Shear Haven — a free online training course that teaches stylists to recognize and help clients in danger of domestic abuse — is now offered in two more languages in time for October, Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
The program's founder says making the course available in Spanish and Vietnamese is "a monumental step in reaching more individuals who may be experiencing domestic violence."
Nashville-based salon owner Susanne Post, who launched Shear Haven in 2017, says that "by providing this training in multiple languages, we are not only equipping more beauty professionals with the tools they need to help their clients, but we are also potentially saving lives."
Post, herself a survivor of domestic violence, created the Shear Haven training initiative alongside YWCA Nashville & Middle TN after recognizing that stylists and other licensed cosmetologists are in a unique position to recognize signs of domestic violence and help clients get to safety.
More than 125,000 salon professionals in 100 countries have completed the training, which equips them with the knowledge and tools to recognize signs of domestic violence, navigate conversations with clients who may be in danger, and provide resources that can help them.
In 2021, Tennessee passed legislation requiring all state-licensed cosmetologists to take the 20-minute course.
Shear Haven's UK & Ireland Ambassador, salon business expert and American Salon contributing writer Liz McKeon, says the program is so effective because beauty professionals "have a unique and special relationship with their clients," and many people find salons a safe environment in which to open up.
Salons can be one of the only places of refuge available to clients who are cut off from loved ones by their abusers, but still free to book beauty appointments.
"If you are vulnerable or in a dangerous position, you may not be able to talk to family or friends for all sorts of reasons," McKeon says. "But your salon can be a lifeline."