“Make/Female” meetings with psychologists, sensory rooms and sand therapy: features of the new branch of the Doverie Center

It is expected that around 2-3 thousand teenagers will attend the center annually

Repair work has begun at 100 Pobedy Avenue, where a new branch of the psychological and pedagogical assistance center for children and young people Doverie is set to open. The branch will provide a range of services for people aged 14-35, including a psychologist's consultation room, a sensory room to help relieve stress and correct behavior, and a group room where preventive activities such as cinema clubs will be held.

According to Elena Ovchinnikova, the director of the Doverie Center, two psychologists will provide individual consultations, while another psychologist and a youth specialist will conduct group meetings. There will also be “Male/Female” meetings, conducted simultaneously by two psychologists, allowing to explore interpersonal relationships from the perspective of a male and female psychologist. Additionally, a psychological book club will be organized where participants will discuss books that inspire change.

Sensory equipment will be provided in the center, which will suit both typical developed children and young people with disabilities; equipment for sand therapy, devices for light, color and sound therapy.

For the convenience of specialists, the classrooms will be equipped with computers for psychological diagnostics. Designer furniture is purchased to create a comfortable modern space, as well as a small kitchen for lunches and snacks.

During the year, the Doverie Center plans to accept about 3,000 teenagers in. “Psychologists of the center are approached on a wide range of issues. Teenagers having problems of conflicts at school and home can find help in the Center, they are trying to find their place in life, including to understand who they want to do in the future,”- Elena Ovchinnikova shared.

Students who are learning professions also apply to the center, as they worry about adaptation to adulthood, separation from their parents. Another category of people who visit the center is those aged 18-35, including young parents, who face issues such as creating a family, changing or building a career, and coping with stress and burnout.

Today, providing psychological support for participants in a special military operation and their families remains a priority. They will also have access to qualified psychological assistance through this branch, said the director of the Doverie Center.

A design project has been developed for today, though changes may be made. Specialists are currently performing preparation works, changing electrical wiring and the heating system. After that, ceilings will be repaired and walls painted. The repair work to be completed by the end of this year.

After the completion of the work, an Open Day for schoolchildren will be held here together with the Kazan education Department, where they will be told about the psychological assistance center. “We have this practice in other areas of the city, after the Open Days, the flow of teenagers aged 14-17 to a psychologist with questions about relationships, conflicts and bullying immediately increases,”- said Elena Ovchinnikova.

Major repairs are carried out under the republican program. For reference, since 2022, 16 premises have been transferred to the Doverie center, six of them are new, and others were renovated.