Anchorpoint Counseling Ministry was founded as “North Hills Youth Ministry” in 1966 by an ecumenical partnership of 16 Christian churches in Pittsburgh’s North Hills.
Through the efforts of Youth Minister Rev. Keith Brown, the churches committed to supporting this cooperative ministry throughout the community. The organization originally served at-risk teens who had no positive relationships with other adults or institutions. Early programs included drug education, parent-teen groups, a coffee house, job referrals, retreats, and service projects.
During the 1980s, the ministry moved toward an emphasis on professional counseling for teens, which gradually broadened to emphasize family counseling.
Under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Ronald Barnes, LSW, the organization hired licensed counselors & certified teachers to meet the community’s growing need for professional mental health and educational services. Recognizing the importance of dealing with family systems as a whole, marital counseling, parent education, and individual counseling for all ages became core programs.
In 2009, the organization changed its name to “Anchorpoint Counseling Ministry” to reflect its growing populations served throughout the northern Pittsburgh region.
In the years since, Anchorpoint has become a training site for many clinical interns and residents, focusing on developing caring and experienced therapists while making lives better throughout the community.