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A regular told me my shop was his 'therapy' and it's been on my mind
He said it after a cut last month, that the 45 minutes in my chair talking about his job was the only time he felt heard all week. It made me wonder if we're just cutting hair or providing something bigger. How much emotional labor is part of the job for you guys?
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grantw414mo ago
that emotional work IS work" but honestly, it's just part of being a decent person.
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margaret7365mo ago
Honestly that's the REAL job right there. I've had clients tell me similar things and you have to hold that space carefully. Set soft limits in your own head, like you're a friendly listener but not their free therapist. It keeps you from burning out. The trick is to care without taking on their baggage as your own, because that emotional work IS work even if it doesn't show on the bill.
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emmaking5mo ago
Remember that barista who got too close to a regular? My friend kept hearing about this guy's divorce every morning. She started giving real advice, staying late to talk, even looked up lawyers for him. Then he showed up at her apartment crying because she was "the only one who understood." She had to change her schedule to avoid him. That line between friendly and free therapist gets real blurry real fast.
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