Outside in

Calling all Hairdressers, Barbers and Beauticians!

'Outside in' is an initiative inspired by my previous career of over twenty five years, as a self employed barber and salon owner. 

Shortly after I sold my last salon, I invited clients to an event to celebrate my time as a barber and look ahead to my new career as a full time therapist. That night, I received cards and messages from my clients, with some quite heart-warming and moving testimonials, letting me know what an impact I had had on their lives. I was blown away and it really made me think differently about the role of the hairdresser in the community. 

During my time in the industry, I also employed many members of staff who all came with different experiences, traits, qualities and backgrounds. Naturally, some were easier to work with than others and, in this line of work, you are together for lengthy periods!

I also faced my own challenges with my mental health and can say with certainty that the salon environment is a hard place to be when you are experiencing personal problems. 

All of this inspired me to create 'Outside in', where the following are considered:

• The relationship between the hairdresser and the client.
• The relationship between the staff (including the owner.)
• The relationship between the hairdresser/owner and themselves.

Salons are offered 3 monthly groups, facilitated by me, where staff are encouraged to share their experiences and are offered tools and solutions to manage these relationships. 

Therapists are required to attend monthly supervision sessions, in order to maintain good practice and to self care. It is my belief, as a therapist and ex barber, that anyone working so closely with the public should also be offered the same space and time. The intimacy between the hairdresser and client means that, like a therapist, the former can often be exposed to some challenging subjects, that they might find useful to process.