Licensed psychologist, pure hairstylist, and hair historian Afiya Mbilishaka, Ph.D. has created a singular area of interest for herself within the psychological well being area—one which explores the connection between remedy and hair care. Because the founding father of Ma’at Psychological Companies, a non-public observe serving Washington, D.C. and New York, her therapeutic method consisting of culturally-affirming practices completely enhances her world motion, PsychoHairapy.
Mbilishaka’s love for hair stems from early childhood. Her beginnings because the “household stylist” finally led to her opening pop-up mini-salons in her school dorm, all whereas working in the direction of her Bachelor of Arts (BA) diploma in psychology on the College of Pennsylvania. A dialog along with her Aunt Brenda sparked the thought to suit hair care and psychological well being help into her future profession plans. She then went on to acquire a grasp’s and Ph.D. in Medical Psychology from Howard College, the place she established the PsychoHairapy Analysis Lab.
After ending her research and spending her profession beginnings as an assistant professor of psychology + program coordinator on the College of the District of Columbia, Mbilishaka finally determined to pursue her magnificence profession and position as a therapist full-time.
About PsychoHairapy
PsychoHairapy’s mission is to leverage hair care as an entry level to accessible psychological well being help. The initiative presents a singular method to remedy with a group focus. Salon visits have form of served as a ritualistic observe for black ladies, and the salon is understood to be a sacred secure area the place you may freely lay your emotions and feelings on the reducing room ground—besides there are salon chairs as an alternative of a therapist’s sofa.
A black lady’s hair can be her crowning glory and is linked to her confidence and vanity, additional contributing to the state of her psychological well being. The shut connection between hair and psychological well being is the idea of PsychoHairapy’s advocacy.
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PsychoHairapy has a skills-based coaching course for hairstylists, which teaches them to include psychological well being help into their companies. This program goals to equip hair care professionals to efficiently make shoppers feel and appear their finest. Earlier this yr, Maui Moisture launched a partnership with PsychoHairapy and donated $100,000 to develop stylists’ entry to the coaching program.
Q&A
We spoke with Mbilishaka about PsychoHairapy, the connection between hair and psychological well being, and a lot extra on this edited interview.
How did you develop a ardour for psychological well being and hair care, and what precisely sparked the thought for PsychoHairapy?
I at all times liked doing hair. I used to be my household’s hairstylist. I had a garden chair at household cookouts and [did] totally different family members’ hair exterior, and after I went to school on the College of Pennsylvania, I’d have these form of mini pop-up salons in my dorm room. It was not a enterprise as a result of I by no means charged anybody to do their hair. I simply loved the artistic strategy of hair care. I’d hear “all of the tea” that was occurring in school, as a result of individuals would share their tales with me and what was occurring of their lives, so it was a good way to attach.
I keep in mind speaking on the telephone someday to my Aunt Brenda—she’s now an ancestor—and telling her I didn’t know whether or not I ought to pursue a profession in psychology or haircare, and he or she [asked], “Effectively why can’t you do each?” I don’t suppose she was telling me to do each on the similar precise time, however that’s the way in which I interpreted it. I do credit score my aunt and my school dorm room dialog with birthing PsychoHairapy, [which promotes] utilizing hair as an entry level into psychological well being care and simply merging these ideas collectively.
Why do you suppose that individuals are so snug with showcasing vulnerability round their hairstylists and sharing the challenges that they face in life? What’s it about hairstylists that makes them really easy to speak to?
There’s a [Guyanese] proverb that goes, “When your sister is your hairdresser, you want no mirror.” I feel that it actually speaks to [the fact that] for those who belief somebody to do your hair, you may belief them with the opposite issues which can be occurring in your life, as a result of there’s a degree of vulnerability that you must have with somebody touching your head. I’d argue that individuals belief hairstylists greater than therapists, simply by way of the regularity by which they see [their stylists] and the recommendation that they get.
In what methods can it backfire—sharing one’s private life particulars with a stylist? And what boundaries do you counsel that shoppers set up with their stylists to keep away from drama?
I encourage shoppers to request [whether they] would love a hair care session that’s silent or conversational, similar to with an Uber driver once you’re not essentially within the temper to have a dialog and spill all of it out…to have some form of casual consent by way of, “That is what I would like and that is what I don’t need proper now,” and for that to be revered. If the hair care skilled can’t respect the boundary, contemplate going elsewhere.
What are some methods to can distinguish whether or not or not a stylist is a secure area?
A significant half is, “Are they doing energetic listening?” Generally, I feel stylists may even have an concept of what coiffure the consumer ought to have with out consulting them [and then] they’re like, “This isn’t what I requested for.” It’s the identical factor in relation to phrases. Are they actually listening? A method [to know] is, can the stylist form of repeat again what you’re saying or summarize? Are they good at saying, “Did I get that proper,” or asking clarifying questions?
