Pacific Quest

A Parent’s Guide to Cyber Security

When you hear the phrase “we live in a digital age,” chances are your mind immediately wanders to the Internet and social media—and with good reason. The vast majority of teens are surfing the Web, watching videos, connecting on social media, Instagram, pinning… not to mention tweeting. The Internet touches every family in some aspect

Overcoming Obstacles: Our Son’s Journey at Pacific Quest

As our son struggled last year and began to lose hope. I struggled with the fact that I could not help him.  His downward spiral started with stomach aches, then he couldn’t attend school, then he couldn’t leave the house and lastly he stopped eating.  His only friends existed “virtually” online. His sister listened to

Mental Health Habits that Kill Your Teen’s Confidence

November 8-14 is National Mental Health Wellness Week, yet many families do not recognize this period of awareness as they feel it does not pertain to them. Even today, the term “mental health” comes with a stigma attached. “We now have clear evidence that stigma has a toxic effect by preventing people seeking help for

Seeing & Thinking Differently: The Art of Appreciation

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” -Albert Einstein Being grateful for what we have and expressing genuine appreciation for it. That’s potent stuff. And it’s simple, right? Not quite. People are not wired to be

Malama I Ka ‘Aina: A Community Service Project

By Lauren Meyer – Assistant Program Supervisor This past Friday, a few of our Malama students took a break from camp to set out into the community of Na’alehu with a purpose. With a trunk full of tools, and smiles on our faces, we took off down the road to a neighbor’s house. In this house lives

Study Update: The Newfound Effect of Sleep Deprivation

“Consider the implications for students pulling all-nighters, emergency-room medical staff, military fighters in war zones and police officers on graveyard shifts.” This statement comes from Stanford University postdoctoral fellow Andrea Goldstein-Piekarski. But what, exactly is she referring to? Sleep, or lack thereof, is one of the most influential powers affecting our mental and physical well-being.

Your Child Wants to Drop Out of College: What’s Your Plan?

At colleges across the country, teachers and administrators are noticing a disconcerting trend: a dramatic decrease in student resilience. Today’s college students are critically lacking in the skills they need to handle the ups and downs of daily life, especially as they make the transition to adulthood. In fact, a study by the National Alliance

Creating A Bridge to Health & Wholeness: Our Daughter’s Story

This letter is to thank Pacific Quest for their care of my daughter and to single out three of your staff members for their skill and professionalism. Please feel free to share it with other parents who are deciding whether or not to entrust their child to Pacific Quest.   My 19 year old daughter

The Realities of Teen Vaping

It seems that everywhere you turn you find conflicting opinions on the safety of e-cigarettes. Because e-cigarettes don’t burn tobacco, vaping—inhaling nicotine through a pen-like device—is automatically thought of as a “cleaner” alternative to smoking, but this is not the case. While traditional cigarettes are widely known to be addictive, dangerous and to cause cancer,

Thanksgiving Celebration – PQ Style!

Pacific Quest is busy preparing for our annual Thanksgiving celebration!  Students and staff work together to prepare a variety of dishes and invite the families of staff members to join in the feast.  A highlight of our Thanksgiving celebration is the imu, a traditional Hawaiian underground oven. To make an imu, a hole is dug