Blog

By: Theresa Hasting, LMHC Therapist Working in the garden alongside students and seeing the benefits it yields students (and, of course, myself) has left me asking “How do we integrate additional evidence based treatments with our practice of Horticultural Therapy?”  The garden offers so many options for regulating the nervous system and calming the mind …

By: Mike Sullivan, MA, LMHC Alumni and Family Services Director If you have never heard Dr. Lorraine Freedle laugh heartily, you may not know her very well. In a recent presentation at a symposium on neurodevelopment and play, Leveraging Change Agents in the Treatment Process, an audience member commented on the comforting and authentic nature …

Pacific Quest is excited to welcome Teresa Bertoncin to the Clinical Team! Teresa is a licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She is a certified EMDR Therapist, and also has advanced training in Emotionally Focused Couples and Family Therapy (EFT). Teresa earned her undergraduate degree from University of Michigan, and her Masters degree in …

By: Alumni Parent I have stood in your shoes. I still wear them, although I am further up the path. My child was struggling to the point that sending him to Pacific Quest became our best choice. I had been scared, frustrated, sleepless and worried and deciding to send him so far away added a …

  Pacific Quest is pleased and excited to announce the completion of an eighteen month training and certification process with The ChildTrauma Academy. Pacific Quest is now site certified in the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics, or NMT, which is a “developmentally-informed, biologically-respectful approach to working with at-risk children.” NMT is an approach to clinical practice …

Tim Mullins, MA, LCPC has joined the PQ Clinical Team and brings over ten years of experience in the outdoor therapeutic industry.  He offers a wealth of personal and professional experience and has the unique ability to balance clinical insight with his sense of humor, a perfect match for working with young people. Becoming a therapist …

By: Anthony Florig, BSBA Purchasing and Farm Manager Almost all of the gardens at Pacific Quest are built from the ground up, and also down, by the hands and hearts of all the students and staff that find their way to the Big Island of Hawaii. I would like to share a story about the …

We are thankful to the entire Pacific Quest team who have chosen to help others in such a meaningful way. Our son graduated the program and has entered a new and healthier chapter in his life. While we know our son’s journey will continue to have ups and downs, it is nice to know he …

By: Brian Konik, Ph.D. Primary Therapist As I look forward to working with a new group of students this summer at Pacific Quest, I am reminded of what a unique opportunity the gardens provide when designing individualized interventions. I feel very fortunate that, after spending over 20 or so years researching and designing interventions for individuals …

By: Danielle Zandbergen, MA Therapist In celebration of Earth Day, I thought it fitting to write about nature and how it has proven to be one of the most important aspects within the human condition. Nature has been shown to inherently support those struggling with anxiety, depression, PTSD, stress, low self-esteem, obesity, substance abuse and …