Connecting Students: Barbershop Talks

Are you a student at UW–Madison in need of a haircut and perhaps some emotional support? Do you have a friend or family member at UW who is hesitant to talk about mental health and wish you had resources to suggest to them, particularly for men’s mental health? This episode might be the perfect one for you.

Hello, and welcome to the Connecting Badgers podcast. We are licensed mental health providers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. I am Casey Smart. I use she/her pronouns.

I’m Andy Schwabe. I also use she/her pronouns.

Hello, my name is Kari, and I use she/her pronouns.

All right. Today we have a special guest to help us talk about Barbershop Talks and Men’s Mental Health Month. Brittany, would you like to introduce yourself?

Yes, thank you so much for having me. I am Brittany Howell. I’m a licensed professional counselor and the Associate Director of Campus and Community Engagement for University Health Services. I oversee mental health outreach and programming on our UW campus.

Thank you so much for joining us today. We’re really excited to hear more about this event and this work. For starters, could you walk us through a little bit more about what Barbershop Talks are and how they got started?

Yeah, so we wanted to start a program in recognition of Men’s Mental Health Month, which is in November and is associated with Movember, a global movement focused on men’s mental health and suicide prevention.

We know that men may experience pressure to appear strong, independent, and emotionally controlled, which can make it hard to be vulnerable and show emotions. We know there is a mental health stigma. Some men may hesitate to seek counseling or support because of concerns about judgment or appearing weak.

We also know that in the U.S., men account for nearly 80% of suicide deaths, highlighting the importance of prevention, connection, and accessible support. Healthy friendships, supportive relationships, and meaningful community connections can serve as protective factors for men’s emotional well-being.

These are all reasons why we wanted to create an environment where men feel comfortable being vulnerable. Culturally, barbershops can be spaces where those conversations happen while getting a haircut, and we wanted to recreate that on campus.

Yeah, that sounds like a great opportunity, especially for people who feel hesitant to be vulnerable or nervous about opening up. Why is it put on through University Health Services?

We wanted to have clinicians leading these conversations as part of the event. Not only are students going to leave feeling good about themselves and their appearance after getting a haircut, but they’ll also have opportunities to talk with clinicians about mental health, available resources, and where to get support on campus.

When we talk about men’s mental health, we’re really talking about creating a culture where men feel comfortable being human. We want men to know that experiencing stress, asking for help, expressing emotions, and needing support does not make them less than anyone else seeking those same things.

Through Barbershop Talks and by having clinicians available, we wanted to make sure men’s mental health is a priority and that students know where to access resources and support.

Yeah, it’s a really great event. I’m wondering about the barbers. Who are they? Are they trained in mental health response? And are they able to cut different hair types?

Yes, that’s a good question. We have five barbers coming from the Milwaukee area. Two of them have completed training similar to Mental Health First Aid, so they are equipped to have mental health-related conversations with students.

We encourage students to share only what they feel comfortable sharing. These conversations are typically informal. This year, we’ll also have roundtable discussions led by UHS clinicians and Rec Well Peer Wellness Coaches. They will facilitate conversations around topics such as masculinity, stress, relationships, and loneliness while students wait for their haircuts.

As I mentioned, we have five barbers from the Milwaukee area. One of them is the official barber for the Milwaukee Brewers, who are in the World Series right now, so that’s exciting. They’ll be here over the course of two days, providing haircuts to students in recognition of Men’s Mental Health Month.

That’s really exciting. It sounds like these informal conversations can help change the culture around talking about mental health, especially what it means to experience mental health concerns as a man on this campus and in this world.

With the haircuts and all the resources available, is there any cost to students?

Good question. No, there is no cost. This event is free for all UW students.

Space is limited, so we recommend booking an appointment as soon as the registration link goes live. We’ll have both appointments and walk-in availability. Appointments will be available from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., and walk-ins will be available from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. We can only accommodate up to 25 walk-ins per day.

The event takes place November 17 and 18 in the Nicholas Recreation Center, Courts 1 and 2. It runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a lunch break for the barbers from noon to 1 p.m.

Students can stop by when their schedules allow or book an appointment through the link on our website.

Thank you, Brittany. One last clarifying question. This sounds like such an amazing event. It’s tailored to men’s mental health, and we’ve been talking a lot about men. Who is this open to? Exclusively men, or are other students welcome?

All students are welcome to this event.

While we’re hosting it in recognition of men’s mental health and tailoring our conversations to supporting men, this is open to all students. We all have men in our lives. They may be our fathers, brothers, partners, friends, or classmates.

We want all students to leave with a better understanding of some of the challenges men may experience and how they can help create supportive environments where men can thrive. We also want to encourage men to share their experiences and perspectives while giving others an opportunity to listen, learn, and engage in meaningful dialogue.

Ultimately, supporting men’s mental health is a collective responsibility, and all students are welcome to participate in this important conversation.

Yeah. And what is a barbershop? It’s community.

It is. It is.

Thanks, Brittany.

Yes. Thank you so much for being on and talking about this event. We’ll include the links in the show notes so that when registration opens, students can sign up, learn more, and get involved.

Thanks to everyone for listening. You can subscribe to our podcast, and remember that this podcast is not a substitute for mental health treatment. If you are a UW–Madison student looking to start mental health treatment, call 608-265-5600, option 2 to schedule an appointment, or option 9 for 24/7 crisis support.