fine; the facilitators handled it naturally. By the third session I had a much clearer picture of what we needed to sort out practically, and I had a better sense of how to have those conversations at home. When my wife did join for the final session, she said I seemed different — calmer and more specific."
Thomas W.
Chiang Mai — May 2025
"I was nervous before the session — I did not know who else would be in the group or what I would be expected to share. In practice, the format was very low-pressure. Nobody was pushed to disclose more than they were comfortable with. The techniques were practical and the morning went quickly. I have already recommended it to a friend going through something similar."
Nara K.
Chiang Mai — June 2025
"As an expat, the Thailand-specific parts of the programme were the most valuable for us. We had no idea about some of the processes that apply here, and the plain-language overview made a real difference. We went to our solicitor with a proper list of questions instead of feeling completely lost. She actually commented on it."
James M.
Chiang Mai — April 2025
"The written summary after each session was something I did not think I would use much. I was wrong — I have gone back to it several times. Having a record of what came up, even in broad terms, was really useful when I was trying to explain our situation to a financial planner a few weeks later. The price felt fair for what was included."
Siriwan B.
Chiang Mai — June 2025
In More Detail
Three Family Journeys
The following accounts are composites drawn from participant feedback. Names and details have been changed.
Case Study — Extended Skills Programme
The Starting Point
A British couple, resident in Chiang Mai for eight years, had decided to separate. Both wanted to handle things without conflict, but neither knew where to begin or what the process in Thailand would involve.
What They Did
They completed the Extended Skills Programme together over five weeks. One also completed the planning workbook independently beforehand to prepare. By the third session, they had mapped their main practical areas clearly.
What Changed
They came to their solicitor with a jointly agreed summary of their priorities, which significantly reduced the time spent in early meetings. Both reported feeling that the programme had kept the process respectful at a time when it could easily have gone differently.
Case Study — Shared Planning Workbook
The Starting Point
A Thai–Australian couple had been discussing separation informally for over a year, but kept stalling. They had two children and shared property, and the conversations kept breaking down because there was too much to hold in mind at once.
What They Did
They purchased the workbook and agreed to complete it separately first, then review their answers together. This took about two and a half weeks.
What Changed
By working through structured prompts rather than open-ended discussions, they found it much easier to identify where they agreed and where they genuinely differed. They described the workbook as helping them "stop going round in circles and actually see the shape of it".
Case Study — Calm Conversations Session
The Starting Point
One partner in a Chiang Mai couple attended alone, at a point before either had decided anything definitively. She wanted tools to manage difficult conversations rather than a specific programme outcome.
What She Did
She attended the Calm Conversations Session and focused particularly on the listening techniques. She practised the key approach over the following two weeks and came back to book the workbook for both of them.
What Changed
She described the session as having "lowered the temperature" of home conversations enough that she and her partner could begin to make actual decisions together, rather than managing the distress of the conversations themselves.
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74/5 Huay Kaew Road, Su Thep,
Chiang Mai 50200
Mon–Fri 9:00–17:30
Sat 9:00–13:00
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If you have completed a Hearthway programme and would like to share your experience, we would be glad to hear from you. All feedback is written and optional.
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