Blog

By: Genell Howell, MA, CSAC Primary Therapist Yesterday was the Summer Solstice, which is the longest day of the year and marks a change of season into the summer months. It is the very moment when, essentially, the sun stands still at its northernmost point as seen from Earth. This year the full moon pairs …

By: Robert Trout, MA Primary Therapist I cannot tell you how many times over the last decade that I have worked in wilderness and outdoor behavioral health programming I have heard the statement made by families, young adults, and teens that “this is not real”. ‘This’ being the setting of being outdoors and outside for …

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 …

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 …

By: Mike Sullivan, MA, LMHC Alumni and Family Services Director Approaching Wattles Farm from Hollywood Boulevard is surreal.  A short walk from the iconic walk of fame in the heart of Hollywood, one navigates speeding sports cars, stoplights (which apparently aren’t enforced), and screaming police sirens to find the gate encircling the margins of Wattles …

Last year my wife and I visited the town where my Portuguese ancestors first lived and worked on the sugarcane plantations– Waimea, Hawai’i, on the island of O’ahu. There we discovered a fruiting mango tree with the most succulent mangoes. My wife suggested I bring a seed home to plant. At first I rebuffed the suggestion. But, with a little cajoling, I was soon toting home one of the seeds for planting on the Big Island of Hawai’i. From that moment I began to feel a sense of connection with the seed; it was both the symbolism of the seed as a part of my Portuguese heritage and also my worry about whether or not I could actually grow a tree from a seed I found in the wild.

By Mike Sullivan, Alumni & Family Services Director Pacific Quest alumni gathered at Torrey Pines State Beach this past Saturday to reconnect and contribute to a larger effort at protecting our ocean ecosystem.  Together with volunteers from the Surfrider Foundation, we combed the beach in hunt of marine debris littering the shores and posing environmental threats. …

    ALUMNI BEACH CLEAN UP Date: Saturday, February 13th Time: 9:00 am- 12:00 pm Location: Torrey Pines State Beach Activity: Beach cleanup hosted by Surfrider Foundation What to bring: Clothes suitable for weather This is a great opportunity to join forces in promoting healthy oceans and giving back to the community.  After all, we …

By Erin Gustin, PsyD Students come to Pacific Quest from various parts of the country. Some have never traveled to the warmer, more tropical parts of the world. The plants, weather, and culture of Hawaii are unfamiliar and sometimes shocking to them. Working in a garden is likely something they have not felt like doing …