Haircuts and mental health: high school students learn about groom therapy

MOUNDS, Ill., (KBSI) — Students at Meridian High School received free haircuts from barber and therapist Dr. Ryan Reed, Ph.D. QMHP, while discussing mental health and self-care.

It’s called groom therapy – an innovative new approach to mental health care that combines haircuts with self-care, mental health awareness and therapeutic conversations – all in a familiar and comfortable setting.

Reed said he likes to debunk myths around things like, what it means to be a man or that life is all about happiness.

“You’re blessed with tons of emotions,” he said. “I think the goal in life is to understand and learn how to utilize and benefit from all of the emotions that you get to experience in life.”

Reed and two of his colleagues from GRO Community Mental Health Center —  a mental health service provider that specializes in trauma-informed treatment for boys and men from black and brown communities — engaged the students in conversations that addressed mental health and stigmas. 

They talked about life — discussing things like growing up and becoming a man.

“I’m 36 years old, but I’m not just 36,” Reed said. “I’m 24. I’m 25. I’m 19. I’m four. I’m two. I’m 9. I’m every age — every year that has led up to me being the young man that I am today.”

He talked to the students about how they get to decide who they want to be and how they present themselves to others. 

“You have the right to actually show them — based upon how you carry yourself, the things that you talk about, the way that you treat people,” Reed said. 

Students learned about how to reach out when they may be in need of support and how to be a support to others. Student Nandel Rodriguez said now he feels more open to talking about emotions.

“I feel like if you’re going through something, you need to tell someone and express that emotion,” he said. “You just can’t keep balling it up or you’re going to just take it out on somebody, you know, and you don’t want to.”

Student Fanelle Woodson said he usually keeps to himself, working through hard things on his own. After the conversation with Reed, he sees the importance of talking about real life problems and situations with other people, like his friends.

Woodson also loves his haircut.

“When you look good, you feel good,” he said. 

District Principal Maryanne Dillard has been at the school for seven years. She said one of their top priorities has been addressing the social emotional well-being of students. Once that’s addressed, increased academic performance follows.

She said the groom therapy event was excellent. 

“It’s been great, even for the high school guys to sit around together. They’re super excited about a ball game we have coming up, and to be able to share those things and I feel like Dr. Reed normalized talking about your feelings,” Dillard said, “whereas, kids don’t always sit around and talk about their feelings.”

Dillard said, being in rural Southern Illinois, their students sometimes face difficult challenges due to living with lower socio-economic status, which can take a toll on students’ mental health. 

“When kids live in poverty that affects all of their life — in all areas of their life,” she said. “We as the adults have to meet them where they are or at least meet halfway.”

Dillard wants people to know how amazing their students are.

“Our students are absolutely amazing here. We have some of the brightest, smartest, most entertaining, personable kids,” she said. “You can’t help but love coming to work.”

Dillard said she’s happy about the outcome of the event, and they plan to continue working with Reed and his colleagues.

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GRO Community mental health counselors Dwuan Wilson and Shandon Scott-Rivers talked about mental health and their own backstories that led them to becoming mental health professionals.