HomeWho We AreWhat We OfferBlogClient Portal
Donate
Contact

Who We Are

Decades Serving

North Carolina.

The Barnabas Center was founded in Charlotte, NC in 1989 with a simple conviction: that struggle is inevitable, that God is at work, and that connection and dependence are the pathway through. In 2018, that mission took root in 
the Triad.
‍
We are a nonprofit, nondenominational, Christ-centered counseling, training, and teaching ministry. Barnabas, the name means "son of encouragement",  was a person in the early church known for walking alongside people in the middle of their hardest moments. That is what we are here to do. We seek to make care accessible to everyone, in any circumstance, no matter their beliefs or background.

OUR APPROACH

The Barnabas Model

We believe three things about every person who walks through our door.

Dignity

You were made in the image of God. That means you were created for a meaningful relationship with God and with others, and for real impact in the world. Whatever you are carrying, that is still true of you. Your dignity is not up for debate.

Depravity

We live in a fallen world. Struggle is not a personal failure; it is the human condition. Every one of us develops strategies to manage pain, maintain control, or protect ourselves from being hurt, and many of those strategies, over time, can move us away from the life we were made for.

Dependence

Real change comes through connection with God. Not through willpower or better coping skills, but through a growing dependence on the One who made us and knows us. The counseling relationship is one arena where that can begin to happen.

The Barnabas Model is not 

a formula.

It is a framework for honest conversation that takes both the weight of suffering and the hope of the gospel seriously.

Read the Full Barnabas Position Paper

Download PDF

Our

Story.

In 2018, Ben Jones moved to Winston-Salem to bring the Barnabas model to the Triad. What began as a small extension of the Charlotte ministry has grown into something the community has embraced: thousands of counseling hours each year, growing organizational partnerships, and a team of counselors committed to being compassionately Christian and clinically excellent.
We are currently preparing to become an independent 501(c)(3), with a local governing board; a sign of the ministry's health and the community's investment in it. While we will always be connected to The Barnabas Center in Charlotte, the Triad is becoming its 
own home.

Meet
Our
Team

Director

Ben 
Jones

Ben has spent over a decade in Christ-centered counseling, including eight years in the Winston-Salem and Greensboro area. As Director, he splits his time between the counseling room and the broader work of growing the ministry: community relationships, church partnerships, and fundraising to ensure finances aren’t a hindrance to access life-saving care. He believes that no one can take another person further than they have gone themselves, and he brings that conviction into every conversation.
Counselor

Hannah 
Van Patter

Hannah Van Patter, a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor with Barnabas Triad, has been practicing since 2008 with degrees from UNCG and NC A&T. She specializes in helping women and couples navigate trauma, anxiety, depression, identity struggles, and relational or spiritual conflicts. Outside of counseling, she lives in Greensboro with her husband and three children, and enjoys the outdoors, cooking, thrifting, and family time.
Counselor

Kristin Leathers

Kristin Leathers a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor with Barnabas Triad, has practiced since 2008 with degrees from Gordon-Conwell and Meredith. She helps individuals and couples navigate trauma, anxiety, relationships, and ministry challenges. Outside of work, she has been married 17 years, has two children, and enjoys exercising, home design, and Downton Abbey.
Counselor

Emmett Richardson

Emmett Richardson, a counselor with Barnabas Triad, joined the practice in 2021 after five years in college ministry and holds degrees from Covenant and Presbyterian College. He helps adults and couples navigate anxiety, trauma, sexual brokenness, and spiritual or relational concerns. Outside of counseling, he lives in Greensboro with his wife, Molly, and enjoys walking their dog, exploring local coffee shops, and spending time with family.
Director

Hannah 
Van Patter

Hannah Van Patter, a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor with Barnabas Triad, has been practicing since 2008 with degrees from UNCG and NC A&T. She specializes in helping women and couples navigate trauma, anxiety, depression, identity struggles, and relational or spiritual conflicts. Outside of counseling, she lives in Greensboro with her husband and three children, and enjoys the outdoors, cooking, thrifting, and 
family time.
Counselor,Triad NC Office

Ben 
Jones

Ben has spent over a decade in Christ-centered counseling, including eight years in the Winston-Salem and Greensboro area. As Director, he splits his time between the counseling room and the broader work of growing the ministry: community relationships, church partnerships, and fundraising to ensure finances aren’t a hindrance to access life-saving care. He believes that no one can take another person further than they have gone themselves, and he brings that conviction into every conversation.
Director

Hannah 
Van Patter

Hannah Van Patter, a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor with Barnabas Triad, has been practicing since 2008 with degrees from UNCG and NC A&T. She specializes in helping women and couples navigate trauma, anxiety, depression, identity struggles, and relational or spiritual conflicts. Outside of counseling, she lives in Greensboro with her husband and three children, and enjoys the outdoors, cooking, thrifting, and 
family time.

Board Members

Senior Director at TIAA

Mike Allen

Senior Director at TIAA

Elizabeth Chen

Pastor, Church of the Apostles

Matt Grimsley

Megan Williams

Megan Williams

Managing Director HF Capital

Dave Mathews

Director Of The Barnabas Center

Jeremy White

Ready to take the first step?

Contact Us
HomeWho We AreWhat We OfferBlogContactDonateClient Portal
+1 (336) 521-7641
triadinfo@thebarnabascenter.org
The Barnabas Center Triad is affiliated with The Barnabas Center, Charlotte, NC.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.