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), …
Dr. Kimo Alameda, Director of the Hawaii Department of Health interviewed three key professionals from Pacific Quest wilderness therapy program in a weekly wellness talk show on the Big Island of Hawaii. The television program “Rise Above” invites speakers to share information on issues of importance related to health and wellness. This week’s show focused …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
By Denise Westman, Outreach Director After spending many years working in this industry in a variety of treatment settings, meeting and working with some incredibly talented and gifted people, I am filled with gratitude to be at Pacific Quest. PQ’s approach to embracing change and sustainable growth not only applies to our students and families, …
Pacific Quest Wilderness Therapy program recently hosted two key leaders from the Horticultural Therapy Association of Victoria, Australia. Karen and Paul Delamotte joined Pacific Quest’s Land Supervisor Travis Slagle for an interactive tour of the 8 acre wilderness program in Hawaii that has provided life changing experiences for hundreds of youth from around the world. …
By Grant Helmus, Field Manager At Pacific Quest wilderness therapy program, we strive to serve all our students as unique individuals. We understand that they are here for a variety of reasons and we strive to work with them all differently. Pacific Quest is an outdoor therapy program using a Sustainable Growth™ treatment model as …
By Hilary Moses, Clinical Director Over the past few months I have been working with our Land Supervisor, Travis Slagle, to produce what we hope will be a great 3-hour presentation for the upcoming Wilderness Symposium in Boulder. Travis’ energy about horticultural therapy and life in the gardens is infectious. As we sit and banter, …