Introduction to the Topic: Mental health is crucial yet often uncomfortable to discuss, especially in the salon environment where interactions are constant.

Guest Introduction: Stephanie Russell, a global Redken facilitator and psychological safety coach, joins to discuss mental health in salons.

Psychological Safety: Stephanie focuses on creating psychologically safe environments in salons to reduce mental harm and promote well-being among staff and clients.

Importance of Relationships: The quality of interactions between salon owners, stylists, and clients significantly impacts mental health.

Identifying Problems: Many people experience unease without clear reasons, highlighting the need for language and awareness around mental health issues.

Emotional Intelligence: Essential for a psychologically safe salon includes self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management.

Red, Yellow, Green Lights: Using traffic light analogy to recognize emotional states - green for trust and safety, yellow for caution, and red for distrust and defensiveness.

Leadership Role: Leaders must model and mirror the desired psychologically safe behavior to cultivate it within their teams.

Practical Steps: Begin with leadership, foster self-awareness among team members, manage emotions, and practice compassion and empathy.

Continuous Improvement: Mental health and psychological safety are ongoing processes requiring constant effort, reflection, and commitment from everyone involved.