DEEP DIVE: The cost of trauma dumping at the salon

DEEP DIVE: The cost of trauma dumping at the salon

From Hack by triplej

June 5, 2026 · 15 min

About this episode

This episode explores the impact of trauma dumping on salon workers and the need for mental health training for hairdressers.

There's nothing quite like a haircut to make you feel good. You can reinvent yourself in the chair or maybe just sharpen up your current look. And, you get to have a bit of a chat. But are people opening up a little too much in the salon? Because research shows people are using hairdressers as pseudo psychologists - opening up about everything from mental health to relationship troubles and even domestic violence. So what sort of impact is all of this having on salon workers? In this week's hack deep dive, you hear from current and former hairdressers about how client disclosures impact them and the joy of cutting hair. Plus you'll hear why some experts believe hairdressers need mental health training as part of their apprenticeship. If you or someone you know needs help support is available on Lifeline 13 11 14 or the Domestic and Family Violence helpline 1800 737 732. Guest: Dr Hannah McCann, Senior Lecturer in Cultural Studies at the University of Melbourne Get the whole story from hack: Follow us on Instagram and TikTok Subscribe to the hack podcast Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

People in this episode

Host: triplej

Guest: Dr Hannah McCann

Topics covered

  • trauma dumping
  • mental health
  • hairdressers
  • client disclosures
  • psychology
  • apprenticeship training

Keywords

  • trauma dumping
  • hairdressers
  • mental health
  • client disclosures
  • apprenticeship
  • psychology
  • domestic violence

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Melbourne, Lifeline, Domestic and Family Violence helpline

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