Our Team
Meet Our Counselors
Our team is composed of biblical and pastoral counselors — trained caregivers who walk alongside people using Scripture, prayer, and relational presence. Several staff also hold clinical licensure, which deepens their work, though our primary offering remains Christ-centered biblical soul care.
Scripture-Anchored
All care rooted in the Word of God
Trained & Certified
Formally trained in biblical & clinical care
Compassionate & Safe
A confidential, non-judgmental space
Clients Outside Wisconsin
Biblical counseling and pastoral soul care may be offered to clients across state lines, as it is faith-based ministry — not state-licensed psychotherapy. However, we take your state's laws seriously and may require additional intake time to review applicable regulations before sessions begin, to ensure we remain both biblically faithful and legally responsible in the care we provide. Please mention your state at intake.
Accepting ClientsDr. Jeffrey W. Gross, Ph.D., Th.D., M.S., M.A., SAC-IT
Founder & Lead Counseling Pastor, RHM | President & Dean, RHSBC | WI SAC-IT No. 20388-130
Dr. Jeffrey W. Gross is the Founder, Lead Counseling Pastor, and Executive Director of Restoring Hope Ministries, and President and Dean of the Restoring Hope School of Biblical Counseling. He has provided biblical counseling through RHM since 2019. He is a fifth-year Psy.D. doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at the Wisconsin School of Professional Psychology, where he serves as Lead Supervising Clinician in the Psychology Training Center. He also serves as a clinical contractor and AODA group facilitator at The Manor by Windrose. His Wisconsin SAC-IT credential is current through 2027 (No. 20388-130); NPI 1720865488. He is not yet a licensed psychologist, and his biblical and pastoral care is distinct from independently licensed mental-health psychotherapy.
He holds a Th.D. (Cum Laude) and Ph.D. in Christian Counseling (Summa Cum Laude) from Northwestern Christian University, an M.S. in Clinical Psychology (Cum Laude) from WSPP, and is certified in Brainspotting (Phases 1, 2 & 5) and Gottman Method Couples Counseling (Levels 1 & 2). He is a prolific author — his books and textbooks span biblical counseling theory, neuroscience-integrated theology, church hurt recovery, and RHSBC course materials used in student and client education.
Why I Counsel
I didn't come to this work through a classroom alone. I came to it watching people who had been handed Bible verses like band-aids over wounds nobody stopped to understand — and watching what patient, prayerful, Scripture-shaped care did instead. That contrast is why Restoring Hope exists, and why we train counselors to be present with people before they speak Scripture to them. Everything I study — theology, clinical psychology, neuroscience — serves that one calling: helping wounded people meet the God who binds up the brokenhearted without being hurt again in the process.
— Dr. Jeffrey W. Gross, in their own words
SAC-IT (Substance Abuse Counselor — In Training) is a Wisconsin DSPS-regulated credential for individuals actively working toward full SAC licensure under approved clinical supervision. Learn more at Wisconsin DSPS ↗
Credentials & Licensure
Specialties
RHM Certifications
Accepting ClientsMark Hufen, LCPC, LPC, SAC
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor & Clinical Supervisor
Mark Hufen, LCPC, LPC, SAC is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and Clinical Supervisor with Restoring Hope Ministries. He brings deep clinical expertise and a Christ-centered approach to his work with individuals, couples, and groups. As an LPC and Substance Abuse Counselor, Mark integrates state-licensed clinical training with a commitment to biblical truth. He serves as Clinical Supervisor for RHM's counseling team, providing leadership, consultation, and oversight to ensure safe, ethical, and effective care across the ministry.
His dual licensure in both Wisconsin and Illinois means he is able to provide licensed clinical services to clients in either state, subject to applicable telehealth regulations. Note: While Mark's clinical licensure applies in WI and IL, biblical counseling and pastoral soul care at RHM may be offered across state lines — though additional time may be needed at intake to review the laws of your state. We take this seriously for your protection and ours.
