My name is Abiola.

 

I have lived in the Moorhead/Fargo area for over 12 years now, and through lived experience and work experience, I have come to realize how isolation, loneliness, and lack of connection are harming our community. Safe Harbor is an idea I had in early 2024. It grew out of wanting to find ways to meet my own needs and seeing that this is a shared need.

 

I have spent the last two years working as a crisis counselor at FirstLink, holding space for people in moments of overwhelm, fear, grief, and loneliness. I not only provide crisis intervention, I also supervise, monitor, teach, and train other crisis counselors.

 

I am currently a clinical social work graduate student, and while that also directly impacts this initiative, Safe Harbor is not therapy. In this space, I am not acting as a therapist. My role is to be present and hold the group, and to help create a sense of safety, structure, and respect so people can speak honestly, connect with other humans, and listen to each other without the pressure to fix or be fixed, because sometimes all we need is someone to listen and be present.

 

As the facilitator, I pay attention to the tone of the group. I help establish and revisit group agreements, name and reinforce boundaries when needed, and join in reflecting what is being shared. I also believe strongly in being realistic and honest about limits, and I will encourage people to lean on other supports when that feels necessary, including therapy or crisis services.

 

I care deeply about social justice, mental well-being, emotional processing, and community spaces that feel human and affirming, especially now that isolation is common and connection can feel painfully hard.

 

I believe that we do not have to carry everything alone, and that it hurts less when it is shared. My hope is that this group helps hold some of the heaviness and that you find comfort in connecting with other humans.

 

Safe Harbor is one small way of offering that kind of space that allows for such connection, and my own small way of saying that you are not alone.

 

My role here is to hold space, not treat mental health issues. If you need crisis support or clinical/therapy care, I will help you connect to resources that can support you.