Elu
Elu is a Chattanooga, Tennessee-based faith-integrated counseling, coaching, and consulting practice serving individuals, couples, families, churches, and small mental health practices across 10 U.S. states via telehealth and church-embedded offices.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersChattanooga, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Elu does
Elu is a privately held, faith-based counseling, consulting, and coaching practice headquartered in Chattanooga, Tennessee, founded in 2018 by Kim Cook (a licensed clinical social worker) and Dr. Bobby Cook (a pastor and US Army Reserve chaplain). The company operates under a 'both/and' philosophy, branded 'elu v'elu', that integrates evidence-based clinical practice with Christian theology, and it subscribes to the statements of faith of CAPS and the North American Association of Christians in Social Work (NACSW). Elu is structured as a Tennessee LLC and identifies as veteran-owned and female-owned.
The company delivers individual, couples, and family counseling across 10 U.S. states (Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Florida, South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Iowa) via a hybrid model of telehealth on the SimplePractice platform and 10+ physical offices embedded in partner churches. Adjacent service lines include leadership coaching, organizational consulting, pre-marital and family counseling packages, ASWB- and NBCC-approved continuing education courses, clinical supervision for licensure, and HIPAA-compliant medical billing and practice management services for other mental health practices. Pricing is unit-based, with counseling intake at $205 per 50-minute session and follow-up at $165-$175 per session, coaching and consulting at $170 per hour, and CE courses at $10-$40 per hour.
Elu's go-to-market relies on direct-to-consumer booking through its website, statewide landing pages, email newsletters via Mailchimp, and a Host Church Program that places counselors in church facilities at no cost to the host. The company serves individuals, couples, and families seeking faith-integrated mental health care, churches and clergy seeking staff wellness and leadership development, mental health professionals seeking CE and supervision, and small behavioral health practices seeking outsourced billing. The customer base is highly fragmented across consumers and small institutions, with no single-customer revenue concentration disclosed. No external funding, acquisitions, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed.
Elu firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Elu
- Legal name
- Elu LLC
- Website
- https://eluccc.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Elu is a Chattanooga, Tennessee-based faith-integrated counseling, coaching, and consulting practice serving individuals, couples, families, churches, and small mental health practices across 10 U.S. states via telehealth and church-embedded offices.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Elu industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Faith-Based Mental Health Counseling Services
- NAICS
- Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420)
- SIC
- Services-Health Services (8000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Behavioral Health & Counseling (Social Work, Psychology, Substance Use CE) (EDAAALAD)
Keywords
Where Elu is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chattanooga
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices11 records
Markets served
Elu business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Counseling Services: Revenue generated from individual, couples, and family counseling sessions. Clients pay per session with fees varying by appointment type (intake vs. follow-up) and duration. The practice accepts most health insurance plans and handles insurance claim filing directly.
- Coaching and Consulting Services: Hourly-based coaching and consulting services for leaders, couples, teams, and organizations including churches. Includes leadership coaching, organizational consulting, and pre-marital counseling packages.
- Continuing Education (CE) Courses: Fee-based continuing education workshops and courses for counseling and social work professionals. Courses offered in various formats including live in-person, virtual synchronous, and asynchronous self-paced options. Approved through ASWB and NBCC.
- Medical Billing Services for Other Practices: HIPAA-compliant medical billing and practice management services offered to other mental health professionals and small practices. Services include benefits verification, claims submission, and follow-up on unpaid claims.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Counseling Intake Appointment |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Counseling Follow-up Appointments |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Sliding Scale Option |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Miscellaneous Services |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Consulting Sessions |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Coaching Sessions |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Family Growth Package |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Pre-marital Sessions Package |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | CE Course - Mixed/Live Format |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Reading-based CE Courses |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Card / Sponsorship |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Elu product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Elu delivers Christ-centered individual, couples, and family counseling, leadership coaching, and organizational/consulting services for churches and small groups. Beyond direct clinical care, the firm sells HIPAA-compliant medical billing and practice management services to other mental health practices, and offers ASWB/NBCC-approved continuing education courses to licensed counselors and social workers.
Product overview
Elu is a faith-based counseling, consulting, and coaching organization offering a unified service portfolio centered on mental health and organizational wellness. The core offerings consist of Counseling Services (individual, couples, and family therapy via in-person or Telehealth), Consulting Services (organizational and church consulting), and Leadership Coaching (individual and team coaching). Add-on services include Medical Billing Services for mental health practices using EHR platforms like Simple Practice, Continuing Education programs for counselor licensure (ASWB/NBCC approved), and Clinical Supervision. Specialized sub-products include School-Based Counseling partnerships, Talk and Walk outdoor therapy, Pre-Marital Counseling packages, and Church Staff Wellness Programs. The company operates across 10 states via office locations and telehealth, with headquarters in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Counseling Services
Companies that use Elu
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Elu technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
Elu partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Hamilton County Schools, Chattanooga, TNcoreSchool-based counseling partnership providing mental health services to all Hamilton County Schools via telehealth. Elu offers flexible appointment times, online play therapy, talk therapy, and family therapy methods. Schools distribute consent forms through HCS designees.
- Action Church (East Ridge, TN)coreHost Church Program partner providing office space for Elu counseling services. Located at 1312 Spring Creek Rd., Chattanooga, TN 37412. Church serves as community hub for mental health accessibility.
- Hope City Church (Chattanooga, TN)coreHost Church Program partner at 7 N. Tuxedo Ave., Chattanooga, TN 37411. Provides counseling office space for Elu services.
