Three Friends Sitting on a couch with nails painted. transparent navy blue box with white letters reads "Our Approach"

THE DREAM & THE WORK

Still Harbor creates training spaces and community-building opportunities for spiritual caregivers working toward collective liberation. We believe that leadership is expressed within and through each of us—it is not a title or a role. Our primary work involves training spiritual directors and supporting them in the care practices. Through that work, we embrace the power of spiritual witness. In a world that can feel increasingly isolating, making space for intentional, embodied, spiritual connection is truly transformative.

Spiritual care sets us free

A transgender woman holding a crystal — Zackary Drucker/Broadly Gender Spectrum Collection

We believe that the path of transforming our world to be a more just, liberative, and thriving place is a spiritual path.

Whether coming from a faith or non-faith perspective, spirituality is essential in creating our capacity to embody liberative work. By working with the deep-rooted beliefs, values, and practices that guide us in our movement for liberation, we can open up more fully, be more present, and use our agency to live into our call in this transforming world.

This is why spiritual care matters.

Spiritual care is about cultivating our inner capacities, offering nourishment and presence to our communities, and honoring that which connects us all on the long path towards liberation.

>>>We define spirituality broadly

We invite all to join us. We define spirituality broadly as one's connection to the self, relationship with the other, and the sacred (truth /mystery /unknown /God /G-d /Allah /that which connects us all).

We engage people across faith and non-faith traditions promoting the notion that spiritual formation is essential for leading change.

>>>We define collective Liberation intentionally

We are informed by the legacies and practices of the Spiritualities of Liberation, Abolition Movement, Healing Justice Movement, and Transformative Justice Movement.

We recognize that the only way all of us will get free is through each other.

A genderfluid person meditating — Zackary Drucker/Broadly Gender Spectrum Collection

>>>WE create capacity for Liberative Work

Being witnessed builds the capacity to Witness

Organizers, activists, and spiritual care providers are not always asked to show up as our full selves. Often, whether it be from ourselves or those around us, we are expected to be “on” at all times, always have the “right” things to say, and to be ready to say “yes” to every action, every ritual, or every need from those we are supporting. We are expected to “witness” every act of injustice, even when we don’t have the capacity to be present.

Spiritual accompaniment invites us to be the one who is witnessed. We learn how to be seen and heard. We learn how to feel connected with someone who appreciates and sees us without judgement. By allowing ourselves to be witnessed in a spiritual accompaniment relationship, we are building our own capacity to witness ourselves, our growth, and our needs without judgement. We are also building our capacity to witness the reality of our work, to make meaning while we build movements, and have the capacity to be responsive to our commitments and communities.