By Brian Konik, Ph.D. and Kristen McFee, MA, LPCC I am always inspired and impressed when I watch a student complete his or her legacy garden project: they are beaming with pride, smiling, wiping sweat off their soil-covered faces. And I know how many steps it took them to get here. Managing their schedule to …
By: Lynne Mollo, LCSW Primary Therapist I was honored to begin the celebration of Autism Awareness month with a group of Educational Consultants, Wilderness therapists, Social Workers, Psychologists, Doctors, Parents and many other professionals working with children and adults on the Spectrum. On April 2nd and 3rd Asheville North Carolina was host to the 4th …
By: Clementine Wilson, Adolescent Field Manager **A note on the word Queer: “We recognize and honor that the word “queer” has been used in the past as a derogatory term and is still very hurtful for some in the LGBTQIA+ community. Many LGBTQIA+ organizations and communities have reclaimed the word “queer” and this has been …
By: Teresa Bertoncin, LPCC, LMFT Two Pacific Quest team members recently co-presented at the 2017 Independent Educational Consultant Association conference in Denver. Teresa Bertoncin, Primary Therapist, and Dr. Robert Voloshin, Integrative Psychiatrist, presented “Breaking through Trauma: EMDR in Outdoor Behavioral Health”. It began by engaging the audience in an experiential sensory integration resourcing exercise using elements of sight, sound …
Dr. Lorraine Freedle, Clinical Director at Pacific Quest Wilderness Program, was asked to contribute her original work to The Routledge International Handbook of Sandplay Therapy. Dr. Freedle’s chapter, “Healing Trauma through Sandplay Therapy: A Neuropsychological Perspective” explores the underlying mechanisms of Jungian sandplay therapy that promote neural integration and wholeness of personality. It also chronicles …
By: Sharon Findlay, Admissions & Communication Manager Pacific Quest is excited to announce enhanced clinical services in our young adult program! Based on the need and intensity during the Kuleana Phase, PQ has added another therapist to support students through this critical stage of the program. Students will continue to meet with their primary therapist …
By: Mike McGee, BS Family Program Manager For anyone who has participated in a Rites of Passage experience, structured or otherwise, one of the toughest tasks is explaining the significance to loved ones. The feeling of transformation or the significance of a falling leaf or animal encounter can be easily lost in translation. For students …
By: Dr. Lorraine Freedle, Clinical Director Sandplay therapists and researchers from 24 countries gathered in Kailua-Kona this summer to explore the latest trends in Jungian Sandplay Therapy and to participate in the 24th Congress of the International Society for Sandplay Therapy (ISST). With support from my Pacific Quest ohana and the Hawai`i sandplay community, I …
By: Danielle Zandbergen, Therapist “If the fires that burn innately inside our youths are not intentionally and lovingly added to the hearth of community, the youth will burn down the structures of the culture, just to feel the warmth.” -Michael Meade Before transitioning into the clinical team as a primary therapist, I began my journey at …
By: Theresa Hasting, LMHC, Clinical Supervisor As students come and go in waves, I have seen an upsurge in students experiencing complicated grief issues. Mostly recently, I’ve worked with four students within a six month period who have experienced the loss of a parent; through long-term sickness, suicide, and unexpected accidental death. What these students …