August 4, 2014

Hairdressers: The informal counsellors of our community

Hairdressers often take on a role as informal counsellors in our community, UOW mental health experts say.

Professor Frank Deane Director of UOW’s Illawarra Institute for Mental Health and Chair of the Illawarra Light and Hope Mental Health Clubhouse said hairdressers are often providing more than a much needed haircut.

“Hairdressers are perceived as good listeners and often have people confide in them, thus they are an important source of social support in the community.”

Professor Deane is currently supervising a Masters student who is conducting research on the informal counselling role and potential gatekeeper role that hairdressers in the Illawarra might have.

With this in mind, the Illawarra Light and Hope Mental Health Clubhouse, under the auspices of the Schizophrenia Fellowship of NSW, have launched campaign to help raise awareness of mental health and support the recovery of people with mental illness.

In order to support a community-based international psychosocial recovery program, acting to improve employment and quality of life in those living with a mental illness, the Illawarra Light and Hope Mental Health Clubhouse have launched a ‘Shoot the Hairdresser’ photography competition, which asks Illawarra residents to create a photo that captures the hairdresser’s personality, hairdresser’s roles or the hairdressing industry.

 The competition closes on 26 August and is open to professional and amateur photographers.

For more information, visit Highlights For Hope.