Barbershop therapy: providing a safe space for men of color to talk about their problems

Talking about mental health often isn't easy, particularly for men, who often fight gender stereotypes that make them hesitant to share their feelings.

It's especially true for men of color. Now, local barbers in Texas and Louisiana have created a safe space for men to come together and have open dialogues about their mental health – in barbershops, a place where conversation is already part of the culture.

It all began three years ago for Dr. Antonio Igbokidi, a recent graduate of the Texas Christian University (TCU) School of Medicine. In July 2020, he initiated his barbershop talk therapy project in Fort Worth.

"This is an opportunity to, one, feel safe to talk about the things we want to talk about," Igbokidi told ABC News. "And two, figure out what can we do about the things that we feel."

"We talk about a lot of things that people have questions on," Igbokidi continued. "Adverse childhood experiences. Maladaptive coping skills. We talk about actually knowing where to go when you have a crisis and finding people that look like you that you can go to."

Igbokidi and local health experts who also participate suggest positive ways to deal with these issues during their barbershop talks, reassuring those to take part that they are not alone in their frustrations. He also says the topics he talk to his clients about aren't just for people of color.

The project was inspired by Igbokidi's late father and their trips to the barbershop together.

"For him to have been so impacted by barbershops, in heaven he gets to see some of the work that's being done," Igbokidi said. "I think he would also respect that folks are really taking it seriously about their mental health and getting the support that they need."

Today, Igbokidi has taken his project on the road and has held discussions in Dallas, Texas; Hartford, Connecticut; and Washington, D.C., helping hundreds of men of all ethnicities open up.

He is also working alongside like-minded barbers like Stan Norwood, a barber at Dennis' Barber Shop in New Orleans, hoping to harness the power of a good trim to help those who need it. Dennis' Barber Shop has stood on Freret Street in the Uptown neighborhood for 60 years, offering much more than just haircuts.

Norwood has been cutting hair at Dennis' Barber Shop for over two decades, but his passion extends far beyond the reach of his clippers. He says people feel comfortable around him and trust him with their personal thoughts.

"I don't believe in overstepping boundaries," Norwood told ABC News. "If it comes to my attention, I am going to address it. You can be uncomfortable, but I'm going to ask you. And because I've been knowing you so long, you know it comes from a good place."

At Dennis' Barber Shop, discussions naturally flowed from community violence to mental health issues, and to the pressures Black men are facing. A space where men can have these discussions is much needed in a city like New Orleans, which has shouldered a lot of trauma – from Hurricane Katrina, to a community dealing every day with poverty.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the largest ethnic group in New Orleans is Black or African American, accounting for 56.7 percent of the city's population. In New Orleans, 22.9 percent of the population lives below the poverty line – nearly double the national average of 12.5 percent.

Igbokidi is set to start his psychiatry residency at UCLA's Semel Institute for Neuroscience, but he's committed to continuing his barbershop mission while in Los Angeles.

"At least with grassroots, with these barbershops, we can start the work," Igbokidi said. "We can galvanize and engage our newest leaders. This is a place where that young boy getting his hair cut heard the conversations and then they go off and they figure out a way to be a solution, not always worry about how can we even attack this."

The goal isn't to solve everyone's problems by the time their haircut is done. It's to encourage men to sit, talk, and share.

"Let's start at home," Igbokidi said. "And if we start at home, maybe we can find solutions that allow us to get a little bit of joy."