Research shows that people are more likely to open up about their mental health to a barber or hairdresser than they are to confide in a doctor.

Too often people feel that there are a lack of safe spaces to really get stuff of their chests. That’s why we have teamed up with Cut17 and October Hair & Beauty to work towards reducing the stigma around mental health and encourage more people to start talking.

We got the two salons in for Mental Health Awareness Training with the fantastic Julie from our Training Academy. The training allowed them to learn more about mental health, how to spot the signs of reduced mental wellbeing and how to encourage clients to seek professional help if they need it. While they are not fully trained mental health professionals, this new initiative will provide them with the confidence and tools to help someone – whether that be a loved one or a client – who may be struggling with their mental health.

“This day of training has been so helpful for us on how we can be of use to our clients. We want to try and help cut out the stigma around mental health in men and let all of our clients know that if there is anyone out there that needs support, we are here to help.”– Lewis, Cut17

Now Cut17 and October Hair & Beauty is more than just a place to get your hair cut – it is a non-judgmental, safe space for people to be open, offload and have chat if, and when, they need to. We hope that through this training more people in the local area will feel comfortable speaking about their mental health.

Shortly after the training, Cut17 created a “Let’s Chat” option on their booking system which allows their clients to have a 10-minute chat in a confidential environment. Clients can use this new option to speak about how they’re feeling or just use the extra time to take their mind off things going on outside the salon.  

We would like to say a big thank you to Cut17 and October Hair & Beauty for taking part in the training and for their continued efforts as they actively work towards reducing the stigma around mental health in our local community.

Get Involved

If you work within a client-facing role or want to provide your employees with more mental health support, our Training Academy is here to help you. Our range of mental health training courses have been developed to increase understanding, build resilience and to give people the confidence and tools to manage and support themselves, and those around them. To find out more, please email lisa.alexander@fdamh.org.uk.