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By Genell Howell, MA, CSAC Primary Therapist When we hear the word trauma we often associate it with endangering events. According to the American Psychological Association, trauma is an emotional response to a detrimental event such as an accident, rape or natural disaster. While trauma is commonly associated with major life events, it may also include …

By Tom Jameson, MS, NCC Primary Therapist The Father of Attachment Theory, John Bowlby, described attachment as the “lasting psychological connections between human beings.” The way in which humans attach to others has been proven influential in terms of how individuals relate to others, themselves, and the world. Research has found that a person’s attachment …

Janna earned her Master of Science in Special Education through the New York City Teaching Fellows Program at Pace University, as well as her MA in English from Texas Christian University. Before coming to Pacific Quest, Janna taught English at a high school for students with severe emotional issues in the Bronx. She also taught …

By Clementine Wilson, Field Manager Anyone who has worked as a wilderness therapy guide has probably struggled to answer the question: “what do you do for a living” or “what’s your job like?” As a former guide, I’ve certainly struggled to find the words to explain the incredibly unique and challenging role of the professional …

Mike Sullivan, M.A., LMHC Family & Alumni Services Director With the race approaching in less than a month, Ironman training is in full swing!  Training has ramped up to 20+ hours per week, including relentless swimming drills, 100+ mile bike rides on the Kona coast, and jungle runs. This has been an epic “El Nino” …

Did you know that Pacific Quest has a fully-accredited Academic curriculum? During a typical eight-week stay, Pacific Quest students have the opportunity to take six academic courses for a total of 3.5 academic credits in the following subject areas: Career and Technical Education – Horticulture Pathway (0.5 credits) Health Education – Health Education (0.5 credits) …

I never imagined that I would find myself on the precipice of such an athletic feat. A typical Ironman triathlon is a grueling 140.6 miles of swimming, cycling and running. The Kona Ironman World Championships is the granddaddy of all Ironman triathlon – an international competition amongst the world’s most elite triathletes competing in the …

There is so much that is positive about our family program visit to PQ that it could require a really long writeup to capture it all. Rather than tell you what is likely already known (great staff, wonderful caring parents, fascinating approach to deal with adolescent problems), I’ll limit my general comments to just a …

Dear Pacific Quest Community- with a special shout out to Bridger and Jennifer (you two rock!), Mike Sullivan (Family Program Director extraordinaire!) and Lindsey (Buffalo gals!), What a great team. Mahalo a million times. Thank you for getting a true smile, sparkle, and enthusiasm into the moment and into the future. PQ has laid a foundation for our child.  Our …

As parents, we were really at a point (like many families) where we had exhausted what few resources we had available to us. Our son has learning differences but had never been diagnosed on the spectrum. We had always thought wilderness programs were for kids who were out of control, bad behavior, drugs and alcohol. …