Dozens of Minnesota barbers and hair stylists received training this week to be mental health advocates in the Black community.
On Monday, participants gathered at the Sabathani Community Center in Minneapolis for training with The Confess Project, a statewide initiative and community partners.
The project is dedicated to building a better culture of mental health for boys and men of color through barbershops.
Partners in Minnesota are expanding their focus to include hair stylists and their clients.
“You get some of those customers who are like, ‘Hey, give me a haircut and get me out of here,’ but most of the time it’s just like a therapy session,” said Flint’e Smith, Right Choice Cutz barber.
The community calls Right Choice Cutz in Crystal a safe space.
(KSTP-TV)
Customers trust Smith to give them a clean cut and a listening ear.
“I feel like a therapist sometimes just listening to some of these people’s problems and trying to refer them,” Smith said.
Smith is an ambassador for The Confess Project.
In the program, barbers and hairdressers are trained to spot mental health challenges from the moment a client sits in the chair. They also have the tools to point them in the direction of mental health resources.
“Some people talk to their barbers and stylists about things they don’t talk to anyone else about,” said Larry Tucker, Kente Circle CEO and therapist.
Kente Circle is a mental health agency in Minneapolis.
He said he joined the Confess Project to raise awareness of mental health in the black community because most are reluctant to seek care. Tucker believes part of the reasoning dates back to slavery.
“At that time it was not safe for us to let people know that we were not well. Families were torn apart when they were seen as damaged or unhealthy,” Tucker said. “People have experienced that it’s not safe to talk to people about their issues because of the trauma that exists within our families and our communities. “
He said finding black therapists to talk to is also a challenge because there is a shortage of mental health providers of color.
Tucker said the goal of the project is to reduce stigmas, break down barriers and meet people where they are. “There is nothing wrong with you. Something happened to you and getting help is okay,” Tucker said.
