For over three years, the Dragonfly Counselling and Support Centre has been supporting victims of sexual violence. Since opening their doors, the number of people they’ve helped has grown by over 400 per cent.
It’s because of their growth, both in clientele and staff, that the Dragonfly Centre has relocated from their previous office at the Bonnyville Centennial Centre to a more spacious building.
According to Cheryl Bujold, executive director of the Dragonfly Centre, they needed “a place where all team members could be under one roof, where we could create a welcoming and safe environment for our adults, children, and families.”
The Dragonfly Centre is now located on main street.
Now, they call their new main street space at 4808A 50 Ave. home.
“When we started, we had two full-time counsellors and two part-time staff. Now we’ve grown to a staff team of 12,” described Bujold. “We’re in this space now where we’re able to be intentional about the spaces we’ve created to ensure they’re safe and comfortable for our clients of all ages.”
That includes offices that also act as counselling rooms, a training room, and a child therapy room, among others.
The child therapy room was a key addition in their move.
“We have all of the resources we need to work with children. With them, we do a lot of work through play, so we’ve been able to be intentional with that space,” Bujold noted. “With our children, it’s so important for them to feel comfortable in the space that they’re in, especially when talking about these issues.”
The space allows counsellors working with children to direct their sessions in a way that best benefits each child, Bujold added.
The centre now has a space for child therapy sessions.
“Having this space available and on-site so counsellors can choose to gear their sessions to the child in the space they’re in that day is so important. They can decide if it’s a sand tray day or making masks day. It’s so necessary in this work to adjust to the child’s needs at the time.”
The centre also has a backdoor access for their clients.
“What we’re trying to do here is create a space where all community members are welcome for individuals to feel confident that walking through those doors, you could really be here for education, resources, information, training, or to access one of our counselling and support services,” detailed Bujold.
It could be the growth in community awareness, and/or the expansion of campaigns like #MeToo and #IBelieveYou that have their list of clients growing.
For Bujold, the reason there’s a growing need for their services is two-fold.
“Dragonfly has worked really hard to build a presence in the communities we serve throughout the northeast region. I think it takes time to build rapport with the community and understand the services that are offered,” she expressed. “Through word of mouth, feedback, and presence, I think people feel more comfortable coming forward to talk about these issues that have such a stigma attached.”
When it comes to the Canada-wide campaigns, Bujold feels they’re helping victims of sexual assault feel more confident about coming forward to share their experience.
She explained, “Those have allowed us to start talking about those very important issues at our kitchen tables. That’s really the goal here – to break down those barriers so we can have these important conversations so people can get the help that they need... Then we can start preventing and creating a region free from sexual violence.”
Bujold is proud of the centre’s growth over the past few years.
The child therapy room allows for the child to paint, draw, or create during their session.
She said by expanding their team, the Dragonfly Centre can “have more hands on the ground providing support to individuals who are in need.”
Currently, they serve one city, four towns, 24 hamlets and villages, seven first nations communities, and four Métis settlements. Most of their work is through outreach offices or programs, so counsellors can help their clients in their own communities.
“We want to make sure we’re providing supportive and accessible services to those who need it,” she detailed, adding for students, that means offering programming in their schools.
The centre is hosting an open house on Oct. 25, to celebrate their new location.
The public is free to come and go from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
