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Barbershops are doubling as therapist havens for Black males, serving to to eradicate stigma.
Throughout the nation, barbershops have lengthy served as extra than simply hair-cutting havens for Black males. They’re group hubs, cultural touchstones, and, more and more, areas for addressing a important want: psychological well being assist. This development is especially evident in California, the place initiatives just like the Higher Sacramento City League’s “Lower to the Chase” program rework barbershops into secure areas for open dialogue and therapeutic.
Kendall Robinson, proprietor of 5 Starr Fades in Sacramento, has witnessed firsthand the ability of the barbershop as a sanctuary for psychological well-being. For many years, he’s not solely trimmed hair but additionally offered a listening ear and phrases of encouragement to patrons in search of solace and connection. Recognizing this inherent therapeutic high quality, Robinson partnered with the City League to host month-to-month group remedy classes inside his barbershop.
“The barbershop is among the most secure locations you’ll be able to go and really feel relaxed,” Robinson defined in a latest interview. “It’s like household.” This sense of familiarity and belief fosters an surroundings the place males really feel comfy opening up about their struggles, whether or not it’s navigating fatherhood, dealing with job loss, or confronting the distinctive challenges confronted by Black males in America.
As outlined in a brand new report, the Lower to the Chase program affords an important various to conventional remedy settings, which may usually really feel sterile and intimidating, notably for males of shade. Within the acquainted environment of the barbershop, surrounded by friends, the stigma surrounding psychological well being melts away, paving the best way for trustworthy conversations and shared vulnerability.
This system’s affect has been profound. Members report decreased stress and anxiousness, improved communication expertise, and higher self-awareness. One participant, Jonno Strickling, who lives in Sacramento, stated, “For thus lengthy, there’s been this stigma that, ‘No, I can’t go see a therapist. No, I don’t wish to go see a counselor as a result of I’m going to be checked out humorous.’ And that’s not true… all of us need assistance.”
This initiative echoes the same effort in South Los Angeles, the place the Brotherhood Campaign’s Barbershop Psychological Well being Coalition has partnered with native barbershops to supply free particular person and group remedy classes. Recognizing the excessive prevalence of psychological well being points amongst Black males, the Coalition goals to make psychological well being assist as accessible as a haircut.
These California-based initiatives are simply the tip of the iceberg. Throughout the nation, barbershops are recognizing their potential to handle the psychological well being wants of Black males. It’s changing into a beacon of hope, a platform for vulnerability, and a testomony to the enduring energy of group in fostering psychological well-being.
Psychological well being consultants say that this constructive shift holds immense promise for the longer term. By leveraging the trusted area of the barbershop and harnessing the ability of peer assist, these initiatives are paving the best way for a future the place Black males really feel empowered to prioritize their psychological well being. This is a crucial shift that should happen so these males now not really feel like they should endure in silence however can discover solace and power throughout the very partitions the place they’ve at all times discovered acceptance and belonging.
Sources:
In California, a barbershop helps Black males address psychological well being points
Barbershops are serving to Black males sort out psychological well being points
‘I’m not alone’: Free psychological well being counseling for Black males supplied at 2 Sacramento barbershops
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