Here For Today. Even Stronger for Tomorrow.

Our History

CareNet Counseling has a rich history of trusted and effective care. We are a non-profit mental health counseling organization that began in 1972. Formerly called Pastoral Counseling, the organization grew out of the ministry of the Department of Pastoral Care of North Carolina Baptist Hospital, which was founded in 1947 and is the second-oldest clinical pastoral care ministry in the United States. The ministry was developed in response to the need for pastors and all faith leaders to have a professional counseling organization in the community that was sensitive to their followers’ spiritual needs in addition to their mental, physical and social needs. It was, and continues to be, a counseling organization that addresses the mental health needs of the community, regardless of a person’s race, religion, gender or socioeconomic status. We have continued to grow and thrive thanks to our exceptional staff and the generosity of all those who support our work across the state and beyond.

Today, there are about 20 CareNet counseling centers, with our state-licensed therapists providing care to North Carolina and four adjoining states. Our support comes from churches, service clubs, corporations, local businesses, grants, foundations and hundreds of generous individuals who all support one thing – ensuring our communities have access to quality mental health care.

We are proud of our history and our team of highly trained, state-licensed therapists. We are here for all those who need us.

Our Impact

In 2022, our therapists provided over 50,000 hours of caring and compassionate counseling, and CareNet offered more than $1 million in free and reduced care services to those who qualified.

But our real impact cannot accurately be measured with numbers.

For us, it’s about lives transformed, marriages saved, relationships strengthened, families supported and individuals healed—that is the impact that means the most to us and the communities across North Carolina that our critical services support.