FACES Barber & Beauty focuses on men’s mental health
A local barbershop wanted to use his space to focus on men’s mental health. Roy Mainall, owner of FACES Barber & Beauty, started Mancave Monday in 2017 to provide a space for activity for men in the area.
Chicago – For many men, discussing mental health can be difficult.
Gender stereotypes and reluctance to open up to others often prevent open conversations.
Barbershops have long been places where conversation has been part of the culture.
“We talk about religion,” Roy Miner said, “We talk about politics. We talk about relationships. We talk about raising children. We talk about sports. We talk about women.”
These are all common topics heard in most barbershops, but Mainaud, owner of FACES Barber and Beauty on Chicago’s west side, wanted to dig deeper.
His store hosts an event called “Mancave Monday” on the last Monday of every month, providing a safe space for men to share whatever is on their mind.
“It’s easy to say, hey, let’s talk amongst ourselves,” Miner said, “but it often doesn’t work that way for men. I know it’s good for men’s mental health because there are some things they could never say at work. They can’t say to their wives. They can’t say to their kids. They just hold it in. But if they have a place where they can come and vent, they have an outlet. That helps.”
Roy started Mancave Mondays in 2017 as a monthly therapy session for men of all ages and races.
“Every time I leave here I go home feeling better,” Callie Adams said. “It’s cathartic. I can’t even put a price on it. It’s good for your soul. You have to let go of something.”
During the first hour, the men usually start small talk over the meal. As the night goes on, the conversation gets more in-depth. There are no restrictions on the topics.
For example, how you might cope as a parent of a child with special needs, what you might be afraid of, etc.
“I asked this question because I thought it was important to put it into words,” Miner says. “You might know you’re scared of something, so it’s even harder to talk about it in a group setting. It takes a lot of courage to say what you’re scared of.”
This is just one example from Mancave Monday at FACES Barbershop: Some of the participants have started therapy after opening up at the event, and there’s also the opportunity to build a career network.
