Blog

By McLean Eames, Experiential Education Supervisor Recently, the Young Adult students drove to the easternmost point of the island, Kumukahi and saw the lighthouse there.  The group talked about the Winter Solstice and how it’s a transition point for our planet; a time when the days start to grow longer.  The group then ventured to …

By Martha Bouchard, Operations Director The holidays are coming upon us. It may seem slightly early, but let’s face it, there have been “winter holiday” decorations in the stores since long before Halloween. Holidays have always been such an interesting and rewarding time in working with adolescents and children for nearly fifteen years. Admittedly, there …

By Travis Slagle, Horticulture Therapy Director Imagine what the world would be like if wilderness therapists of the future became organic farmers.  What if the people entrusted to witness life’s most significant transitions traded in the more esoteric theories of eco-psychology and wilderness survival for a simple shovel and pitch fork?  For many people, the …

By Matt Armstrong, Recruitment Manager We are pleased to announce the completion of yet another successful hiring seminar, held amidst the beauty of Marin County, California. This three-day event was created for those interested in the Field Instructor position and allowed them to experience various aspects of life at Pacific Quest. Twenty participants from all …

By Travis Slagle, Horticulture Therapy Director In the past three weeks I had the opportunity to attend the annual conference for the American Horticultural Therapy Association, and co-present with Hilary Moses at the Wilderness Therapy Symposium sponsored by the Outdoor Behavioral Health Care Industry Council.  Both organizations are dedicated to developing research and professional development …

By Yvette Slagle, Outreach Assistant Pacific Quest was recently featured on LA Talk Radio with Lon Woodbury focusing on “Parent Choices for Struggling Teens”.   Pacific Quest’s Land Supervisor Travis Slagle and Dr. Katie Kasenchak were guests on the show and highlighted some of the key aspects that set Pacific Quest apart from other wilderness therapy …

By Britta Zimmer, ND, Medical Director In front of a standing room only crowd, Dr. Kasenchak and I recently presented at the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians conference in Bellevue, Washington. The audience consisting of MDs, NDs, and PhDs were eager to hear about Pacific Quest’s unique management approach to treating common mental health disorders.  …

By Hilary Moses, Clinical Director Over the past few months I have been working with our Land Supervisor, Travis Slagle, to produce what we hope will be a great 3-hour presentation for the upcoming Wilderness Symposium in Boulder.  Travis’ energy about horticultural therapy and life in the gardens is infectious.   As we sit and banter, …

By Grant Helmus, Field Manager At Pacific Quest wilderness therapy program, we strive to serve all our students as unique individuals.  We understand that they are here for a variety of reasons and we strive to work with them all differently.  Pacific Quest is an outdoor therapy program using a Sustainable Growth™ treatment model as …

Pacific Quest Wilderness Therapy program recently hosted two key leaders from the Horticultural Therapy Association of Victoria, Australia. Karen and Paul Delamotte joined Pacific Quest’s Land Supervisor Travis Slagle for an interactive tour of the 8 acre wilderness program in Hawaii that has provided life changing experiences for hundreds of youth from around the world. …