Pacific Quest

Forest Therapy is having a moment…

A recent Real Simple article highlights growing research showing that mindful time spent in nature may help reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression by calming the nervous system, lowering stress, and encouraging presence and connection.

At Pacific Quest, we've long understood something powerful: Nature isn't just a beautiful backdrop for healing. It can be an active part of the healing process.
But the benefits don't come simply from being outdoors; they come from intentionally engaging with the natural world through our senses and slowing down enough to truly experience it.

This philosophy is deeply woven into the Pacific Quest experience.
Through horticultural therapy, mindful practices, and immersive experiences in Hawaii's natural environment, adolescents and young adults are encouraged to reconnect – with themselves, with others, and with the world around them.

In a culture filled with constant stimulation, nature offers something profoundly different: space to breathe, reflect, and grow.

Healing isn't always found in doing more. Sometimes, it begins by slowing down, stepping outside, and rediscovering what it feels like to simply be.

https://pacificquest.org/

Pacific Quest | Licensed Youth Residential Therapy in Hawaii Applying decades of expertise focused on one simple goal…healing families. Pacific Quest provides fully licensed and accredited residential mental healthcare on the Island of Hawaii. Our integrative, individualized approach combines specialized clinical care, nature-based experiences and holistic ...

This Fourth of July, we celebrate many kinds of freedom. The freedom to heal. The freedom to grow beyond old patterns.

At Pacific Quest, we have the privilege of witnessing young people and families reclaim these freedoms every day. Through connection, compassion, and intentional growth, healing becomes more than a possibility; it becomes a path forward.

As we gather with loved ones and celebrate this holiday, we also honor the courage it takes to begin again, to ask for help, and to believe that brighter days are ahead.

From our Pacific Quest family to yours, we wish you a meaningful Fourth of July filled with moments of connection.

Pacific Quest’s Kellyn Smythe recently joined the ScreenStrong Families Podcast for an important conversation surrounding adolescent screen addiction, technology dependency, and what families are navigating in today’s digital world.

In Episode 262, What Happens When You Take Your Teen’s Phone Away: Understanding Screen Addiction & Withdrawal, Kellyn and host Mandee Hamann explore why excessive screen use often functions as much more than “too much screen time,” and how it can begin impacting emotional regulation, identity development, resilience, motivation, and connection.

The conversation also dives into one of the hardest moments many parents face: removing devices and navigating the emotional fallout that can follow. Together, they discuss what screen withdrawal can actually look like in adolescents, why boredom and discomfort matter developmentally, and how families can begin rebuilding healthier patterns of connection.

Topics include:
• Screen addiction and process addiction
• Social media, gaming, and dopamine-driven behaviors
• Emotional regulation and nervous system impacts
• What withdrawal from screens can look like
• Parenting through resistance and conflict
• Rebuilding connection beyond devices

A thoughtful and timely conversation for parents, clinicians, educators, and anyone supporting teens and young adults.

Listen now at ScreenStrong.org or at the link in our bio