Barber Craig is not giving mental health the brush-off
Customers can talk about problems while having a haircut, writes Thomas George
OPENING up about our problems can be tough. More than ever, we are told it’s important to talk about mental health, yet admitting to those closest to us that we’re struggling can be a daunting experience.
For many, especially men, reaching out and seeking help can feel impossible. Suicide continues to be the biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK, with research showing that 75 per cent of suicides involve men.
That’s why one Bolton barber has made his shop a safe haven where men are encouraged to use the opportunity of a regular haircut to open up about their problems.
Craig Henderson, the owner of Craig’s Barber Shop in Tonge Moor Road, made the decision last summer after losing several clients and friends to suicide, drugs and alcohol.
Finding himself in a situation sadly familiar to too many men, Craig says he simply did not know how to broach the subject.
“I saw them deteriorating but I didn’t know how to talk to them about it,” he said.
“As men, we are not programmed to ask someone what is wrong.
“You say ‘you will be alright, do not worry about it. You will get through that dark spell.’
“That might be comforting advice to some but when you are in that dark a place, it is good to vent.”
Everything changed when Craig heard about the Lions Barbers Collective, an initiative set up by Devon-based barber Tom Chapman following the loss of a friend to suicide.
After reflecting on the ‘unspoken bond of trust’ he shared with clients, Tom spied an opportunity to make a difference through his profession.
Tom set up the campaign in 2015 with the aim of teaching barbers to listen with empathy and without judgement.
Dozens of barber shops have since got on board, transforming their own shops into spaces where men are encouraged to open up.
Like Craig, they were given basic training on how to talk, listen, spot signs of mental distress and signpost people in the right direction.
When a shop signs up to the scheme, it gets placed on a map to show potential customers they are designated safe havens.
Craig said: “It is just trying to make a little bit of a difference and getting rid of all the stigma.”
The 32-year-old is no stranger to mental health battles himself. Having struggled with social anxiety since he was a teenager, Craig finally sought help a few years ago.
Encouraging some to open up can be difficult, but Craig tries to use his own experience to put them at ease.
“I am an open book,” he explained. “I tell people everything and then they drop their guard. I try to have a bit of a laugh with it.
“This is one of the only professions where I will get within your personal space,” he added. “We deal with a lot of stuff daily so if we can spot signs that someone is struggling, it helps.”