Richard Smith’s relationship with addiction spans decades, beginning in 1968 when he became dependent at a young age, later struggling with heroin addiction for 12 years. His personal recovery began in 1985, marking the start of his lifelong commitment to supporting others battling substance abuse and their families.
Following his recovery, Richard threw himself into professional development, starting with Health Department Victoria’s BACCUS (Basic Understanding of Substance Abuse) and CARE (Course in Assessment Referral and Education) programs. He continued his education at Victoria College, completing their Counselling Course for Drug & Alcohol Workers. Richard’s passion led him to qualify as an NLP (Neuro Linguistics Programming) Practitioner and finish the Train the Trainer program at the Council of Adult Education. His formal education culminated in a Graduate Diploma of Social Science (Drug Dependence) from Phillip Institute of Technology.
The Health & Community Services sector recognises Richard as a person of ‘prescribed class’ for HIV counselling. After working in various roles within primary healthcare institutions across Victoria, Australia, Richard established the Hader Clinic in Melbourne in 1997.
At Seasons Bali, Richard leads with a simple yet powerful philosophy: helping clients rediscover their natural happiness that emerges when the body and mind are clear. He often shares that he’s been enjoying his own natural happiness since 1985 and takes genuine satisfaction in helping others find theirs.
Richard’s extensive education and certifications reflect a lifelong commitment to improving addiction recovery services. His academic achievements and professional training equip him to create evidence-based, compassionate care programs that deliver measurable results.
Richard specialises in addiction and mental health care, with a focus on methadone-to-abstinence programs, residential treatment, and family counselling. His work has earned recognition through media features and global program success, including Seasons Bali.
“Recovery isn’t just about getting clean — it’s about rediscovering who you are and rebuilding a life you’re proud of.”
Richard Smith, Program Director & Founder, breaks down rehab affordability, funding options, and key industry insights to help individuals access treatment.
Binge drinking and alcohol addiction get grouped together often and they’re not the same thing, even though people usually assume they are. There’s overlap between them but the actual experience…
Getting clean is the first step to addiction recovery. Actually rebuilding an entire life around mind, body and spirit, that’s the part nobody prepares you for. Nutrition tends to get…
Gratitude is one of those ideas everyone agrees is good for you, right up until it comes time to actually practise it. It gets mentioned in every self help book…
Some of those suffering from drug addiction often find themselves wondering, “Can I recover without rehab?” Let’s be honest – many people dread rehab and would avoid it at all…
Between 6pm and 2am, a withdrawal severity score can jump from mild to severe. That is not a worst-case scenario pulled from a textbook; it is what happens when alcohol…
Some people may think that alcohol addiction is mainly a male problem, but that’s not the case now. In fact, research shows that there has been a spike in problematic…
Richard’s approach to recovery is deeply personal and rooted in his belief that true healing requires addressing every aspect of a person’s life. His programs are designed to go beyond treating the symptoms of addiction, focusing instead on uncovering the root causes—whether trauma, family dynamics, or life stressors—and empowering clients to rebuild their lives from the ground up. This holistic philosophy delivers real results: clinical audits reveal that 75% of clients who complete a 90-day program remain clean and sober after a year. With shorter programs achieving 50% and 35% success rates for 60- and 28-day programs respectively, Richard’s vision proves that with the right support, lasting recovery is possible for everyone.
Richard Smith
OPRICHTER
Dip Sociale Wetenschappen (Verslaving), NLP Practitioner en Diploma in Counseling
Mijn reis met verslaving begon in 1968, toen ik op jonge leeftijd afhankelijk werd. Later raakte ik 12 jaar lang verslaafd aan heroïne. In 1985 ging ik eindelijk in herstel. Vanaf dat moment heb ik mijn leven gewijd aan het werken met verslaafden, alcoholisten en hun families.
Ik begon mijn opleiding bij het Health Department Victoria en rondde daar de BACCUS-cursus (Basic Understanding of Substance Abuse) en de CARE-cursus (Course in Assessment Referral and Education) af. Daarna volgde ik de Victorian Counselling Course for Drug & Alcohol Worker aan het Victoria College. Verder studeerde ik om NLP (Neuro-Linguïstisch Programmeren) Practitioner te worden, voltooide ik de Train the Trainer-cursus aan de Council of Adult Education en behaalde ik uiteindelijk een Graduate Diploma of Social Science (Drug Dependence) aan het Phillip Institute of Technology.
Ik ben ook erkend door Health & Community Services als een persoon van een ‘voorgeschreven klasse’ om HIV-counseling te geven. Daarna bekleedde ik diverse functies in eerstelijnsgezondheidsinstellingen in Victoria, Australië. In 1997 richtte ik de Hader Clinic in Melbourne op.
Onze missie bij Seasons Bali is om je te helpen het natuurlijke geluk in jezelf te herontdekken wanneer een helder lichaam en geest de ruimte krijgen om volledig tot bloei te komen. Ik geniet van dit geluk sinds 1985 en kijk ernaar uit om jou te helpen het ook te herontdekken.
