Associates in Christian Counseling

What Associates in Christian Counseling does

Associates in Christian Counseling (ACC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit mental health counseling organization founded in 1991 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It provides professional counseling and psychological services that integrate evidence-based mental health practices with a Christian worldview, serving clients across the Piedmont region of North Carolina. The organization maintains two physical locations — a headquarters in Winston-Salem and a satellite office in Mt. Airy (Surry County) established in 2006 — and operates with approximately 13-15 staff members, including 8-9 licensed clinical professionals and 4 administrative support staff. The client base spans ages 4 to 85, covering children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families across use cases including depression, anxiety, trauma, substance abuse, marital issues, clergy mental health, and developmental disorders.

The service portfolio includes individual psychotherapy, marital/family/group therapy, psychological testing, play therapy, EMDR, and trauma therapy, supplemented by a topical video library on Vimeo, a speakers bureau with 11 professionals available on 40+ topics, and a monthly e-newsletter. The revenue model is mixed: more than half of clients use health insurance, with the remainder covered through direct client fees and supplemented by charitable donations to a Client Assistance Fund and an annual fundraising banquet. Distribution is entirely direct — appointments are scheduled via a phone intake coordinator — and the go-to-market motion is heavily reinforced by pastoral referrals from local churches and the Surry Baptist Association. There is no proprietary technology platform, no digital service delivery, and no AI/ML capabilities.

The organization is governed by a volunteer board of directors and has no parent company, no external investors, and no equity instruments. Recent strategic activity is limited to a 2025 executive director transition (Dr. Gus Thomas succeeding Dr. Heath Greene, who had succeeded founding director Dr. Joseph T. Verga in 2013). The organization appears financially stable but exhibits limited growth momentum, with no documented expansion beyond the 2006 Surry County satellite.

Name

Associates in Christian Counseling

Legal name

Associates in Christian Counseling

Website

https://christiancounseling.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Associates in Christian Counseling is a non-profit 501(c)(3) mental health organization founded in 1991 in Winston-Salem, NC, providing faith-integrated clinical counseling to children, adults, couples, and families across two Piedmont region locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Counseling Services

NAICS

Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (621330), Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Outpatient Mental Health & Counseling Clinics (HLAFABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Outpatient Mental Health Clinics & Counseling Centers (HLAFACAA), Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

Keywords

• Christian counseling services
• Mental health therapy
• Marriage and family counseling
• Faith-based psychotherapy
• Psychological testing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Winston Salem

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Insurance-based services: The organization accepts health insurance from clients. More than half of clients use health insurance coverage. Clients are responsible for charges not covered by insurance payable at time of service.
2. Client fees and donations: Direct client payments for counseling services, supplemented by charitable donations. The organization maintains a Client Assistance Fund for those with financial concerns, supported by donations and fundraising events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Associates in Christian Counseling provides professional mental health and psychological services to children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families (ages 4 to 85) across its Winston-Salem and Surry County locations. The core offering is individual, marital, family, and group therapy integrating clinical mental health techniques with a Christian worldview. Services include depression and anxiety treatment, trauma therapy, EMDR, play therapy, psychological testing, marriage counseling, and substance abuse counseling, delivered by licensed clinicians (PhD, PsyD, LPC, LMFT).

Product overview

Associates in Christian Counseling operates as a non-profit faith-based mental health organization offering a portfolio of counseling services rather than a technology product. The core offering is professional mental health and psychological counseling (individual, couples, family, and group therapy) integrating Christian worldview with clinical mental health practices. This is supported by a topical video library (hosted on Vimeo), a speakers bureau with 11 professionals covering 40+ mental health topics, a monthly e-newsletter with educational content, and an annual fundraising banquet that doubles as a community education event. The organization was founded in 1991 and maintains two locations (Winston-Salem and Surry County, NC) with a sliding fee scale and client assistance fund for those with financial limitations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mental Health Counseling Services Professional counseling and psychological services provided to children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families, integrating mental health practices with Christian worldview principles. Covers general mental health issues (depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, substance abuse, grief), specialized services for women (abuse recovery, eating disorders), men (anger management, sexual addiction), clergy and spouses (burnout, crises of faith), relationships (marriage counseling, premarital, divorce recovery), and parent/child/teen (behavior problems, developmental disorders, ADHD, play therapy).
• Annual Fundraising Banquet Annual fundraising event featuring guest speakers on mental health topics, with proceeds supporting Associates' operations and client assistance fund. Past speakers have included Gary Chapman (2023), Mark Whitacre (2016), and other notable figures.

Named customers3 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Surry Christian Counseling CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Partnership established fall 2006 to expand ministry to Surry County and Virginia neighbors. The Surry Christian Counseling Center is staffed by an Associates' clinician and offers professional services to all who seek them, including those with limited insurance or resources.
• Surry Baptist Association ChurchessupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2006The churches of the Surry Baptist Association provide a client assistance fund for those in need from their communities, supporting the nonprofit mission of accessible mental health care.
• American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC)supportingOthersACC staff are members of AACC, the world's largest professional organization for Christian counseling professionals. ACC is listed as a resource on their website.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• BetterHelp: Largest online therapy marketplace, offering licensed counselor access on demand. Not faith-specific, but competes for the same end-clients and highlights the digital delivery gap ACC does not address.
• Rosecrance: Established nonprofit behavioral health provider offering outpatient mental health and substance abuse services across multiple locations. Comparable in being a nonprofit mental health provider, though much larger and not faith-specific.
• Talkspace: National online therapy and psychiatry platform with insurance coverage. A secular broad incumbent illustrating the competitive pressure telehealth creates for in-person faith-based counseling centers.

Direct peers

• Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF): Faith-based counseling and training organization serving individuals and couples through a Biblical-theology framework. Comparable to ACC in religious counseling orientation, with a broader national footprint and training component.
• New Hope Counseling Center: Faith-affiliated counseling center providing therapy services to individuals, couples, and families. Comparable in faith-based counseling model and community referral orientation.
• Samaritan Counseling Center: Faith-based nonprofit counseling network operating multiple sites with a similar integration of professional mental health services and spiritual/religious values. Closely comparable in nonprofit structure and faith-based service model.
• Woodcrest Counseling Services: Outpatient faith-based mental health counseling center offering individual, couples, and family therapy with a Christian integration model. Comparable niche positioning and similar clinical service mix to ACC.
• Dayspring Christian Counseling: Faith-based outpatient counseling center integrating mental health practices with Christian worldview. Closely comparable in mission, service mix, and nonprofit-style positioning to ACC, though located in a different U.S. region.

Regional players

• Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist – Behavioral Health: Regional academic health system operating outpatient mental health and behavioral health services in the Winston-Salem / Piedmont Triad region. Direct regional overlap with ACC's primary service area.

Others

• American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC): Professional membership organization for Christian counseling professionals; ACC staff are members. Relevant as an ecosystem/credentialing body but not a direct service competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/associatesinchristiancounseling
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/associates-in-christian-cnslng

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Associates in Christian Counseling