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What position does hair, specifically, play in a girl’s confidence and vanity?
I feel that hair is a litmus take a look at for our emotional state. Our hair is a fancy language system that articulates how we really feel about ourselves, how we really feel about our tradition…how we really feel about our position in society. In loads of conventional African societies, our hair may say how previous we’re, what faith we’re part of, our marital standing…all these various factors [that relate to] our identities. I do see hair, as a result of it’s essentially the most simply manipulated a part of our our bodies, as a mirrored image of our feelings and our moods, and even temperaments.
I additionally suppose that there are issues like hair melancholy or hair stress—that may be deeply distressing experiences associated to our hair—that we internalize and may have destructive impacts on our wellness. Additionally, after we’re taking excellent care of ourselves, whether or not we’re sleeping a minimum of eight hours an evening, consuming a minimum of 64 ounces of water a day, consuming 4-5 servings of fruit and veggies or exercising, I feel that reveals up in our hair as properly and people are the identical strategies that we have to handle our emotional worlds.
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What are the advantages of getting a hairstylist who’s educated in psychological well being?
That’s the entire key to it. We’d like sisterhood help in wellness. I haven’t learn the guide [Sisterhood Heals] but…it’s truly the PsychoHairapy guide of the month, [but we] typically determine one particular person in the neighborhood that may do health-related work—like psychologists or physicians. [However], I do suppose that it turns into the group’s accountability to have consciousness, data, and expertise in relation to psychological well being first-aid.
Similar to everybody ought to know CPR, I feel all people ought to perceive what a panic assault is, and may perceive the indicators and signs of melancholy as a result of we are able to get assets and high quality care. Even when the stylist is step one to long-term remedy or psychopharmacology, I feel that it’s necessary due to the intimacy of the storytelling course of, and with the ability to supply some expertise round mindfulness and even narrative remedy.
What coaching assets does PsychoHairapy supply to stylists?
The PsychoHairapy certification course of, because it stands proper now, is a 12-hour course of. The primary module of it’s going into hundreds of years of hair historical past. I feel that it’s actually necessary to have cultural historic context as a way to do wellness work. Going by means of and figuring out historical past, and actually educating people about how hair and custom has been used as a therapeutic modality, is a significant useful resource by way of books and historic figures and ideologies that inform the observe of hair care.
The second module consists of figuring out the indicators and signs of psychological sickness in communities of shade…so recognizing that irritability and having an perspective generally is a signal or symptom of melancholy in black ladies…so [that they have] the assets of not solely realizing the normal diagnoses however to have some occupationally-specific and culturally-specific methods of understanding varied psychological issues with case research and articles.
The ultimate module is micro-counseling expertise [and represents the acronym] HAIR: “H” is hurt to self or others, “A” is energetic listening, so going by means of workouts and truly doing these suggestions circles and fishbowls across the skillset of practising how properly somebody truly listens. “I” is imparting data. I give tons of guide suggestions and [recommendations on] movies and documentaries throughout this half, so the individuals can research up and lean into the knowledge. “R” is check with assets respectfully. I truly designed [and] curated referral lists for every hairstylist who completes the certification course of, utilizing directories like Psychology Right now and Remedy for Black Women to determine native professionals to have an “undertake a therapist” mannequin in order that they know therapists inside a 10-mile radius or extra relying on the place the stylist is. That data is printed out and available within the salon for them to present to their shoppers as wanted.
I do have ongoing persevering with training exterior of the certification course of that features an introduction to black psychology class, [and] an emotional first-aid class that goes by means of every emotion and easy methods to course of and cope with it—whether or not it’s dealing with grief, rejection, managing failure…form of smaller, didactic trainings that individuals may undergo to get extra self-knowledge in order that it’s useful in working with their shoppers.
For stylists who’re on this program, is there an utility course of?
There isn’t. It’s extra so an funding by way of with the ability to commit the 12 hours to do [it], as a result of it may be laborious to seek out 12 hours to be taught. Then [there’s] the monetary funding to pay for the certification, which in its present state is $600. It’s extra inexpensive when it’s [completed] in teams. If you will get your salon to enroll, then it’s a fraction of the price for every particular person, so [we encourage] individuals to do it with a buddy. Everybody’s welcome, even non-stylists who’re enthusiastic about understanding the hair and psychological well being relationship.
What in regards to the stylists preferring to simply keep of their lane and give attention to hair care? What are some ways in which they’ll collaborate with licensed therapists?
One of many stylists in San Diego received licensed however determined to have a help group in her salon area. After going by means of the method, she truly employed a social employee and has bi-monthly help teams the place she co-facilitates these conversations with a social employee in her group. It’s after salon hours [and they] sit in a circle and try this work in order that she doesn’t really feel the burden to say the suitable factor or make the suitable advice, and to truly have a partnership with a psychological well being skilled and to make the most of her area in that means.
