Blog

Here is a great testimonial from a parent who came to Hawaii to reunite with her daughter during a recent Parent Workshop: The Pacific Quest parent weekend is a must for all parents of PQ students. For me, as a parent, it was equally painful, confusing and heart wrenching to live with and parent someone …

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 wilderness therapy program is pleased to partner with Jen Murphy, M.Ed., LPC.  Jen will offer Parent Coaching Services for families in need of individualized parent support, coaching and counseling.  Pacific Quest recognizes the importance of family systems and dynamics in successfully treating adolescent and young adult clients.  Parents …

By Yvette Slagle, Outreach Assistant Pacific Quest is pleased to announce the promotion of Hilary Moses as the new Clinical Director. Hilary is an LCSW with over 13 years of experience working with adolescents and families in a variety of settings. She earned her MSW from Bryn Mawr, Graduate School of Social Work and Social …

By Yvette Slagle, Outreach Assistant Pacific Quest is pleased to announce the movement of the young adult program to a brand new ocean front location at historical Reeds Bay.  Several years ago, Pacific Quest was asked by a number of families and referring professionals to consider serving the needs of struggling young adults. Noted for …

Pacific Quest wilderness therapy program welcomes Psychiatrist Dr. Shelly Ham to its clinical and wellness team. Dr. Shelly Ham will have an integral role working with Pacific Quest’s treatment professionals where she will oversee and evaluate the psychiatric needs of all adolescent and young adult students enrolled at Pacific Quest’s wilderness programs. Suzanne McKinney, co-founder …

If you are like many parents you were warned when your darling toddler was starting into some adorable defiance: “Just wait ‘til they’re teenagers!” You may have thought a problem teenager would never happen to you because you’re such an attentive, caring, thoughtful, amazing parent. You made your child good food, drove them to all …

If you have struggled with how to manage and raise your troubled teenager, you may have had the discussion about where to get help outside your family circle and the community around you. Fortunately, there are specialized programs targeted at varying degrees of outcomes depending on the ultimate needs of your particular child. Whether you …

By Mike Sullivan, Therapist This is fascinating – and you will likely be able to relate to this.  Mihály Csíkszentmihályi and colleagues in Italy pondered the mental state of artists while in the act of creating art.  Through phenomenological studies, Csíkszentmihályi, maintains that people can basically become absorbed into an activity and reach a particular …

Do you have a teen that has bouts of irritability, angry outbursts or occasional mood swings? If yes, then you have a very typical teen moving through the transition from childhood to adulthood with a healthy dose of emotional growing pains. These types of benign behaviors are not depression. Depression is a clinical diagnosis that …