AIRED: October 9, 2017– 11 am PST
SPECIAL GUEST: Dr. John Souza & Mike Sullivan
Pacific Quest’s unique wilderness therapy approach to change incorporates the best of wilderness therapy with the structure and clinical resources found in quality intermediate and residential care settings.
Dr. John Souza, Therapist and Mike Sullivan, Family Services Director, share how students engage in life-changing experiences through the integration of a neuropsychological clinical model, which integrates many of Pacific Quest’s guiding principles, including: Horticultural Therapy, Whole-Person wellness, and a dynamic Rites of Passage curriculum. Pacific Quest’s Sustainable Growth model teaches valuable life skills by fostering an environment that promotes self-care, personal awareness and stewardship of one’s community.
Students integrate a variety of skills needed to develop healthy relationships, and the tools necessary to maintain growth through future transitions, with outdoor wilderness therapy is a key component which helps young people to make better choices and live healthier, more productive lives. Pacific Quest offers internationally recognized intermediate treatment options to families from around the world.
Located on the Big Island of Hawaii, Pacific Quest goes beyond traditional wilderness therapy programs, cultivating change by teaching sustainable life skills in a clinically innovative and nurturing environment. As one field instructor described, “The importance of having no distractions for students is the ability to be 100% in the outdoor environment, without cell phones and computers and can be so powerful in a student having to face (and overcome) their struggles.”
ABOUT DR. JOHN SOUZA, JR. & MIKE SULLIVAN
Dr. John Souza, Jr. is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and Clinical Fellow of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) who specializes in working with at-risk adolescents and their families. Originally from Oahu, Hawai’i and raised on the Mainland, Dr. Souza completed his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a minor in Industrial/Organizational Psychology at Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, MN. He went on to earn his Master of Arts and Doctorate in Marriage and Family Therapy with a concentration in Addictions and Psychopharmacology from the Minnesota School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University, Twin Cities.
Mike Sullivan is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with over 10 years experience working with youth and families. His fascination with the wild and natural environment led him to pursue a career in wilderness therapy. Working for a therapeutic wilderness program in Idaho, Mike developed a sincere passion for working with adolescents and young adults, where he honed his interpersonal skills and nurtured his ability to connect with teens. Inspired by the power of experiential therapy in the desert of Idaho, Mike went on to earn his Masters in Psychology at Seattle University in 2009.
