Our History...

Over the past 15 years the Partnership for Pastoral Counseling has made many advancements in our mission to make pastoral counseling services available to low income, uninsured and under-insured individuals and families in WNC. The Partnership grew from the vision of a small group of pastoral counselors and community leaders who wanted to provide the benefits of pastoral counseling to anyone in need, regardless of their ability to pay. There were only six pastoral counselors who provided services to 18 families or individuals in our first full year of operation.

Before the Partnership incorporated as a non-profit in June of 1996, the unofficial Board of Directors consisted of volunteers who had received the benefits of pastoral counseling at some point in their lives. These volunteers handled the day to day operations, navigated the legalities of founding a non-profit, and also provided funding to help launch this new organization.

On June 14, 1996, the Partnership was formed

under the name of the  

Western North Carolina Pastoral Counseling Foundation.

In December 2005 the Partnership legally changed its name to the Partnership for Pastoral Counseling. Over just the past two years the Partnership has made great advancements operationally. We have implemented new policies and procedures to help streamline processing for staff and providers, enhanced client services and continue to remain good stewards of the funds we receive from our loyal supporters. We have improved our tracking of demographic information and the types of services our clients request. This undergirds our efforts to seek funding from private grantors and allows us to demonstrate the diverse needs of our support. All of these improvements have served us well, as we have seen requests for our services grow significantly over the past few years.

Our supporters have been instrumental in allowing our affiliated counselors to continue to provide our clients with the tools necessary to make life changes that support their overall health. Ninety percent of our clients have a 5-6 point increase in their overall life satisfaction on a 10-point scale - proof that we are making a difference in the lives of many of our neighbors. Since its inception, the Partnership has provided over 16,000 hours of counseling services to more than 1,000 individuals, couples and families in WNC.

Mission
We exist to provide access to pastoral counseling services that allow your personal faith to help you heal and grow.

We envision people in Western North Carolina who desire faith-based counseling having the geographic and financial access to a partnership affiliated counselor.

Our goal is to be the first referral source for physicians and pastors in WNC who are seeking pastoral counseling assistance for uninsured persons of faith.

Statement of Purpose
Because we are called as persons of faith to care for those whose hearts and lives are troubled, and we believe that what affects one among us affects all of us;

Because we believe that the emotional and interpersonal dimensions of human living are inseparable from the spiritual, and that healing involves spiritual resources such as love, courage, forgiveness, and community;

Because we have known persons in need of pastoral counseling and have experienced ourselves the growth and healing power of a caring pastoral relationship;

We therefore believe that pastoral counseling plays a vital role in the well being of this community.
 

Our Clients:

• People without mental health insurance or whose insurance coverage does not pay for pastoral counseling.
• People struggling with depression, anxiety, marital difficulties and family troubles as well as many other issues that make day-to-day living difficult.
• People who represent over 160 community churches.
• Individuals between 2 and 96 years old.
• 80% of our clients have annual incomes below $30,000.
• 50% of our clients have no health insurance.
• 40% of our clients are disabled or unemployed.
• 23% of our clients are referred by their church or pastor.
• 67% of our clients are female.

Counselors:

The Partnership for Pastoral Counseling works in collaboration with 15 pastoral counselors throughout WNC, located in Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, and Transylvania Counties.  Each of our pastoral counselors are selectively recruited agreeing to operate their own private practice with the highest level of integrity, drop their fees for Partnership clients, adhere to a very strict non discrimination policy and maintain membership with the American Association of Pastoral Counseling.  We have counselors strategically located throughout WNC to offer services to families within one hour of their home.  This design has successfully allowed the Partnership to provide the highest level of care to our communities while maintaining low operating costs.   Our counselors have over 35 different specialties including a counselor to work with the non English speaking Hispanic communities.

2010 Statistics of Clients Served

To learn about how to receive help through the Partnership or
with other questions, please contact:
Rebecca Wells, Executive Director
Partnership for Pastoral Counseling
PO Box 8177
Asheville, NC 28814
(828) 275-7279
info@ppcwnc.org

Note: Navigation requires that javascript is allowed on your computer.
If you do not see navigation tabs under the top masthead, please turn on javascript (allow content that is being blocked) in order to use the top navigation and print forms.
Website design by CommunicationSolutions Inc./ISI