Our story
The vision of The Tabitha Centre was developed throughout a period of 3 to 4 years between 2010 and 2014. The founder and leader of The Tabitha Centre, Marit Louise Grønvik had since 2002 been working among traumatised persons in the Mid-Norway region. As a trauma supervisor, she had worked at SMISO in Trondheim, Tiller DPS's psychosis team, Betania Malvik's trauma unit and at Nordmøre crisis center. Gradually, a desire also developed to meet the spiritual health of trauma victims in the conversation room.
After the staging of the concert performance "A journey towards hope" in 2014 where Marit Louise shared her own story about trauma and hope, a rising number of requests came to her for support talks, guidance and courses within the theme "hope in the wake of loss and trauma". During this period, the vision of The Tabitha Centre was also formed.
Tabitha was a woman of mercy who lived about 2,000 years ago. She did a lot good for many people, but was herself afflicted with disease and death. In the same way as she was raised, we at The Tabitha Centre want to help and lift up people. And in the same way as Tabitha, we also want to show mercy - an old and rarely used word nowadays - but still as effective and timely.
We wish to give you hope and breathe life into your life, your visions and your dreams.
After having been a guest lecturer and having a few clients in the autumn and winter of 2014, The Tabitha Centre was officially started in February 2015. Since August 2015, Marit Louise has also been associated with a work for refugee women in Rwamwanja refugee camp in Uganda. First through the organisation Refugee Alliance and later through Brave Heart. In 2018 Brave Heart finished its work in Uganda. Marit Louise chose to continue the work under the association Tabita Go, one of the branches of The Tabitha Centre. Through Tabita Go, women in Rwamwanja Refugee settlement now get to participate in the courses "Hope in the wake of trauma", “Identity” and “Life skills”.
The Tabitha Centre has been invited to many different arenas with its courses. Some of these have been: National Center for Experiential Competence in Mental Health, Leve –The National Association for Survivors of Suicide, the November Conference of Kirkelig Ressurssenter, various ‘Masses for dignity’ through the Church in addition to ‘Hope gatherings’ in various contexts. The breadth has been exciting, and gradually local schools have also shown interest.
From initially having a clear focus on trauma management with mainly guidance, support conversations and courses, the center has now become a broader center in terms of content. Aid and mission have been given more room, and our wish is that The Tabitha Centre may become a meeting place with different platforms for our vision.
For the first two years, there were only support talks through Tabita Trust and teaching through courses and seminars through Tabita Teach at The Tabitha Centre. As aid and mission came into the picture, Tabita Go became a new branch of the tree. Through various events and concerts aimed at raising money and making the work at Tabita Go known, we have also seen the need for platforms for artists, musicians and performers who want to give hope and breathe life into other people’s dreams and visions. Based on this, there are now two new branches. Tabita Create - A network for Christian artists who want to inspire and Tabita Happen - various events with the goal of sharing warmth, hope and inspiration to people.
Since 2021, The Tabitha Centre has been affiliated with Youth With a Mission (YWAM) in Norway, an umbrella movement with a clear Christian foundation. Even though we are still standing on our own feet organisationally, it is good for us to have a link to a movement like YWAM.