Blog

By: Theresa Hasting, LMHC Therapist Working in the garden alongside students and seeing the benefits it yields students (and, of course, myself) has left me asking “How do we integrate additional evidence based treatments with our practice of Horticultural Therapy?”  The garden offers so many options for regulating the nervous system and calming the mind …

  Pacific Quest is pleased and excited to announce the completion of an eighteen month training and certification process with The ChildTrauma Academy. Pacific Quest is now site certified in the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics, or NMT, which is a “developmentally-informed, biologically-respectful approach to working with at-risk children.” NMT is an approach to clinical practice …

Tim Mullins, MA, LCPC has joined the PQ Clinical Team and brings over ten years of experience in the outdoor therapeutic industry.  He offers a wealth of personal and professional experience and has the unique ability to balance clinical insight with his sense of humor, a perfect match for working with young people. Becoming a therapist …

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 …

We are thankful to the entire Pacific Quest team who have chosen to help others in such a meaningful way. Our son graduated the program and has entered a new and healthier chapter in his life. While we know our son’s journey will continue to have ups and downs, it is nice to know he …

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: Alumni Parent My daughter spent three and a half months on the Big Island in your program and I will be forever grateful for all that she gained from being part of your program. I am writing this review in the hopes that other parents can gain a sense of hope. My daughter started …

By Alex Stitt, MS The journey both to and through Pacific Quest is exactly that, a quest. A quest is a very specific journey. It’s a Hero’s Journey, and like so many hero’s journeys the adventure is so often the reward. As always, our intrepid explorer sets out on a mission to find an elixir …

Horticultural Therapy is one of the cornerstones of Pacific Quest’s integrative, holistic approach. Recently, over sixty Pacific Quest employees participated in an all day training in horticultural therapy. Therapists and direct care staff worked side-by-side utilizing creative interventions, combining evidence-based practices with mind-body techniques. Horticulture Therapy Training One of the main goals of this training …

The seasons are a powerful force; they affect all human beings—our behaviors, choices and even moods. The reasons behind this are science-based; greater exposure to sunlight, has been found to decrease melatonin production and increase dopamine release, lessening our urge to sleep and brightening our outlook on life. “The beautiful spring came; and when Nature …