By Genell Howell, MA, CSAC Primary Therapist When we hear the word trauma we often associate it with endangering events. According to the American Psychological Association, trauma is an emotional response to a detrimental event such as an accident, rape or natural disaster. While trauma is commonly associated with major life events, it may also include …
“The great human adventure…is the adventure of traveling toward the unknown,” Paulo Coelho writes at the start of The Pilgrimage. He is about to embark on the Strange Road to Santiago in search of his sacred sword. Ultimately, he knows that even if he does not find his sword, the pilgrimage will enable him to …
Parenting a teenager is no small feat. As children work their way through adolescence, they struggle with issues of identity, independence, peer pressure, and anxiety about the future. For adopted teens, these issues are often compounded with thoughts about their birth families and why they were given up for adoption. That combination of stressors can …
Parenting teens is never easy, and when your teenager is diagnosed with clinical depression, it can become overwhelming. You may feel exhausted from lying awake at night worrying about your child. The despair over failed attempts to communicate is tough to bear. Endless fights and open defiance create chaos that affects the entire household. Parenting …
Pacific Quest is excited to announce the addition of therapist, Scott Boice, LPC, LMHC to its Clinical Department. Scott is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the State of Hawaii and will be providing clinical services to adolescent and young adult students. Scott earned his undergraduate degree from Brigham Young …
For many of us, winter means snow-covered walkways, freezing temperatures and commutes lengthened by the presence of puddles and slush. However, winter in Hawaii is idyllic, with sunny days and average daily temperatures often hovering around 75°F. These pristine weather conditions mean that outdoor activities continue unabated during the Hawaiian winter. Specifically, winter is a …
By Erin Gustin, PsyD Students come to Pacific Quest from various parts of the country. Some have never traveled to the warmer, more tropical parts of the world. The plants, weather, and culture of Hawaii are unfamiliar and sometimes shocking to them. Working in a garden is likely something they have not felt like doing …
Life has a way of sneaking up on us. One minute you’re carefree, and the next your life is being shaped by the pressures of reality. This is true for our teens, as well. After all, they face a great deal of stress (daily!) from social and academic pressures to worrying about things like school …
Eight Pacific Quest therapists are currently immersed in the Empowerment and Transformation experiential art and sandplay therapy training program based on the principles of Jungian psychology and the neuropsychology of expressive therapy. Training began in September and will continue until May, 2016. Therapists meet monthly to practice art therapy techniques using mediums such as paint, …
By Maureen Riley, MPH, MA Thanksgiving has passed and the holiday season is upon us. However, for students in a therapeutic wilderness program like Pacific Quest, gratitude is always in season. Feelings of gratitude for one’s family members, life opportunities and material possessions, emerge quickly for students who are away from home for an extended …