Pelican Cove Counseling Centers

What Pelican Cove Counseling Centers does

Pelican Cove Counseling Centers is a nonprofit mental health organization headquartered in Alhambra, California, founded in June 2020 to deliver open-ended, long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy to low-income individuals — including Medi-Cal recipients — who cannot otherwise afford such care. Its service portfolio spans individual, couples, family, and play therapy, delivered both in-person at its 240 S. Garfield Ave office and via telehealth across California, with sessions priced on a sliding scale starting at $60 per hour and subsidized through three named funds: the Pelican Cove Scholarship Fund (PCSF), the Fire Relief Fund covering Eaton and Palisades fire victims, and the Annual Scholarship Fund (minimum $3,000/year per named fund). Beyond direct clinical services, the organization operates a Health and Wellness Workshops program (I AM ME, Own It, Inside Out, CHILLAX, creative writing, yoga, sound bath, vision boards) and a Therapist Training Program for graduate students in MFT, MSW, and doctoral psychology tracks that combines a 30-day orientation with 12 months of weekly supervision under licensed psychodynamic clinicians.

The business model is a hybrid of below-market clinical fees and philanthropic funding, with revenue derived from client session payments, individual donations, vehicle donations via Cars2Charities, grants, and an annual event calendar including Marathon in May for Mental Health, Wellness Days, Hike Heal Thrive, and Art + Wine + Music (which raised $45,615 in 2022). Critically, the organization is structured to rely solely on private funding to avoid external constraints on its open-ended treatment model, a deliberate governance choice that differentiates it from typical time-limited community mental health providers. Growth from approximately 100 sessions per month at launch to 500+ monthly sessions by 2023 reflects traction in its target underserved communities in the greater Los Angeles area.

Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: outreach runs through partnerships with Garvey School District, Pasadena City College, Young Eisner Scholars, and the LACPA Disaster Response Committee, supplemented by therapist-authored blog content, crisis-resource referrals, and email newsletter signups. A 12-person staff led by Executive Director Alison Eder, Founder/Clinical Director Dr. Soni Kim Monroe (who also founded Crossroads Institute), Training Director Shelby Loder Grey, and Tech Director Enes Cinar supports operations. No revenue, donor concentration, or audited financial data are publicly disclosed, and the organization holds no patents, no AI/ML capabilities, and operates within a single California geography, making funding stability the primary strategic vulnerability.

Name

Pelican Cove Counseling Centers

Legal name

Pelican Cove Counseling Centers

Website

https://pelicancove.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pelican Cove Counseling Centers is a nonprofit mental health organization providing open-ended, long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy on a sliding scale to low-income individuals, alongside a therapist training program and community wellness workshops in the greater Los Angeles area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Mental Health Counseling Services

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Mental Health Counseling & Psychotherapy Services (EDALAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

Keywords

• Psychodynamic psychotherapy
• Community mental health
• Sliding scale therapy
• Family counseling services
• Therapist training program

Headquarters

HQ city

Alhambra

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Client Session Fees: Sliding scale therapy session fees paid by clients based on their ability to pay. Fees typically below minimum hourly rate needed for sustainability.
2. Donations and Scholarships: Private funding through donations including Pelican Cove Scholarship Fund (PCSF), Fire Relief Fund (FRF) for Eaton and Palisades fire victims, and Annual Scholarship Fund (ASF) with $3000 minimum for named funds.
3. Grant Funding: Funding from grants supporting mental health services and training programs.
4. Fundraising Events: Annual fundraising events including Marathon in May, Wellness Days, Art + Wine + Music events, and community gatherings. 2022 Art + Wine + Music raised $45,615; 2023 Hike Heal Thrive raised $16,962.
5. Vehicle Donations: Vehicle donation program through Cars2Charities for supporters to donate vehicles.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Pelican Cove Counseling Centers delivers psychodynamic psychotherapy to individuals, couples, families, and children through in-person sessions at its Alhambra, California office and via telehealth, offered on a sliding scale starting at $60 per hour with scholarships for those unable to pay. The organization also runs a Health and Wellness Workshop series for youth and adults, plus a 12-month therapist training program in psychodynamic methods serving graduate students in MFT, MSW, and doctoral psychology programs.

Product overview

Pelican Cove Counseling Centers operates as a nonprofit mental health organization offering a unified set of psychotherapy and support services. The core offerings include Individual Therapy, Couples Therapy, Family Therapy, and Play Therapy for children, all grounded in psychodynamic psychotherapy. The organization provides Health and Wellness Workshops including programs like I AM ME, IT'S GOOD TO BE US, OWN IT, CHILLAX, INSIDE OUT, and various creative workshops (Vision Board, Music, Yoga, Creative Writing, Blackout Poetry). Financial barriers are addressed through a sliding scale starting at $60/hour, a Therapist Training Program for graduate students, and three scholarship funds (PCSF, Fire Relief Fund, and Annual Scholarship Fund) enabling access for low-income individuals. Free therapy sessions are offered to those affected by LA fires and ICE raids.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Individual Therapy One-on-one psychodynamic psychotherapy sessions exploring conscious and unconscious patterns shaping the client's life, offered on a sliding scale starting at $60 per hour to individuals seeking long-term, open-ended mental health treatment.
• Couples Therapy Psychodynamic therapy sessions for couples addressing relationship dynamics, conflicts, and communication, delivered on a sliding scale.
• Family Therapy Therapeutic services addressing family dynamics, improving relationships, and supporting family systems using a psychodynamic approach on a sliding scale.
• Play Therapy Therapeutic approach for young children using play as a means to communicate about experiences and feelings, conducted in a dedicated play therapy room at the Alhambra office.
• Health and Wellness Workshops Educational workshops for youth (I AM ME, IT'S GOOD TO BE US, OWN IT, CHILLAX, INSIDE OUT, Color Me Me) and adults (Vision Board, Music, Yoga, Creative Writing, Blackout Poetry, Sound Bath Meditation), delivered through community and school partnerships.
• Therapist Training Program 12-month psychodynamic and insight-oriented training program for graduate students in Marriage and Family Therapy, Master's in Social Work, and Doctoral Psychology programs, including 30-day orientation, weekly individual and group supervision, and monthly self-care group support.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6,000+ therapy sessions provided annually; grew from 100 sessions/month in 2020 to 500+ sessions/month currently
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Garvey School DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership where Garvey School District hosts parent symposiums and workshops using psychodynamic approaches to help parents support their children's academic and personal success. Pelican Cove provides mental health expertise and workshop facilitation.
• Pasadena City CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution partnership. Founded in 1924, PCC serves 20,000+ students each semester with degree and certificate programs. Potential collaboration for student training or community outreach.
• Young Eisner ScholarsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit identifying promising students from underserved communities and providing resources, support, and academic skills for success through high school, college, and career. Partnership provides mental health support for youth scholars.
• Crossroads Institute for Psychotherapy and AssessmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsored the 2023 Hike Heal Thrive event. Founded by Dr. Soni Kim Monroe, Pelican Cove's Founder. Provides psychodynamic training and psychotherapy services.
• LACPA Disaster Response CommitteeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted Together We Heal event in March 2023 to offer support to victims, families, and community members following the Monterey Park shooting. LACPA provided drinks and snacks; Mandarin and Cantonese translators available.
• Fiore Market CafeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal venue in South Pasadena that hosted a bread baking and wine tasting community event benefiting Pelican Cove. A portion of ticket sales and additional donations supported the mental health nonprofit.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pelican-cove-counseling-centers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 Pelican Cove Counseling Centers