PASTORAL INSTITUTE

What PASTORAL INSTITUTE does

Pastoral Institute, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community mental health organization headquartered at 2022 15th Avenue, Columbus, Georgia, founded on October 1, 1974, by William B. Turner, Rev. Richard Robertson, Rev. Herschel Allen, and Dr. George Zubowicz. Its core business is the delivery of individual, couples, family, and group counseling services, with documented 2025 throughput of 21,519 counseling hours across 2,800+ clients and 129 support groups. Service lines are organized around three revenue channels: the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which provides confidential counseling benefits to employees of 100+ partner companies (e.g., Columbus Consolidated Government, Muscogee County School District, W.C. Bradley, City of Phenix City); the Congregational Care Program (CCP), which delivers faith-affirming counseling to members of 30+ affiliated churches at a typical $25 co-pay per visit; and direct-bill clinical services for individuals, families, and youth (including specialized programs such as The Memory Box for children ages 7-11, Compass Crew for boys ages 10-17, Healing Together for suicide loss survivors, and Divorce Support Groups). Free community grief support is provided through Adult Grief Groups hosted across five Columbus-area public library branches.

The technology stack is described as 'standard mental health counseling and telehealth delivery platforms,' with no proprietary AI/ML components, custom software, or APIs disclosed. Service delivery combines in-person counseling at the Columbus headquarters with HIPAA-compliant telehealth video sessions available to Georgia residents. The organization operates a 'My Health Record' client portal for scheduling, records access, and communication. Underlying administrative infrastructure is provided by Firespring, a third-party nonprofit website and donor management vendor, with the Candid/GuideStar transparency seal published on the site.

The business model is a hybrid of fee-for-service, subscription/contract, and contributed revenue. Direct client fees and insurance reimbursements generate service revenue; EAP contracts with employer organizations (annual billing, number of sessions per employee customized per contract) and CCP agreements with sponsoring churches create recurring contracted revenue streams; and charitable contributions (totaling $1,101,308 in 2025) plus program investor sponsorships (United Way, W.C. Bradley as Presenting Sponsor, AFLAC, Solihten) provide contributed capital. Pastoral Institute also operates a Clinical Training Program (post-graduate residency and CACREP-aligned graduate internships) that supplies its own clinician pipeline while addressing Georgia's documented mental health workforce shortage. The organization is led by CEO Thomas Waynick and governed by a Board of Directors drawn from the local community.

Name

PASTORAL INSTITUTE

Legal name

Pastoral Institute Inc.

Website

https://pastoralinstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pastoral Institute is a Columbus, Georgia-based nonprofit founded in 1974 that provides mental health counseling, EAP contracts for 100+ employers, faith-affirming counseling through 30+ churches, and clinical training, serving 2,800+ clients annually across the Chattahoochee Valley.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Religious Orders & Monastic Communities (Monasteries, Convents) (BPAGAJAC)

Keywords

• Mental health counseling
• Grief support services
• Employee assistance program
• Community mental health
• Faith-based counseling

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. EAP Contracts: The Pastoral Institute provides Employee Assistance Program services to employer organizations throughout Georgia and the US through affiliate provider partnerships. Companies pay for a specified number of confidential counseling sessions for employees and their family members as an employee benefit.
2. Congregational Care Program (CCP): Affiliated churches sponsor confidential counseling services for their members through the CCP. Most members pay a $25 co-pay per visit, with many churches covering that co-pay entirely for members.
3. Client Counseling Fees: Individual and family counseling services billed to clients directly, through insurance, or as out-of-pocket payments. Some services are provided free (Adult Grief Group, open to public).
4. Charitable Contributions and Grants: The organization receives charitable contributions from donors and program investors, as well as grants to support community mental health programs. In 2025, charitable contributions totaled $1,101,308.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Pastoral Institute is a nonprofit mental health organization offering individual, couples, family, and group counseling for issues such as anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction, grief, and life transitions. It also delivers the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for employers, the faith-integrated Congregational Care Program (CCP) for affiliated churches, a Clinical Training Program for future counselors, and free community grief support groups.

