OUR VALUES
“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.”
– Martin Luther King, Jr.
At Summit Family Therapy, our values guide how we show up for our clients, our community, and one another. They shape our clinical work, our relationships, and the culture of care we strive to create.
Connection
We believe healing happens in relationship. We value authentic, trusting connections and create space where individuals, couples, and families feel seen, heard, and supported. Therapy is not something done to clients, but with them.
Respect & Dignity
Every person’s story matters. We honor the inherent worth, autonomy, and lived experience of each client and approach our work with humility, compassion, and deep respect for individual and family differences.
Collaboration
We view therapy as a partnership. Clients are active participants in their care, and we work collaboratively to identify goals, build on strengths, and support meaningful, lasting change.
Integrity
We are committed to ethical practice, honesty, and professional responsibility. We hold ourselves to high standards of clinical excellence, transparency, and accountability in all aspects of our work.
Growth & Hope
We believe people are capable of growth at every stage of life. Even in times of struggle, we hold hope for healing, resilience, and the possibility of new patterns, perspectives, and connections.
Cultural Responsiveness
We value diversity in all its forms and are committed to ongoing learning, self‑reflection, and culturally responsive care. We strive to recognize the broader social, cultural, and systemic contexts that shape our clients’ lives.
Community
As a locally rooted, family‑owned practice, we care deeply about the well‑being of our community. We are invested in creating a supportive, welcoming environment where families and individuals can thrive.
Inclusivity & Support
We are an inclusive counseling practice committed to providing a welcoming, respectful, and affirming environment for individuals, couples, and families of all backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences. Our work is grounded in the ethical standards of the American Psychological Association (APA), the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), and the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), which emphasize respect for human dignity, cultural humility, nondiscrimination, and equitable access to mental health care.
Consistent with APA Ethical Principle E: Respect for People’s Rights and Dignity, we honor each person’s inherent worth and are attentive to cultural, individual, and role differences, including but not limited to age, race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, religion, faith or spirituality, language, socioeconomic status, ability, gender identity, and sexual orientation. We actively strive to recognize and reduce the impact of bias and to provide care that is responsive to each client’s unique context and strengths.
In alignment with the NASW Code of Ethics, particularly its commitment to cultural competence and social diversity, we seek to promote client self-determination, challenge discrimination and oppression, and support well‑being within the broader social and systemic contexts that shape individuals’ lives. We view inclusivity as an ongoing professional responsibility that requires self‑reflection, continued learning, and advocacy when appropriate.
Guided by the AAMFT Code of Ethics, we are committed to nondiscrimination, ethical practice, and promoting equitable access to services for individuals and families. As systemic clinicians, we recognize the importance of understanding relational, cultural, and societal influences and aim to provide care that is respectful, collaborative, and responsive to diverse family structures and identities.
We believe that ethical, culturally responsive care is essential to supporting mental and emotional well‑being, and we are dedicated to fostering a therapeutic space where clients feel seen, respected, and supported.
