A Liverpool-born barber has a new project designed to help men speak out about their feelings.
Known as the ‘Nomad Barber,’ Miguel Gutierrez has a salon in Brunswick where he takes regular appointments, but also encourages men to speak on their feelings.
He has worked with UK charities such as Samaritans, Mind and Anxiety UK aiming to get men talking when they feel things are getting too much. His new video series, StoryCut, gets men in the chair to talk about what’s on their mind.
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The ECHO previously reported how Miguel had been around the world in 2013, connecting with cultures and “understanding their differences.” Now back in Liverpool, Miguel wants to focus on connecting the community through conversation.
Miguel said: “A lot of it stems back to me struggling with my own mental health issues. As a man, I'm quite open about it.
“I always think that, you know, just putting it out there and acknowledging that something is wrong is the first step to making progress and recovery – or just learning a little bit more about the mental health that you are dealing with and a little bit of self awareness.”
According to the Samaritans, in the UK during the pandemic, male suicide rates were 10.5 per every 100,000 men. Miguel was keen to create a project where he could use his skillset to allow men to talk about their feelings in a safe space.
He added: “Half the people don't even want to be filmed so we don't end up putting any videos up, so it's just a nice service for people who now want to sit down and get a barber service.”
Miguel believes barbers have always been seen as “unqualified counsellors” because of how much they hear when they have clients in the chair.
He said: “As the journey progresses from the client barber relationship to almost like a friendship, you learn a lot about people and you learn how to read them. So if someone comes in and they feel a little bit bad and you can say, 'Is everything OK, are you tired?' or, 'What's going on in your life?'”
“And generally by the end of the haircut, they are leaving feeling a little bit better because the barber chair is that safe space for people to come in and just sit there.”
Miguel is urging anybody who feels they need to talk or anyone who wants to take part to get in touch.
“I've been a barber for 20 years, so I've been around men for 20 years, so I know that people struggle. And after struggling myself, I know that we need to start making changes now so that suicide rate comes down.”
“Hopefully, [StoryCuts] not only might inspire people to talk while they're in the barber chair, but it'll also inspire people who might see the videos to reach out and talk to people, too.”]
You can find Miguel on StoryCutsProject on Instagram or through storycutsproject.com.
For advice you can call the Samaritans, free from any phone on 116 123, text SHOUT to 85258 or seek help from your local A&E hospital department.
For further information visit James' Place HERE
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