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By Dr. Jessica Romeyn Last week I had the opportunity to visit Pacific Quest in lovely Hawaii. Located on the Big Island in Hilo, Pacific Quest (PQ) is not your average wilderness program. Created by Mike and Suzanne McKinney, PQ has 2 programs; one for adolescents and the other, young adults. The model for the programs …

By Pacific Quest Move well, live well. Striving for optimal wellness involves taking care of the physical body. Exercise intensity, however, is different for different bodies—ages, current health, special considerations, along with a variety of other variables. One thing is certain: exercise does more than improve the physical body, it helps improve the emotions as …

Wilderness treatment programs for troubled teens are producing young adults more in tune with who they are and how their behaviors are created and handled. Wilderness therapy camps are not just residential programs for young people with behavioral issues like truancy and lack of motivation alone. Some are designed to handle teens using drugs, alcohol …

Wilderness Therapy programs are residential treatment facilities for troubled youth or wayward teenagers with an array of emotional and behavioral upsets. Depending on the program, problem teens live for weeks or even months learning about themselves through both the wilderness element and therapeutic sessions of these programs. While the therapeutic atmosphere offers daily opportunity for …

By Pacific Quest The word “diet” may throw people at first. We’re all on a diet because a diet is composed of whatever a person habitually eats. So for some, their diet is one of lots of cookies, soda and pizza. For others their diet is one of lots of meat and bread. Others only …

By Pacific Quest With all the wonderful world of iPads, cell phones, video games, Facebook, peers and a myriad of different everyday distractions, a wilderness therapy program is just the kind of environment a troubled, hurting teen needs—though they likely don’t even know it. Wilderness programs offer teens respite and repose in order for them …

Photo from the Hawaii Tribune Herald PQ field staff Billy Barnett made headlines in Hawaii recently for winning the 13th annual Big Island International Marathon.  Check out the article for details- it captures Billy’s humble nature and good spirit. Billy dedicates every other week of his life to the students at PQ.  As a field …

This week we discussed the pillars of health and how they contribute to strong immune systems. The pillars of health are: 1.The Mind/Body Connection 2. Digestion / Nutrition / Water 3. Sleep 4. Breathing 5. Exercise / Movement At Pacific Quest all five of these pillars are reinforced daily leading to healthier and happier students. …

I am the Program Director for Pacific Quest and a founder/owner. This is one of my favorite programmatic points and the excerpt below is taken from one of our staff trainings.

I recently read Gary Ferguson’s Shouting at the Sky.  While the book was originally published in 1999, I got my hands on Hilary’s 2009 copy, a signed copy replete with a new foreword and afterword.  Ferguson’s insights are incredible, as his words convey his personal experience working with teens in a wilderness therapy program.  His …