A career move from hairdresser to counsellor may not seem like a natural progression to some, but the life of a hairdresser often comes with the need for an attentive ear or a shoulder to cry on.
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Donna Piromalli taught hairdressing for 15 years before realising her dream was in counselling.
She said, as a hairdresser, she formed really close relationships with people and learnt how to listen.
“Sometimes clients would get upset with different things going on in their personal lives, and you become involved in things like weddings, parties, separations, births – you hear all their life stories and develop a close relationship,” Ms Piromalli said.
Whenever Ms Piromalli was faced with crying clients, she wondered what the best response would be.
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“Did I say the right thing? What should I say? Should I say nothing and focus on their hair?” she said.
Ms Piromalli thought if she learnt some counselling skills she could apply them to her clients in salons, but the more she started learning and doing the training, the more she loved it and realised she had found a new passion.
“After taking a workshop in emotional intelligence, I wanted to learn more.”
Ms Piromalli explained that being in a “touch industry” – where the intimacy and comfort in touching hair builds a rapport and helps clients feel comfortable enough to open up – she became more than “just a hairdresser”.
“I had a client who couldn’t look at herself in the mirror; she had really low self-worth.
“I propped her head up and she started crying – she didn’t like her herself; her looks.”
This was one of many instances which made Ms Piromalli reconsider her career.
In 2009, Ms Piromalli started doing courses, and then went on and completed a degree in counselling.
She now focuses on individual and relationship counselling: families, couples, and children.
Ms Piromalli said she had tried to implement a program where budding hairdressers could learn how to handle clients who may be showing early warning signs of distress or mental illness.
She said she can see the importance of such a program and would like to see one rolled out in the future.
“If hairdressers can’t handle the problem themselves, they could refer them to help,” she said.
She said that it can be easy for clients to open up to hairdressers because there is that rapport there.
If you or someone you know needs crisis support please call Lifelife on 13 11 14, MensLine Australia on 1300 78 99 78, Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800.