NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) \u2014 Bartenders are often called the best therapists and hairstylists hear all the gossip. Take it from Jessica Drake, who has worked both jobs:\u00a0It\u2019s all true.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes I go home and stare at the wall and just kind of decompress,\u201d she said, sighing.<\/p>\n
Drake\u00a0recalled one client who came to her in crisis.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m shaking, because it was really very emotional, that she was recovering from alcoholism and she had a seizure on the floor and her head was dreaded up and I needed to cut it for her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sometimes what stylists hear sends shivers down their spine.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is scary,\u201d Ashley Hebert told WAVY.com.<\/p>\n
Hebert has encountered people who sound depressed and anxious.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a very sticky situation, knowing the right thing to say.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why Hebert signed up for a class on Mental Health First Aid through the City of Norfolk.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe training provides a basic lay persons\u2019 understanding of mental health disorders,\u201d explained Community Services Board Director Sarah Fuller.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0eight hour class scheduled for Monday will also teach a new tool for their trades.<\/p>\n
\u201cA little bit of background on what to do if you run into a crisis, who to call,\u201d Fuller said.<\/p>\n
Hebert, who owns Changes on 21st Street\u00a0in Norfolk, plans to share what she learns with her stylists.<\/p>\n
The training for bartenders and barbers on Monday is already full, but the city hopes to offer it again.<\/p>\n
Meantime, the city is inviting\u00a0 everyone to come to a mental health community forum next Thursday at Work Release on Granby Street from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. It\u2019s a time for people to share what they think would help.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"