- Dallas Bay Church (Hixson, TN)coreHost Church Program partner at 8305 Daisy Dallas Rd., Hixson, TN 37343. Hosts Elu counseling services in Dallas Bay Church facility.
- Mission Red Bank Church (Red Bank, TN)coreHost Church Program partner at 3912 Dayton Blvd, Red Bank, TN 37415. Provides office space for Elu counseling services.
- Crosspointe Church (Ringgold, GA)coreHost Church Program partner at 75 Walker Industrial Dr., Ringgold, GA 30736. North Georgia location for Elu counseling services.
- Fuel Church (Lakeland, FL)coreHost Church Program partner at 7355 US Highway 98 N, Lakeland, FL 33811. Florida location for Elu counseling services.
- Erwin Methodist Church (Erwin, NC)coreHost Church Program partner at 600 Denim Dr., Erwin, NC 28339. North Carolina office location.
- Frontline Church (Fayetteville, NC)coreHost Church Program partner at 6781 Camden Rd., Fayetteville, NC 28306. North Carolina office location.
- Oasis Church (Holly Springs, NC)coreHost Church Program partner at 1828 Ralph Stephens Rd., Holly Spring, NC 27540. North Carolina office location.
- CAPS (Christian Association for Pastoral Counseling)coreElu subscribes to the CAPS statement of faith which shapes administrative and clinical decisions. The company was founded by Christian leaders integrating professional and theological perspectives.
- NACSW (North American Association of Christians in Social Work)coreElu subscribes to NACSW statement of faith. Kim Cook previously served as Director of Operations with NACSW. Company is a member organization and promotes NACSW online CE programs.
- ASWB (Association of Social Work Boards)coreElu is an ACE (Approved Continuing Education) provider through ASWB. ACE provider approval period: 03/31/2025-03/31/2026. Provider #2235.
- NBCC (National Board for Certified Counselors)coreElu is an Approved Continuing Education Provider through NBCC. ACEP No. 7895. Provides CE hours for licensed professional counselors.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Elu competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- BetterHelp: Largest online counseling platform with national subscription model. Directly comparable on telehealth delivery and individual therapy, but operates at much larger scale and is a secular generalist rather than faith-based.
- Talkspace: Public telehealth therapy and psychiatry platform. Comparable on online delivery model and individual therapy, but operates a subscription-driven B2C model without Elu's faith-based differentiation or church-distribution model.
Emerging players
- Brightside Health: Telehealth platform combining therapy and medication management with insurance coverage. Comparable on telehealth delivery and insurance-based billing, but specialized in anxiety/depression medication rather than general outpatient therapy.
- 7 Cups: Online emotional support and therapy platform with free peer-support and paid therapist services. Comparable on online delivery to individuals, though it primarily serves a self-pay and lower-acuity market.
- Charlie Health: Virtual intensive outpatient program (IOP) for adolescents and young adults. Comparable on virtual delivery and insurance contracting, but focused on higher-acuity cohorts rather than general outpatient therapy.
- Cerebral: Online mental health subscription platform offering therapy and medication management. Comparable on telehealth delivery and direct-to-consumer targeting, with overlapping insurance-based billing workflows.
- Ellie Mental Health: Multi-state outpatient mental health franchise rapidly expanding across the U.S. Comparable on multi-site outpatient model and insurance-based delivery, but operates as a secular generalist franchise without faith-based positioning.
Direct peers
- Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services: Large faith-based behavioral health provider in West Michigan operating inpatient, outpatient, and telehealth services. Comparable on faith-based clinical integration and multi-modality service portfolio, though its footprint and scale are substantially larger.
- Faithful Counseling: Faith-based online counseling platform owned by BetterHelp's parent. Most direct peer — same Christian counseling positioning, same telehealth delivery, similar target client. Differentiated from Elu by its subscription/pricing model and lack of church-distribution footprint.
- CenterPointe Counseling: Multi-state nonprofit where co-founder Kim Cook previously served as Executive Director. Directly comparable on faith-based outpatient clinical model and multi-state service delivery, with similar Christian counseling positioning and CAPS/NACSW alignment.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Customer concentration
Elu social profiles
Digital presenceElu compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Elu financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Elu leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Elu funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Elu M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Elu
What does Elu do?
Elu delivers Christ-centered individual, couples, and family counseling, leadership coaching, and organizational/consulting services for churches and small groups. Beyond direct clinical care, the firm sells HIPAA-compliant medical billing and practice management services to other mental health practices, and offers ASWB/NBCC-approved continuing education courses to licensed counselors and social workers.
Is Elu a public or private company?
Elu is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Elu founded?
Elu was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Elu based?
Elu is headquartered in Chattanooga, United States, in the North America region.
How does Elu make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Counseling Services are the primary driver. The others are coaching and Consulting Services, continuing Education (CE) Courses and medical Billing Services for Other Practices.
Who are Elu's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are BetterHelp and Talkspace. Emerging players are Brightside Health, 7 Cups, Charlie Health, Cerebral and Ellie Mental Health. Direct peers are Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services, Faithful Counseling and CenterPointe Counseling.
Does Elu have an API?
No public API is recorded for Elu.
What industry is Elu in?
Elu's product category is Faith-Based Mental Health Counseling Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAALAD, Behavioral Health & Counseling (Social Work, Psychology, Substance Use CE). Its NAICS code is 621420 and its SIC code is 8000.