The hairdresser is said to be above all a friend to the client.
Sometimes he or she may also have the role of a psychologist. But if our client, we find that he/she has psychiatric symptoms and our psychological support is not enough… what do we do?
A client comes into the salon, relatively relaxed and ready to give you, if not soul and body, certainly soul and hair.
And while you are talking, you find out that he has severe depression, severe anxiety, psychiatric disorders and urgently needs “professional help”.
How can you in your hairdressing, friendly capacity make him understand, without him feeling bad or panicking, that he is not well and needs to see a specialist?
First of all, because you are a smart person, you realize that there is a problem. Then ask the right questions to find out why he has not yet gone to seek professional help and, most importantly, whether he has realised that he is not well. Most important of all, during this communication, try not to be affected by the bad situation, losing yourself. Remember that you certainly cannot cure a person with such a problem, but you can only support and help them.
Find out what the reasons might be for not admitting he has a problem and that he might need help.
1.One of the most common reasons is the shame of being in trouble and needing help. In our society, we have to be strong, if someone shows weakness it is like admitting that he is a loser.
2.There is still a taboo that the psychiatrist is only for those who are crazy. And as we think is logical, crazy is always, only everyone else. According to research, however, you should know that 1 in 5 people will suffer from a neurological anxiety disorder at some point.
3.Defence. What does defence mean in this particular matter? It’s one thing to assume you have a problem and another to be told by an expert. The anxiety and the fear that you will actually have something keeps you from going looking for it.
4. Finally, he may simply not have realized that there is a problem. Many times a psychological issue, a psychiatric disorder, a psychosis, a bipolar condition, etc. will so change the way that person sees life, creating false standards of what is right and what is wrong.
When is the right time to intervene by lending a helping hand?
Talking to your client, you find out through what he/she says that he/she has terrible anxiety, melancholy, anger, outbursts of violence and general frustration about everything. He doesn’t want to deal with anything, he suddenly became a homebody and sees everything with a pessimistic, negative view. Just this moment, you must intervene!!!!
And the hard part is how to start such a conversation. A good idea is, while you are dealing with your client’s hair, to try to remind him of the good things in this life and if you know him… and of himself. If he tells you a thousand bad things, smile and say positive things.
You can start the conversation by citing examples of the same behaviour that you have allegedly heard in others. It is easier to talk and find fault with others than with yourself.
It’s all about how you say something and not often what you say.
So see what difference the following phrases make… “I’m worried that you no longer leave the house” instead of “I see that you are depressed, depressed and have become a homebody”.
Don’t judge, e.g. “you are like this”, but make reference to actions that you think might be like this. The only thing you can do is to make him understand, with examples of other cases that you have theoretically heard, what is going on and make him think for himself…
