The Pastoral Institute offers counseling, consulting and educational resources to care for the emotional, relational and spiritual needs of individuals, families and communities.
The Pastoral Institute will empower people to love, serve and live meaningfully.
- People - We value joy, creativity, work-life balance and relationships.
- Faith - We recognize the importance of our relationship with God, others and self in serving a diverse community.
- Servant Leadership - We embrace the philosophy of servant leadership as we seek to serve and lead.
- Diversity - We value diversity and are committed to serving all with compassion and justice.
- Integrated Approach - We integrate religion, science and humanity in the services we provide.
- Excellence - We are committed to quality care and strive for excellence in all we do.
- Stewardship - We are good stewards of all resources entrusted to us.
- Holistic Growth - We believe in the growth potential of mind, body and spirit of every human being.
- Collaboration - We are committed to partnering and working with others in our community.
- Shared Vision - We are committed to being an organization shaped by our vision.
Established in July 1974, the Pastoral Institute was born out of a vision that four men shared to see the needs of the whole person met. Richard Robertson, pastoral counselor; Herschel Allen, pastoral counselor; George Zubowicz, medical director of The Bradley Center; and Bill Turner, a Columbus business leader, believed the Pastoral Institute would be a refuge of healing, clarity and inspiration for those who come seeking help with difficult life experiences. Originally located in two donated offices in the newly renovated downtown YMCA, the Pastoral Institute opened its doors for the first time in October of 1974.
In 1979 our services of counseling, consulting and education were expanded to include an Employee Assistance Program. In 1984, our ten year anniversary, we relocated to our current location and in 1987 the building was expanded due to demands for services. In order to provide services to the surrounding community we established our office in Lanett, AL in 1989. We celebrated the inauguration of our Clergy Resource Center in 1991, which is now the D.A. and Elizabeth Turner Ministry Resource Center.
We expanded and enhanced our facilities once again in 2002 by adding the Community Room and a Prayer-Reflection Garden. In 2010, the Pastoral Institute dedicated a new campus that provides a wonderful sense of place and possibility. The new campus includes gardens, a chapel, conference rooms, a community room and dedicated areas for children, teens and adults. Relaxation rooms equipped with the latest in biofeedback technology are also part of this new space. This new campus will allow the staff to serve the community and region for years to come. Today the Pastoral Institute has approximately 58 staff in two locations; the main office in Columbus, Georgia and a satellite office in Valley, Alabama.
The Pastoral Institute is certified by the American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC) as a service and training center. The Pastoral Institute is also accredited by the Samaritan Institute as a Samaritan Center. We embrace high standards of quality service, sensitivity to religious issues and professionalism.