Founder of The Lions Barber Collective and creator of the multi-award-winning, endorsed and life saving training, BarberTalk, Tom Chapman has now developed the brand new adaption of his proven 4 pillar model mental health training programme.
BarberTalk has already trained over 2,000 hair professionals to be able to recognise the signs someone may be struggling, ask great questions that give those in need the permission and opportunity to be able to talk in a safe environment. Then give the skills to listen with empathy and without judgement and finally the information to help those in need find the correct help. This training is not to diagnose, advise or prescribe to those suffering but to offer a safe, non judgemental environment that is accessible to all across the nation. The infrastructure the hair and beauty industry has makes it an incredible platform because they are on every high street and there is no stigma or taboo around stepping through the door to visit your local stylist or beauty therapist.
“This was obviously the next step for us, to open the informative, enjoyable and most importantly easily useable training to the hair and beauty industry,” explains Tom. “As a member of the advisor board for the British Beauty Council and starting my career in hairdressing at Toni&Guy I am aware that all the hair & beauty industry has this relationship of trust and intimacy with their clients, as well as regular visits which puts us in the perfect space to be able to recognise if someone is struggling.'”
The brand new Hair&BeautyTalk training will be a 4-hour session which will be available both in person, when we are able to and Covid restrictions are lifted and online too. It will give these essential skills to those in the industry who are front facing in the community and whether we like it or not are part of hugely emotional parts of their clients lives.
In this industry we have long standing relationships with people and there for all the highs and lows of those in our chairs,” adds Tom. “We are there for the first dates, the engagements, the weddings, christenings, new jobs etc, but we are also there for the redundancies, divorces, funerals and break ups. Whether we like it or not we have these conversations, I want to prepare the industry for these situations, they can be a matter of life and death.”
The training will be available on request, Tom aims to gain funding to ensure that this training becomes available at no cost to an industry that has been hit so hard during the pandemic and prepare them for the influx of clients offloading the concerns and worries due to Covid-19.
For more info email Tom Chapman at tom@lionsbarbercollective.com or call 07834599118