Summit
Mentorship Program
Structured mentorship for veterans, civilians, and internationals navigating transition, identity disruption, and the weight of institutional systems that suppress who they are. Not therapy. Not coaching hype. A structured relationship with someone who has been through something real.
- Non-clinical mentorship and peer support
- Structured to where you actually are — not where a checklist assumes you should be
- A relationship with someone who has lived something real and can walk alongside you
- A space to develop self-awareness and make your own informed decisions
- Therapy, clinical diagnosis, or treatment
- Advice on what to believe or how to live
- A subscription, membership, or sales pipeline
- A substitute for licensed professional care when that’s what’s needed
“Non-clinical mentorship and peer support. We do not diagnose, treat, or counsel. We coach, mentor, and walk alongside — and refer when it’s time to refer.”
SMP Scope Statement
Separating or recently separated service members navigating identity disruption, transition stall, institutional conditioning, or the gap between who the military shaped them to be and who they want to become.
Individuals navigating career transitions, organizational harm, values misalignment, or the weight of systems that have suppressed who they are. No military background required.
Spouses, contractors, civilian employees, and international residents experiencing cultural isolation, relationship stress, career disruption, or the psychological weight of living between worlds.
Placed by intake — not self-selected.
Tier placement is determined through the free intake consultation — a joint decision between you and your SSG mentor. Tiers are not hierarchical in value. A person in Tier 1 is receiving exactly the right service for where they are. Tier placement can shift as the relationship develops.
Immediate practical needs. Resume building, job search strategy, military benefits navigation, VA claims awareness, financial literacy basics, and orientation to life in Okinawa as a civilian or military-adjacent resident.
Sessions are skills-focused and goal-driven. The mentor provides structured guidance, tools, and accountability.
Best for
Recently separated · New to civilian life or Japan · Needs tools, not reconstruction
Identity, meaning, and direction. Appropriate for individuals who have stabilized basic needs but are grappling with deeper questions about purpose, values, and how to build a life that reflects who they actually are.
Cultural adjustment, relationship dynamics, and values clarification are the primary work. The Seed-Soil-Farmer model is applied here — understanding what is structural versus internally sourced.
Best for
Veterans and civilians redefining direction · Cultural adjustment · Values misalignment
The deepest level of engagement. Designed for individuals processing institutional harm, moral injury, or cultural suppression. Long-term mentorship relationships with someone who has been through something real.
Unlike PTSD — which is typically fear-based — moral injury results from experiencing events that violate deeply held values, often within systems that deny or normalize that harm. This tier is built for that weight.
Best for
Moral injury · Institutional harm · Unresolved weight from service or systemic harm
When needs exceed non-clinical scope, referral is the primary obligation — not an exit. If what you are carrying requires licensed clinical care, SMP will tell you honestly and connect you with appropriate support. Referral is addition, not abandonment. We stay present in the relationship through the transition.
Honest about what mentorship can and cannot do.
SMP operates from a core premise: self-awareness is the foundational prerequisite to autonomous decision-making. The goal is not to tell people what to believe — it is to help them develop the clarity and language to make their own informed, values-aligned decisions.
Session notes are confidential and not shared with employers, commands, courts, or third parties — except where mandatory reporting obligations apply (credible risk of harm to self or others, child abuse or neglect).
No clinical documentation, VA records, or medical history is required to participate. Sessions are not documented in any system connected to employment, the military, or government agencies.
SMP draws from Self-Determination Theory (autonomy, competence, relatedness), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy principles (values clarification, psychological flexibility), Motivational Interviewing (drawing out intrinsic motivation), and Multicultural Counseling frameworks.
Sessions available in English and Japanese. Bilingual intake materials available. No additional fee for language. Bilingual in-person sessions available in Okinawa.
SMP graduates are a natural pipeline into the Transition Immersion Fellowship (TIF) for veterans who need structured asset production alongside identity work. TIF graduates frequently enter SMP for sustained accountability after the fellowship closes.
Structured to be accessible — not to maximize revenue.
| Access Type | Rate |
|---|---|
| Free intake consultation | No cost · 45 minutes · No commitment |
| Standard session rate | $75–$100 per session |
| Sliding scale | Available — honor system, no documentation |
| Session frequency | Typically bi-weekly or monthly — set jointly |
| Minimum commitment | None — but 6+ months is recommended for meaningful work |
| Language | English and Japanese — no additional fee |
The free 45-minute consultation is a two-way fit assessment — not a sales call. We determine tier placement together. If SMP isn’t the right resource for where you are, we’ll tell you and point you in the right direction. No commitment required at the end of that conversation.
The honor system means we trust you to pay what you can. No one is turned away for inability to pay when the need is genuine. No documentation or proof of income is required.