New counselling services now available in Thunder Bay

Located in the Thunder Bay Centre of Change, Beedaubin Resources and Wawia Counseling held the grand opening of their Thunder Bay office on Oct. 18.
According to Ange-Aimee Wawia (M.S.W, R.S.W), Wawia Counseling “provides counseling to different ages of people, Anishinabek primarily” but also “welcomes people of all colours who may be under employee assistance programs.”
“I work with people who tell me what they’d like to receive counselling for,” Wawia said. She explained that clients who she works with often seek help for issues like unresolved grief, mental health issues like depression or schizophrenia, Indian residential schools survivors, children of Indian residential school survivors, abuse, anger management, suicide, and the loss of a loved one to suicide.
“I also work with people who are experiencing anxiety and stress,” Wawia said. “I help them learn how to cope with stress and learn about stress levels. I also teach them how to cope with panic attacks.”
Wawia said that when she works with clients, she looks at their emotional life, spiritual life, mental health, and physical life to try to get a balance between those four components.
“I believe that people have strengths, and sometimes life has many challenges,” she said.
“They feel good if they work on themselves and their components to work towards a healthier lifestyle.”
Alice Sabourin (M.S.W, R.S.W) explained that her counselling service is different from Wawia’s.
“A lot of my work is in community outreach,” Sabourin said. “I will go right into a First Nation and do crisis counselling and trauma work.”
Beedaubin Resources is a counselling and consulting service that specializes in traditional healing and wellness.
“I try to reintroduce ways of people being connected to each other,” Sabourin said. “Through work with sewing and art, I try to help people remember the good parts of who we were as a people. Sometimes that’s bringing Elders together with young people.”
Sabourin is currently working with Neskantaga First Nation where she spends a week out of each month helping the community with her counseling service.
“I would like to do into other First Nations to do similar work,” Sabourin said. “I see myself as a motivator. Someone can come in (to Beedaubin) and be motivated to see what they are capable of, especially Aboriginal women and families.”
A few months prior to the grand opening, Sabourin discussed with Wawia the idea of acquiring office space to open up the counselling services in Thunder Bay. They took a look at an available space in the Thunder Bay Centre of Change, which once was Hillcrest High School.
“We first looked at this office back in May of this year,” Wawia explained. “We are really proud to have it open to the public now,”
Wawia said she and Sabourin had to do their own renovations and painting, and is happy with the outcome.
“There is a peaceful feeling,” Wawia said of the new office, which happens to be in the previous counselling room for Hillcrest High School. “It’s a nice space with different sitting areas and private areas.”
Sabourin said that she would like to help people who are dealing with the long term effects of residential school, as well as second generation survivors “who aren’t even aware of how they have been impacted.”
“I want to help people reconnect with their own natural resources as Anishinabe people through arts and heritage,” Sabourin said.
“We are here for whoever would like to seek counselling,” Wawia added. “People don’t have to suffer in silence.”
Wawia said that the people who do attend their counselling sessions do well.
“I was in that position before and I needed help, and people helped me,” Wawia said. She said anyone who is seeking counselling or help can be referred to Wawia Counseling or Beedaubin Resources by agencies in town, or they can request the services on their own.
“People can self-refer, which means they just phone and I make the appointment with them,” Wawia said. “
“I’m happy that all the people came out to see our space today, and I appreciate the Elders for being here with us and all the people who helped in many different ways,” Wawia said of the grand opening.
Beedaubin Resources can be reached at 807-286-1128. Wawia Counseling can be reached at 807-345-1021.