The Pearl Institute's Fourth Annual Gathering - "Web of Renewal"

The Pearl Institute is committed to helping make alternative, evidence-based mental health interventions accessible to the people of western North Carolina. Through research, community education, training and innovative affordable direct services, the Pearl Institute (The Pearl) is helping increase understanding and accessibility of cutting-edge treatments for mental health that are demonstrating to be safe and more effective than conventional ones. The Pearl is committed to helping our communities recover from the devastation of Helene by offering professional trauma-informed mental health services in a safe and supportive environment while building and strengthening a community of mutual support and wellness. The Pearl provides professional, cutting edge interventions in both conventional and alternative mental health treatments for trauma-related issues such as PTSD, mood disorders, depression including treatment-resistant depression, anxiety disorders, complicated bereavement, and chronic pain. Since Helene, The Pearl Institute has provided free mental health trauma support therapy for over 100 WNC individuals struggling with trauma-related challenges. Our Web of Renewal goal is to continue to provide affordable, accessible mental health services to those requiring professional support in their recovery and also offering community based educational and wellness events where attendees can learn and connect with others who are also working to heal and grow as individuals .
In 2023, the Pearl was granted permission by the FDA to conduct an FDA-approved Expanded Access program examining the safety and efficacy of using the psychedelic compound MDMA for severe, treatment-resistant PTSD. The Pearl treated 4 WNC patients between the ages of 54 and 72yo suffering with severe PTSD for a minimum of 35years despite seeking conventional psychiatric medications and therapy. After three treatments with MDMA embedded in a therapy protocol lasting approximately 4 months, these patients no longer qualified for a PTSD diagnosis. Over one year later, their results continue to remain stable. It was a profound honor for a small non-profit in WNC to participate in this revolutionary research and make a national name for itself.
The Pearl Institute offers ketamine-assisted psychotherapy and is a newly-approved clinic site for Spravato (FDA-approved esketamine nasal spray treatment for depression). The Pearl is now a community partner with the VA(VACCN) and is a referral site for them for talk therapy, Spravato, and IV Ketamine which will greatly help veterans in the western counties to be able to access these services. The Pearl has also partnered with Responder Support Services in WNC to help train their clinicians in providing ketamine-assisted psychotherapy as well as providing a location and medical and clinical supervision for First Responders to affordably access IV ketamine treatments for their PTSD. The Pearl has expanded our therapeutic offerings to include psychiatric medication management, EMDR therapy, IFS therapy, wellness services, community education, including harm reduction, and couples and group therapy. The web of renewal focus of the Pearl is to provide a gold standard for trauma informed services as we continue to help our WNC communities to individually and collectively heal as we all move forward after such enormous loss.

Gathering of the Pearl 2025 - The Web of Renewal

The Pearl's Annual Gratitude Gathering and Fundraiser