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Our outing last Friday was to South Point and Manuka State Park.  South Point is one of the oldest fishing areas on the Big Island and among the few that is still in use today.  Its dramatic drop off offers the opportunity to catch big game fish straight from shore.  South Point is a draw …

Patrick Leatherman (on right side) is our organic gardening specialist at PQ.  He works to help the students develop connections between gardening and their individual therapeutic processes.  I have cut and pasted some of Patrick’s notes from the weekend.  I have deleted the students names to preserve confidentiality. Nalu Camp: Friday morning we met in …

I heard an interesting news segment on NPR today that I thought I would share.  Scientists are experimenting with using neurofeedback as a therapy for ADHD- something the speaker referred to as “meditation on steriods.”  The feedback is simple, as the aim is condition the brain to remain focused through a reward system. An individual …

Volcano National Park is located about 30 minutes North of Pacific Quest and offers a wide variety of geographical and educational opportunities.   Students were able to learn about the unique volcanic phenomenon that make up the islands of Hawaii. Our first stop was to see the tree molds where a lava flow enclosed several …

Pacific Quest recently held an informational and educational gathering for visiting educational consultants on the Big Island of Hawaii. Educational consultants arrived from the Midwest, East and West Coast, and Southern U.S. to learn about the services Pacific Quest provides for struggling youth.  Our guests were greeted in camp with a welcoming ceremony, drumming circle, …

I know it seems like this blog is chock full of Victor Frankl references, but it is only appropriate.  I found it in my search for mindfulness quotes. “Between stimulus and response there is a space.  In that space is our power to choose our response.  in our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment and without judgement. Mindfulness practices help people develop a deeper and more compassionate connection to experiences.  Mindfulness practices that focus on aspects of the body help root us in our bodies, in the here and now, and cultivate the connection between …

Check out the new PQ website!The site offers detailed program information and fantastic pictures that portray the beauty of Hawaii.  Please let us know your feedback if you have any. We are not the only ones talking about PQ launching the new site.  Marketwire has also announced it as well. https://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Pacific-Quest-Wilderness-Therapy-Program-Announces-New-Website-1311636.htm

How does being “plugged in” effect well being and brain functioning?  This question was first posed as televisions began sprouting in family living rooms across the US.  Next, desk top computers and the world wide web raised alarm as more and more people were being drawn to the computer screen. As desktop computers become more …

I read an article recently entitled “Alone Together,” published in the Pennsylvania Gazette, May/June 2010.   This article was forwarded to me by a student’s father – thank you to him for sharing interesting information:) The article is about Vivian Seltzer‘s developmental theory of adolescence and the role of what she calls the peer arena.  …