By Darcy Ottey, Rite of Passage Supervisor We sit in a circle long into the darkening night, not far from South Point, Hawaii, the southernmost tip of the United States. One by one, each person shares the story of what brought them here, and with this story, the intent that they have been meditating on, …
Blog
An Integrated Approach
By Mike Sullivan, Therapist As a major figure in 17th century continental rationalism, Rene Descarte’s perspectives fueled western philosophy, allowing him to become dubbed “the father of modern philosophy.” While Descarte offered valuable insights, his emphasis on the mind- body split (later to be coined Cartesian dualism), has catalyzed a perspective that continues to dominate …
A Year on the Path of Growth
By Rob Jarrett, Admissions & Parent Communication Director It’s a Thursday afternoon at 2PM PST and my blog article is due tomorrow. I know I’m taking it all way too seriously, but I just reread and deleted the rough draft that I have been working on for the last couple of weeks. As tempted as …
Wilderness Programs Less Risky Than Daily Life
Check out this interesting article! https://www.omglobe.com/2013/03/28/wilderness-therapy-programs-less-risky-than-daily-life/
Essay From Former Student
Below, is a college essay from a former student at Pacific Quest…we are always grateful to hear from past students as they continue on their journey. I was fourteen years old and terrified. I had traveled eight hours by plane to Hawaii, driven three hours up and around the Kilauea volcano with a stranger, and …
Ecological Concepts and Application on the Human Scale
By Mike McGee, Field Supervisor Around the year 1500, an old growth Ohia Lehua tree came crashing to the ground near the present day town of Volcano, HI. It made a thunderous crash although no one was there to witness it. It destroyed the undergrowth around it and killed many individual organisms that depended on …
Pacific Quest Celebrates Nine Year Anniversary
Pacific Quest is celebrating its nine year anniversary as one of the premier Outdoor Therapy programs for adolescents and young adults in the world. We are forging a new direction for mental health services by integrating naturopathic medicine, horticultural therapy, rites-of-passage, and best practices in clinical psychology and family therapy. Pacific Quest was founded in …
Hawaii Ranks #1 Fifth Year in a Row
Recent results of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index ranked Hawaii as the number one state for overall well-being. The categories that were considered in the index include emotional health, life evaluation, work environment, physical health, healthy behaviors, and basic access to necessities. The Aloha State has ranked number one for five consecutive years!
Staff Vision Fast
By Darcy Ottey, Rite of Passage Supervisor We sit in a circle long into the darkening night, not far from South Point, Hawaii, the southernmost tip of the United States. One by one, each person shares the story of what brought them here, and with this story, the intent that they have been meditating on, …
Adolescents Visit Manuka State Park
Recently, a group of the adolescent students had the opportunity to explore the rare and fascinating, two-mile loop trail at Manuka State Park. Manuka is a Natural Area Reserve, and one of the nineteen different reserves within the statewide Natural Area Reserves System. The Big Island of Hawaii island has eight reserves to call its …
A New Perspective in Wilderness & Horticultural Therapy
This article, written by Travis Slagle, Horticultural Therapy Director, was recently published in the AHTA News Magaizine, a quarterly publication of the American Horticultural Therapy Association. In the classic Hawaiian gardener’s book, Tropical Organic Gardening: Hawaiian Style author Richard Stevens famously wrote, “The art of gardening and the art of living come together in the …