Pacific Quest to Present at Annual Wilderness Therapy Symposium
Hilo, HI (PRWEB) August 30, 2013 -- On Saturday, September 7, 2013 from 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., Pacific Quest’s Clinical Director, Hilary Moses, LCSW and Horticultural Therapy Director, Travis Slagle will present "Horticultural Therapy: A Growing Edge In Outdoor Treatment" at the annual Wilderness Therapy Symposium in Boulder, Colorado.
As a world renowned therapeutic program for struggling adolescents and young adults, Pacific Quest is proud to be part of the 2013 Wilderness Therapy Symposium. This six-hour experiential workshop will explore the theory and innovative practice of Horticultural Therapy. In a recent interview, Horticultural Therapy Director, Travis Slagle commented, “Horticultural Therapy is an integrative growth-focused treatment model that places the client in a caregiving role, and offers a safe alternative to traditional wilderness therapy.” Participants in this workshop will explore the benefits of outdoor treatment activities that foster a reciprocal relationship with nature that helps clients to cultivate the capacity to care for life and the skills to ensure a sustainable future. Slagle states, “Adolescents and young adults at Pacific Quest learn to actively care for and engage in the growth and mystery of the natural world, which is fundamental to any effective therapeutic garden program.” This workshop will take place at a nationally recognized therapeutic garden in the Boulder area called Growing Gardens.
The annual Wilderness Therapy Symposium is hosted by the Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Industry Council (OBHIC), which was founded in 1997. The OBHIC is a group of leading outdoor behavioral healthcare programs, whose mission is “to advance the field through best practices, effective treatment, and evidence-based research.”
Hilary is the Clinical Director at Pacific Quest and has been working with children and families to achieve meaningful growth in wilderness therapy since 2001. Travis is the Horticultural Therapy Director at Pacific Quest. He has over ten years experience working with youth in outdoor and experiential therapy programs.
About Pacific Quest
Pacific Quest is an outdoor therapeutic program for struggling teens and young adults, located on the Big Island of Hawaii. Their wilderness programs offer a clinical, yet holistic approach to treatment, going beyond traditional wilderness therapy and teaching sustainable life skills. Pacific Quest’s proprietary therapeutic model is a groundbreaking approach that uses organic gardening to create concrete metaphors for its students as they cultivate their own health and happiness. Pacific Quest provides an environment that allows for a true discovery process for its students, a place that is safe, structured, experiential and natural. Owned and operated by a veteran team of professionals with hundreds of years of combined wilderness program experience, Pacific Quest offers a unique approach to treatment that is individualized for each student.
Mark Agosto, Pacific Quest, http://www.pacificquest.org, +1 (808) 987-7809, [email protected]
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