News

The Importance of Nutrition in Mental Health

By Dr. Britta Zimmer, Medical Director It is time to face a simple fact and reclaim health: Nutritious Food is Medicine It’s easy to get caught up in the complexity of science, research, and the physiology of the human body, therefore I am constantly reminding myself, my patients, and my patients’ parents to get back

Los Angeles Alumni Event

By Mike Sullivan, Therapist “Belay on!” shouts Johnny, whose legs are shaking and hands trembling as he prepares to climb his first route of the day at the Hangar 18 rock climbing gym in Los Angeles.  Moments before this, Johnny had pulled me aside and said, “Mike, I wasn’t kidding when I told you and

Pacific Quest Welcomes Christine Riley

Pacific Quest wilderness therapy program is pleased to welcome Christine Riley, LMFT as a Primary Clinician. Christine received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from State University of New York in Plattsburgh and her Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy in 2003. Prior to joining the Pacific Quest clinical team, Christine served as

Students Explore Green Sand Beach

A group of students recently had the opportunity to visit Papakolea Beach, also known as Mahana Beach or Green Sand Beach.  This infamous beach is located in the district of Ka’u on the Big Island, not too far from Pacific Quest.  Papakolea is one of only four green sand beaches in the world–the others being

Tree Growth: A Metaphor For Our Lives

By Bridger Jensen, Therapist Each morning, our newly-arrived Nalu and Kuleana adolescent students and staff travel from our sleeping quarters up the mountainside of the great volcano Mauna Kea. The short trip to our day camp is performed in silence to aid in self-reflection. From these historic, rolling hills through which we travel, sugar cane

Staying Healthy During the Holiday Season

By Maile Green, Naturopathic Physician As the holiday season is in full swing, I find myself thinking about my daily routines for creating health.  I believe health and a sense of vitality are more than the absence of disease.  I believe physical and mental health are the product of daily practices and habits that create

A Parallel Journey

By Jody St. Joseph, Adolescent Program Director It wasn’t two very large strangers who woke me in the middle of the night, but it was close enough.  My alarm screamed me awake at about 4 am and before long I was at the airport about to leave behind my doggie, my home, and my family. 

Pacific Quest Presenting At NATSAP

Pacific Quest’s Dr. Lorraine Freedle and Travis Slagle will present at the 2014 NATSAP Conference in Henderson, NV. Title: “Ready, Set…Grow!  A Horticultural Perspective of Integrative Health, Rites of Passage & Future Therapeutic Programs” Date: Thursday, February 6, 2014 Time: Session B4 11:00 a.m. -12:30 p.m. Location: La Luna Room at Green Valley Resort and Spa As an innovative

On the Mainland: Pacific Quest Hosts “Ohana Days” & Alumni Reunion Events

By Lori Armbruster, Communications Director In the Hawaiian culture, the word “Ohana” means family, which can be blood-related, adoptive or intentional. The concept emphasizes that families are bound together and members must cooperate and remember one another. When a young person enters Pacific Quest, they become part of a larger Ohana. As they discover the