Blog

By Erin Levine, Clinical Admissions Director Every Friday evening when I am winding down my week, I take some time to view the slideshow of pictures that catalogs the activities the students participated in that week. I scroll through hundreds of pictures of busy and smiling faces in the different camps, at different phases of …

Pacific Quest Wilderness Therapy is pleased to announce the addition of two new clinicians to our ohana! Haley Robinson and Bridger Jensen joined Pacific Quest in May as Primary Clinicians. Haley Robinson joins Pacific Quest from Seattle, where she has worked for the past several years providing mental health and substance abuse counseling to young …

By Travis Slagle, Horticulture Therapy Director To love the land is the oldest and most essential way of life in Hawaii.  The people who care deeply for the land know what it means to be “pono” (to have integrity); they respect the ancestors by continuing their work, by planting the seeds, cultivating the “kalo” (taro), …

By Kelly Weld, Therapist Being a counselor at an intervention program is a challenging and rewarding task. When students arrive they are lost and desperate, their families are in crisis, and it is our job to help re-align the system in a relatively short period of time. The process feels first like a roller-coaster (with …

You may have heard of boot camps, and if so, there may be a lot of questions swirling around about what boot camp really is. Is boot camp right for my troubled teen? Can girls go to boot camp? Is boot camp the same as wilderness therapy? We’ll take a closer look at the above …

By Hilary Moses, Therapeutic Program Director I have found myself recently focusing on how to articulate the Pacific Quest wilderness therapy model. I know intimately what we do, day in and day out; I know the roles that everyone plays and how they contribute to a very full spectrum of services; I know that we …

Ever wonder what is really going on in the life of your teenager? Especially when it comes to a young adult on the verge of being labeled a troubled teen? While it is advised to go and ask your teen about what’s going on in their life, we have a little sneak peek before you …

To understand the great benefits wilderness therapy programs can offer struggling teens and at-risk young adults, it may be helpful to review the “Stages of Change.” The Stages of Change is a model created to track behavioral refinements in people. Known in its clinical form as the Transtheoretical Model, there are six stages to track. …

We are pleased to announce new growth in the Pacific Quest wilderness therapy program clinical department!  After almost six years as a primary wilderness therapist, Hilary Moses is now our Therapeutic Program Director. In her new role, Hilary will work collaboratively with Toby Mautz, our Clinical Director. Hilary’s goal is to train and coach our …

Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment and without judgement. Mindfulness practices help people develop a deeper and more compassionate connection to experiences.  Mindfulness practices that focus on aspects of the body help root us in our bodies, in the here and now, and cultivate the connection between …