Blog

By Pacific Quest Get some Z’s. Forty winks. Out like a light. Slept like a log. Conked out. Deep sleep. Are you tired, yet? Sleep is an absolute human need. Thank goodness. Thank goodness we were programmed from the start to require a restful period in the day otherwise life can feel like go-go-go all …

By Kelly Egan, Young Adult Program Director Aloha! Or in Thai it would be Sawadhee Ka! It’s so true that Pacific Quest wilderness therapy program is about adventure and journey – both the interior and exterior kind. Every day I’m part of someone’s journey here: our staff, a young adult student, and certainly my own. …

By Martha Bouchard, Program Director What feeds a community? There are the rote answers: food, water, shelter. But let’s assume your basic needs are being met. What comes next? For me, it is being part of a community that allows space for people to learn, grow and change. One of my greatest joys in working …

By Rene Fay, HR Recruiter Recently, Pacific Quest wilderness therapy program held a four day hiring seminar with fourteen applicants and three facilitators in the Bay Area.  The goal of the event was to move beyond basic phone interviews and create a more interactive interview process, offering prospective staff a hands-on experience of what life …

Pacific Quest wilderness therapy program recently hosted a group of 17 educational consultants from around the nation for a two day visit to allow referring professionals an opportunity to see our program from the inside out. Highlights included student guided garden tours, lots of time for students to share their insights and experiences while at …

Pacific Quest’s own Land Supervisor, Travis Slagle, was recently featured in the National Public Radio’s food blog The Salt. The story titled Can Gardening Help Troubled Minds Heal focused on the growing evidence that horticultural therapy can be an effective tool in the treatment of individuals with mental health conditions. Troubled minds maybe a broad …

Recent results of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index ranked Hawaii as the number one state for overall well-being. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/28/happiest-state-well-being-united-states-gallup_n_1304448.html The categories that were considered in the index include emotional health, life evaluation, work environment, physical health, healthy behaviors, and basic access to necessities. The Aloha State ranked highest in emotional health and healthy behaviors, including exercise …

  By Travis Slagle, Land Supervisor Pacific Quest wilderness therapy program announces it has been awarded a registered trademark for Sustainable GrowthTM from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Pacific Quest has received international recognition for innovative treatment for youth and families in crisis and the recent trademark only confirms its ongoing leadership in …

By Katie Kasenchak, Therapist The women of Pacific Quest wilderness therapy program made a strong showing at the 2012 NATSAP conference in Orlando, Florida.  The National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs, known as NATSAP for short, was founded in 1999 and provides annual research in the field of therapeutic programing for youth and a …

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 …