Blog

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 …

By Dr. Jason Adams, Therapist I think a good many of us know what Ohana means from the movie “Lilo & Stitch.” Essentially, Ohana means family. Though I am Hawaiian and I often used the word ohana growing up, the words of Lilo from that movie have always stuck with me. “Ohana means family, family …

By Roxy Cafaro, Field Supervisor Due to the varied cultures and religions of our staff and students at Pacific Quest wilderness therapy program, we held our winter holiday celebration in honor of the solstice. Our celebration included creative games and activities and of course a holiday meal. A highlight of the celebration was the “imu,” …

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. …

By Hilary Moses, Therapeutic Program Director Our focus on maintaining a high quality of care is always in motion and is invigorated every Monday morning in a meeting with the field supervisors, the therapeutic program director and the staff supervisor; it also includes a drop in visit from Al, PQ’s RN. During this meeting, the …

Young adults are just that…young. Treating them like children is inappropriate. Treating them like adults is inappropriate. So the question is: how do we appropriately treat them as the young adults they are? The challenge comes in trying to understand where to place our young adults and children and adults given so many extenuating circumstances. …

By Travis Slagle, Horticulture Therapy Director We are proud to announce Pacific Quest wilderness therapy program is now a member of the American Horticultural Therapy Association! AHTA began in 1973 and currently has over 800 members worldwide.  If you are not familiar with Horticultural Therapy, it’s becoming a more recognized field with evidence-based practices that …

Pacific Quest welcomes Denise Westman, Outreach Director and Rob Jarrett, Admissions Director Pacific Quest is pleased to welcome Denise Westman, Outreach Director, to our Pacific Quest team. Denise comes to us with extensive experience in admissions and outreach with therapeutic schools. Denise earned a Nursing Degree from Grossmont College and attended Cuyamaca College in San …

Many of you have already heard the news reports – A new rift has opened in the Kilauea Volcano crater and lava is spattering out up to 100 ft in the air!  The rift is 2.3 km long located between Pu’u ‘Ō’ō and Nāpau Crater.  This is exciting news to residents and volcanologists on the …

I know it seems like this blog is chock full of Victor Frankl references, but it is only appropriate.  I found it in my search for mindfulness quotes. “Between stimulus and response there is a space.  In that space is our power to choose our response.  in our response lies our growth and our freedom.”