By Matthew Kincanon | FāVS News
Salon professionals often develop close relationships with clients, but many lack training on how to respond when those clients reveal they’re experiencing abuse.
Kristina Kenagy, owner of Nine. Intuitive Salon in Spokane, is working to change that. She has partnered with Lutheran Community Services Northwest and SalonCentric to train beauty professionals on recognizing abuse signs and connecting survivors with help.
Creating a Survivor-Centered Partnership
It all started when Kenagy, who is a survivor of rape and domestic violence, was inspired by her daughter to donate money to LCSNW. Shortly afterwards, she said the organization invited her to take a tour of their program.
It was during that visit, they had a conversation about the role salon professionals can play in supporting survivors. From there, they began planning classes for beauty professionals in the area with the manager of the local SalonCentric, Jared Stanley, joining in the effort.
Roshelle Cleland, director of advocacy and education at LCSNW, said the partnership is survivor-centered at its core.
“Kristina reached out with a genuine desire to make a difference, and that’s exactly how change starts—in community, through relationships,” Cleland said. “Our partnership bridges beauty, wellness, and safety, and together we’re helping normalize conversations about abuse in everyday spaces. That kind of normalization is key to breaking down shame and creating more pathways to safety.”
Why Stylists Need This Training
Cleland said salon professionals have a unique and trusted relationship with their clients. They’re often one of the few people a survivor sees regularly, and over time, they can become a confidant.
“Abuse thrives in silence and isolation, and salon professionals are in a position to gently disrupt that by recognizing red flags and offering a safe, supportive space,” Cleland said. “They don’t need to diagnose or investigate—just to listen, validate, and know how to connect someone to help without causing further harm.”
According to the CDC, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will experience physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetimes. Also, around 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men experience some form of sexual violence in their lifetimes.
Kenagy said professionals like herself are not trained on what to do when somebody divulges details about being abused. For some stylists, she said, it can be very triggering and could lead to a PTSD episode, but also a sense of wanting to save the person they’re talking to.
Due to the lack of training in these situations, Kenagy said it can lead to burnout and they may not know what to do, what to say, or how to create a safe space for both them and their clients.
Through these classes and trainings, Cleland hopes salon professionals walk away feeling empowered, not overwhelmed.
“These trainings are not about turning stylists into advocates—they’re about building awareness, reducing stigma, and showing how small acts of empathy and connection can make a profound difference,” Cleland said. “If a survivor leaves the salon feeling seen, believed, and safe enough to come back again, that’s a huge win. We want salon professionals to know what to say, what not to say, and who to call if someone wants help.”
Kenagy hopes the trainings will also help stylists avoid burnout. Even though they are seen as therapists, and stylists go into the job to make people feel better, she said they do not have the training to be one.
She has implemented some of the advice from the classes into her own business as well.
What Salon Professions Can Do Right Now
As to what stylists can do right now to support those experiencing abuse, Kenagy said they should educate themselves, create a sacred space where they protect people’s privacy and put a policy in place for when they meet someone experiencing abuse. These can include referring to an agency, a therapist or a shelter. One important detail she added was that stylists should validate the people they’re talking to as well.
In her own experience, Kenagy said people did not believe her when she shared her story of abuse, saying it’s difficult to go through and it makes survivors question their own sanity.
Cleland also said these professionals can start by learning to recognize signs of trauma such as extreme anxiety, controlling behaviors from a partner, or visible injuries with vague explanations. Create a welcoming space where clients feel emotionally safe. Have local resource cards available discreetly. Most importantly, she said, they should respond with compassion, not judgment. Phrases like ‘I’m here for you’ or ‘you don’t deserve this,’ she said, go a long way.
She added they should not try to fix it, “just be a consistent, kind presence and know how to refer someone to an advocate.”
“I think our community needs this, especially with how the politics of our country are going, to better equip women and men,” Kenagy said. “I think it’s so important for a stylist to be able to go home at the end of the day and know that they were effective in helping somebody and not carry that stress of just wondering ‘Did I do the right thing? Did I say something wrong?’”
LCSNW has a victim services program where they operate a free and confidential 24/7 hotline for those in need. Cleland said they offer advocacy and therapy services to survivors and victims of trauma and crime. They specialize in working with survivors of sexual trauma including sex trafficking, child abuse and elder abuse.
The YWCA also provides advocacy services for survivors of intimate partner violence.
The Ripple Effect
Cleland is excited for the ripple effect the partnership could have. She said Kenagy’s leadership shows how one committed person in the beauty industry can open doors for countless survivors to get help. She said the model can expand to other salons, barbershops and wellness spaces—anywhere trust already exists.
“I’m excited by the potential to create a cultural shift where conversations about abuse are met with care, not discomfort, and where survivors know that even in unexpected places, support is possible,” Cleland said.
She said efforts like this partnership help dismantle the shame survivors feel and make support more accessible. They want survivors to know they don’t have to disclose everything to receive help and that they’re never alone, no matter how isolated they may feel.
“This partnership is a great example of the impact one community member can have—by asking questions, donating, and taking the time to learn,” Cleland said. “Kristina helped create something that could change lives.”
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