Why I Counsel
I've spent my career sitting with people in the wreckage that addiction, broken marriages, and unprocessed trauma leave behind — and I've watched restoration happen when real clinical skill is placed in the hands of a compassionate God. Good therapy and good theology both require the same first step: honest listening, before anything else. I supervise and teach because I want the next generation of counselors to hold both — genuine competence and genuine Christ — without letting either one shrink the other.
— Mark Hufen, in their own words
Dual Licensure: Mark holds active licensure in both Wisconsin (LCPC, SAC) and Illinois (LPC), and may provide licensed clinical services to clients in either state subject to applicable telehealth regulations.
Credentials & Licensure
Specialties
RHM Certifications
Accepting ClientsLoretta Sabin
Christian Social Work Student & Lay Biblical Counselor Student
Loretta is a biblical counseling student and social work intern serving under the direct supervision of licensed staff at RHM. She assists with case management, social work services, and client care coordination as part of her professional and ministry training. All care provided by Loretta is delivered in a supervised capacity.
Why I Counsel
I'm still in training, and I believe you should know that up front. What I bring today is careful listening, honest case management, and a supervisor looking over my work — because the people who helped me most were never the ones with the most impressive titles, but the ones who showed up with humility and stayed present. That's the kind of counselor I'm learning to become.
— Loretta Sabin, in their own words
Specialties
What Biblical Counseling Actually Is
Scripture-Shaped Care — Not Proof-Texting
✓ What Biblical Counseling IS
- Deeply attentive, relational, person-centered pastoral presence
- Care that takes your whole story seriously — not just your symptoms
- Wisdom drawn from Scripture applied thoughtfully and personally
- Prayer, lament, and honest engagement with suffering
- Formation toward Christ — not behavior management or a formula
- Humility to refer when your needs exceed what we offer
✗ What Biblical Counseling is NOT
- Not "proof-texting" — throwing Bible verses at pain without listening first
- Not a replacement for crisis intervention or emergency mental health care
- Not licensed clinical psychotherapy or psychiatric treatment
- Not simplistic, shallow, or dismissive of real suffering
- Not a judgment of your faith or spiritual standing
- Not a substitute for medical care when medical care is needed
"Proof-texting — applying Bible verses axiomatically and without pastoral discernment — is not biblical counseling. It can be harmful, and it has contributed to church hurt and faith trauma in many people's stories. Our counselors are trained specifically to avoid this. We seek to be present with you before we speak Scripture to you."
— RHM Counseling Philosophy
Understanding Our Care Types
Not all care at RHM is the same type. Understanding the difference helps you make an informed decision about whether RHM is the right fit — and we will always be honest with you about this.
Biblical / Pastoral
Pastoral care and biblical soul care — not a licensed clinical service.
Biblical + Credentialed AODA
Biblical and pastoral care plus substance-use services within a current Wisconsin SAC-IT credential and supervision; not independent mental-health licensure.
Licensed Clinical
State-licensed clinical therapy provided within the professional's current license and scope.
Biblical & Licensed
Integrates pastoral care with licensed clinical training.
Pastoral Supervision: Interns and students providing biblical care or encouragement do so under direct pastoral oversight — not under licensed clinical supervision. This is consistent with the legal and ethical distinction between pastoral ministry and licensed clinical practice.
A note on licensure: Having licensed staff on our team is a gift — it deepens clinical awareness, ensures ethical oversight, and provides regulatory accountability. However, most care at RHM is delivered as biblical and pastoral soul care, not as licensed clinical psychotherapy. Most sessions are not insurance-billable. Please ask during intake if you have questions.
Out-of-state clients: Biblical and pastoral counseling is faith-based ministry and is generally not bound by state licensure laws the way clinical therapy is. However, we take state laws seriously and will always review them at intake for clients outside Wisconsin to ensure we are providing care in a way that is both biblically faithful and legally responsible.
Website language & Wisconsin statute: Wisconsin state statutes regulate the use of professional titles such as "counselor," "therapist," and "clinical" in the context of licensed practice. We review our website language monthly and do our best to ensure all language accurately reflects the scope of services offered. We do this not merely as a legal obligation but as a biblical one — honesty and integrity are core to who we are (Proverbs 12:17; Colossians 3:17). Questions? Contact us before beginning services.
