BELLEVUE, Wash. — Since 1949 the month of May has been designated as Mental Health Awareness month.
This year, May 19 has been singled out to spotlight the unofficial therapists so many turn to take a little off the top, and a lot off our chests: Barbers.
Mike Daniels, the owner of Bellevue's Standing on Top Barbershop, says his team has made an intentional effort to talk with clients about how they're doing, even before the pandemic.
The idea was first suggested by Jay Hendrix, an employee at the shop who admitted he himself was having a tough time hearing so many upsetting stories and feeling powerless to help.
"That's what I love about being a barber," Hendrix said. "Being an ear to listen and a shoulder to cry on."
Clients trust the hairstylists at Standing on Top with some of their biggest struggles.
"I had a client who, I was the first person he told about having cancer," said Consuela Bailey, who's been an employee with Standing on Top for over a decade. "He died six weeks later."
"Even last week [a client] was like 'sorry bro, I'm not talking today, it's the anniversary that my dad passed,'" said employee Joseph Gomez. "Even though we're not having good conversation I get to sit with him in his silence."
Shawn Leon is a former social worker that brought his skills with him to Standing on Top. Over the past year, he's been a full-time barber and admits he's surprised at how many men come to him needing a little bit of therapy.
"I've learned the chair is very therapeutic, even for myself," Leon said.
The staff at Standing on Top say playing the part of sounding board and even therapist is very much a part of the job.
"Everything from the loss of a job to the loss of a girlfriend or wife, to the loss of a child. Nothing is off-limits when people get in that chair," Daniels said.
He opened Standing on Top nearly 30 years ago and said his original vision for the shop still drives him today.
"No matter what life may bring your way when you look good, you feel good, and with the right haircut and style, you can always be standing on top," Daniels said.