cornerstone counseling center institute & academy

What cornerstone counseling center institute & academy does

Cornerstone Counseling Center, Institute & Academy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Christian organization headquartered in Hickory, North Carolina, founded in 1995 by Mike and Judy Stewart. It operates three integrated divisions: a Counseling Center delivering individual, marital, family, and group therapy with specialized trauma modalities (EMDR, Brainspotting, TBRI); the Cornerstone Institute providing NBCC-approved continuing education, supervision toward LCMHC credentials, and community workshops; and Cornerstone Christian Academy, a school founded in 2004 serving students with language-based learning differences such as dyslexia and ADD/ADHD using an Orton-Gillingham multi-sensory curriculum.

The organization supports approximately 30 staff including 15 licensed mental health professionals and has served over 10,000 clients since inception. Its technology footprint is minimal: client intake is handled through the third-party Valant.io platform and the organization maintains a standard WordPress website; there is no proprietary platform, mobile app, API, or disclosed AI/ML capability. Service delivery is in-person at two Hickory locations, with some distance-learning workshops offered through the Institute.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid nonprofit model combining fee-for-service counseling (with insurance billing and a Client Assistance Fund subsidy), tuition from the Academy and tutoring programs, donor contributions and grants (including employer matching, stocks, and property), and fees from NBCC continuing education seminars. GTM is community-led and referral-driven, anchored by church partnerships, professional referrals, organic social media, and the annual Turkey Games community fundraiser. The organization is privately governed by an Executive Board with no parent company, PE, or VC ownership.

Name

cornerstone counseling center institute & academy

Legal name

Cornerstone Counseling Center, Inc.

Website

https://cornerstonecounselingnc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Cornerstone Counseling Center, Institute & Academy is a 501(c)(3) Christian nonprofit in Hickory, NC operating three divisions: licensed counseling services, the Cornerstone Christian Academy for students with learning differences, and the Cornerstone Institute providing NBCC-approved continuing education and supervision.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Christian Counseling and Mental Health Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (6117), Educational Support Services (61171), Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

Keywords

• Christian counseling services
• Mental health therapy
• Learning differences education
• Professional counselor supervision
• Continuing education workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Hickory

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Counseling Services: Fees charged for individual, marital, family, and group counseling services. Many insurance plans cover a portion of costs.
2. Educational Services: Tuition and fees for Cornerstone Christian Academy students and tutoring programs
3. Donations and Grants: 501(c)(3) non-profit relying on donor generosity for financial assistance, student scholarships, and program development. Accepts employer matching, stocks, property donations.
4. Continuing Education Seminars: Professional development seminars for mental health professionals with NBCC continuing education credits

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cornerstone Counseling Center, Institute & Academy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers professional Christian counseling (individual, marital, family, group, and trauma therapy), operates Cornerstone Christian Academy — a specialized day school and tutoring program for students with language-based learning differences — and runs an Institute division offering LCMHC supervision, continuing education workshops for mental health professionals, and community seminars.

Product overview

Cornerstone Counseling Center, Institute & Academy is a Christian nonprofit organization offering an integrated portfolio of counseling, educational, and training services. The organization operates three main divisions: Counseling Services (providing individual, marital, family, and group therapy with trauma treatment modalities), Cornerstone Christian Academy (a specialized school for students with learning differences using Orton-Gillingham methodology), and the Institute (offering professional supervision, continuing education, and community workshops). Additional support services include psycho-educational testing and tutoring, with a Client Assistance Fund to provide financial aid for those in need.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cornerstone Counseling Services

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCornerstone Counseling Center has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6421. They provide continuing education seminars for mental health professionals, promoting clinical excellence and integration of theology and psychology.
• Neill Clark Recreation CenterminorOthersNeill Clark Recreation Center in Hickory, NC serves as the venue for Cornerstone's Annual Turkey Games community event.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Focus on the Family: Large Christian nonprofit offering family counseling, marriage support, and educational programming. Comparable faith-based mission and target audience but at national scale.
• Catholic Charities USA: Nationwide faith-affiliated nonprofit providing counseling, family services, and educational support across multiple locations. Represents the broader scale at which Cornerstone could theoretically operate with expansion capital.
• Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services: One of the largest faith-based behavioral health systems in the US, providing outpatient counseling, residential care, and professional training. Much larger scale but operates the same faith-integrated clinical model in a broader portfolio.

Others

• American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC): National professional association serving Christian counselors with CE, certification, and training - operates in an adjacent space to Cornerstone's Institute division as a credentialing/training partner.

Direct peers

• Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF): CCEF is a nonprofit that integrates biblical counseling with education and training for pastors, counselors, and laypeople - directly mirroring Cornerstone's faith-based counseling plus professional training model. Comparable mission, comparable faith-integrated clinical emphasis.
• Schenck School: Independent private school specifically serving students with dyslexia and language-based learning differences using Orton-Gillingham methodology - a direct peer to Cornerstone Christian Academy's specialized academic program.
• The Lab School of Washington: Private school serving students with learning differences including dyslexia and ADHD using research-based multi-sensory approaches. Comparable mission to Cornerstone Christian Academy's specialized student population.
• Rosemead Counseling Center (Biola University): Faith-based university-affiliated counseling center offering Christian clinical services, professional training, and CE programs. Highly comparable as it combines clinical practice with academic training in a Christian framework similar to Cornerstone's Counseling-Institute-Academy triad.
• Crossroads Counseling Center: Faith-based nonprofit counseling center providing individual, marriage, and family therapy with Christian integration - a smaller-scale direct peer in organizational structure and service offering.

Regional players

• Hephata Lutheran Social Ministries: Faith-based social services organization in the Upper Midwest providing counseling, education, and developmental disability services through a faith lens. Comparable in service model but operates in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Cornerstone.Counseling.Center
• Instagraminstagram.com/cornerstone_counseling_center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about cornerstone counseling center institute & academy