Product overview

The Pastoral Institute offers a coordinated portfolio of mental health counseling and community education services. The core offerings include the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) providing confidential workplace counseling benefits, the Congregational Care Program (CCP) offering faith-affirming counseling for church members, and the Clinical Training Program developing future counselors through residencies and internships. Community Programs deliver educational workshops and support groups including Adult Grief Groups, The Memory Box (children's grief support), Healing Together (suicide loss support), Compass Crew (youth support), and Divorce Support Groups. Services are delivered through in-person counseling at the Columbus, GA center and via Telehealth for Georgia residents, with a client portal (My Health Record) for access to health records and appointment management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Confidential counseling benefit program for employees and family members of partner companies, providing support for personal, family, and work-life issues including relationships, stress, addiction, and bereavement. Delivered through Pastoral Institute and a network of affiliate providers throughout Georgia and the US.
• Congregational Care Program (CCP) Faith-affirming confidential counseling services for members of participating churches, integrating spiritual beliefs into mental health counseling with a typically $25 co-pay per visit subsidized by the sponsoring congregation.
• Clinical Training Program Post-graduate residency and internship program for developing mental health counselors, including supervision hours, case conferences, and community agency partnerships aligned with CACREP standards to prepare candidates for Georgia state licensure.
• Community Programs & Education Mental health workshops, seminars, and outreach events including children/teen programs and adult programs designed to promote awareness and provide support tools in the Columbus, GA community.
• Adult Grief Group Free recurring support group meeting twice monthly for adults who have experienced loss, covering grief language, emotions, healing tools, and hope. Open to the public with walk-ins welcome.
• The Memory Box 4-week grief group for children ages 7-11 who have lost a loved one, creating personalized keepsake boxes based on the book The Memory Box to honor their loved one.
• Healing Together Weekly support group for individuals and families who have lost a loved one to suicide, providing connection and guided conversation in a safe, compassionate space.
• Compass Crew Support group for boys ages 10-17 providing positive connection and coping skills through facilitated activities.
• Divorce Support Groups Gender-specific support groups for men and women navigating divorce, offering peer support and coping strategies.
• Individual, Couples & Family Counseling One-on-one therapy services delivered in person at the Columbus, GA center or via telehealth for Georgia residents, addressing mental health specialties including addiction, anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, life transitions, parenting, and family conflict.

Quantifiable outcome

• 21,519 counseling hours provided; 2,800+ clients served; 129 support groups held; 709 hours of supervision provided in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered supporting.

• SolihtensupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSolihten is referenced on the Program Investor page, suggesting a partnership or network affiliation for mental health program development.
• EAP Affiliate ProviderssupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with EAP affiliate providers throughout Georgia and the US to extend counseling access to employees working remotely or outside the Columbus area. Companies with EAP contracts can connect employees with local affiliate providers.
• Columbus Public LibrarysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnership hosting Adult Grief Groups, Coffee and Conversation programs, Teen Takeover workshops, and other mental health education events at library locations.
• South Columbus Public LibrarysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for Coffee and Conversation: Understanding and Managing Anxiety program and Watercolors: A Creative Approach to Emotional Regulation.
• North Columbus Public LibrarysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for Tools, Talk, and Support: Parenting Neurodiverse Kids and Brighten Your Days: Effective Strategies for Managing Depression programs.
• Mildred Terry Public LibrarysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for Move Together, Grow Together family program and other community wellness events.
• Marion County Public Library (Buena Vista)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for Wellness for the Mind, Body and Soul program and community mental health workshops.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Talkspace: Online therapy platform offering individual and couples counseling via messaging and live sessions — competing for the same telehealth client segment in Georgia.
• BetterHelp: Largest online counseling platform providing on-demand individual therapy via telehealth. Represents the digital competitive threat against Pastoral Institute's in-person counseling model.
• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness): Nation's largest grassroots mental health advocacy and support organization offering peer-led support groups similar to Pastoral Institute's grief and suicide-loss groups.

Broad incumbents

• ComPsych Corporation: World's largest EAP provider, offering employer-sponsored counseling and wellness services. Direct competitor in the EAP channel with greater scale, broader employer relationships, and national telehealth infrastructure.
• Evernorth (EAP by Cigna): Large EAP and behavioral health services subsidiary of Cigna, competing for the same employer contracts that Pastoral Institute secures for its EAP program.
• Catholic Charities USA: Large national faith-based nonprofit providing counseling, social services, and community support. Operates the same faith-integrated service model as Pastoral Institute but at far greater scale and geographic breadth.
• Salvation Army: Large faith-based social services nonprofit offering counseling, community programs, and disaster relief. Comparable faith-based nonprofit service model and donor-funded operating structure.

Direct peers

• Family Counseling Service: Community-based nonprofit counseling providers (multiple regional entities with this name) offering individual, couples, and family therapy similar to Pastoral Institute's core offerings.
• Samaritan Counseling Center: Faith-integrated counseling center network offering similar mental health services with spiritual integration. Directly comparable mission of uniting mental health and spirituality across multiple US locations.
• Christian Counseling Centers: Faith-based counseling provider delivering individual, couples, family, and group therapy with biblical/spiritual integration — same product offering and target audience as Pastoral Institute's CCP.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pastoral.institute?fref=ts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pastoral-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/pastoral.institute
• Xx.com/pastoral_inst

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PASTORAL INSTITUTE