Black Mountain Counseling Center

Black Mountain Counseling Center believes that mental wellness should be available to everyone. We provide emotional and behavioral counseling to children, adolescents, adults, seniors, couples, and families within Western North Carolina. As the only nonprofit mental health organization in the Swannanoa Valley, we will work with you to get the help you need. Are you under-insured or fear you can't afford counseling? That's okay! We will work directly with you regardless of your financial situation. Your mental wellness is important to us. Contact us to get scheduled for an appointment today.

Our Mission

Black Mountain Counseling Center is a non-profit, professional mental health counseling service providing care out of offices in Black Mountain and Old Fort as well as online for clients in Buncombe and McDowell counties. BMCC is a recognized 501(c)(3) charitable organization that relies on donations to serve our clients, many of whom are uninsured or underinsured. Services are provided by licensed, experienced counselors working with children, adults, seniors, and families within Western North Carolina. Black Mountain Counseling Center is committed to raising the standard of mental health care in WNC for those who cannot afford professional services on their own.

It All Started When

Black Mountain Counseling Center, INC was formed in 2007 when Ellen Begley, LPC, a child counselor at the time, was approached by a woman seeking mental health services following the closure of Blue Ridge Mental Health. Realizing that the Swannanoa Valley had a huge need for affordable, accessible care, Begley, along with Jack Culbreth, and Bill Christian formed the Black Mountain Pastoral Care and Counseling Center. In 2013, the name was changed to Black Mountain Counseling Center to better encompass the services provided as well as advertise its inclusive approach to counseling. In 2014, Ellen Begley became the Executive Director of the Black Mountain Counseling Center. In 2017, Black Mountain Counseling Center expanded its partnership with Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry by moving into the Renae Brame Opportunity House, located on the SVCM property beside the Meals on Wheels meeting area and the AB Tech GED program. In 2018, due to the increased number of clients, board secretary and architect extraordinaire Susan.