About The Pearl
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Our Vision
The Pearl Institute has been created to bring cutting edge, alternate trauma therapy, and to advance the study and understanding of psychedelic medicines through research, treatment, training and community education.
Institute activities will be conducted safely, ethically and with the deepest respect for the medicines and the people involved in this work. The long-term goal as these medicines become legalized is to establish a reduced cost clinic in Western North Carolina where these emerging treatments can be accessible to those in need.
Our Values
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Value 2
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Our Roots
I will need some copy for this section. Please think of 1-2 paragraphs outlining the founding of the Pearl as well as the backstory!
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Foundational Roots: A Legacy of Community-Centered Mental Health
The Pearl Institute may have formally opened its doors in 2020, but its roots run far deeper—grounded in over two decades of visionary leadership by founders Dr. Raymond and Kim Turpin. Long before psychedelic-assisted therapy was in the public lexicon, the Turpins were pioneering equitable, trauma-informed mental health access across some of the most underserved counties in Western North Carolina.
In 2004, they launched Jackson County Psychological Services to fill a critical care gap for children and families in rural schools. With just a handful of clinicians, they built a regionally responsive behavioral health system spanning 34 schools across Jackson, Haywood, and Macon counties—serving nearly 3,000 low-income students and families annually. At its peak, their organization employed over 100 staff and was a trusted partner to school systems, DSS, juvenile justice, and local law enforcement.
Their model was ahead of its time: integrated care rooted in schools, wraparound supports for high-need youth, early adoption of EMDR trauma treatment, and a deep investment in community partnerships. Through Dr. Turpin’s leadership, EMDR became a recognized and reimbursable treatment in the region—impacting not just their own clients but shaping rural mental health policy across the state.
Though the original agency was ultimately forced to close due to structural inequities in Medicaid-managed care, the Turpins’ commitment never wavered. The Pearl Institute rises from this legacy—bringing forward their hard-won lessons, bold leadership, and unwavering belief that healing belongs in every community.
That commitment continues today through a growing constellation of partners. From the Evergreen Foundation, which has supported the Turpins’ vision through multiple organizational evolutions, to the 30th Judicial District Domestic Violence-Sexual Assault Alliance, whose team now actively collaborates with The Pearl on survivor-centered programming—these relationships reflect decades of trust, care, and shared purpose. The Pearl Institute is not just building a clinic; it is stewarding a long-standing ecosystem of healing in Western North Carolina.
