As former missionaries with Cru, both Mike Sense (founder of GCN) and I personally experienced the isolation and mental health struggles many missionaries endured in the field. Depression, anxiety, unresolved trauma, and relational conflicts were often compounded by the lack of a safe and confidential space to process these issues. Historically, missionaries had few options for care, often limited to organizational leaders, which rarely felt like a safe or confidential option. We knew there had to be a better way to support these front-line staffers and ensure they could continue their calling without burning out or leaving the mission field. This is how GCN’s vision of providing accessible, confidential, and professional Christian counseling was born.

**Mike Sense**

M.Div., and MA of Counseling ,
Founder of Global Counseling Network

“We aimed to create a trusted environment where missionaries could regularly receive the support they needed without fear of judgment or repercussion.”

We aimed to create a trusted environment where missionaries could regularly receive the support they needed without fear of judgment or repercussion. We wanted them to feel safe enough to share their struggles and work through their challenges with the guidance of a trained counselor who understood their unique needs and calling. Over time, GCN expanded beyond serving missionaries. We began to serve campus ministers, ministry leaders, pastors, and their families across the United States, especially those in rural areas or smaller towns where Christian counseling was scarce. Many pastors needed counseling but felt unable to seek local support because they often referred their parishioners to the same counselors. GCN became a valuable resource for these ministry leaders and their families, offering them a confidential and trustworthy place to receive their needed support.

I am continually amazed by how the Lord has worked in and through Global Counseling Network (GCN) over the past ten years. The journey of GCN began in 2015 when the Lord placed a vision on our hearts to serve missionaries in need of Christian counseling and within just a few months, we welcomed our first clients.

**Dr. Mark Pfuetze**
Clinical Director, GCN
Associate Professor,
Covenant Seminary

Fast forward to today and we are blessed to have a team of over 110 excellent, gifted, and trained Christian counselors who are passionate about serving others and bringing healing to those suffering from mental health challenges, relational struggles, trauma, and personal difficulties. Each of our counselors is highly educated, experienced, and rooted in a deep personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Their faith guides their work as they offer support to those in need. Perhaps you’ve experienced this yourself. Perhaps you know someone who should. As we look to the future, we hope and pray that GCN will continue to be a place of refuge and healing for those in need where the Lord’s love and grace are evident in every interaction. We are excited to see what the next chapter holds and trust that God will continue to guide us as we serve His people.

GCN from the start