Next to public transportation, the hair salon might be the most effective place to observe human cognitive processing. Being a therapist, I understand that I’m in direct competition with stylists and bartenders and appreciate the ease with which both groups of front-line workers get to the intimate cores of their customers. I teach graduate students how to be counselors but wonder if the Aveda Institute might be doing a better job.

The woman in the chair next to me at Super Cuts unabashedly announced to her stylist, “I’ve heard that sex with emotion is good.” The stylist’s unconditional positive regard clearly acknowledge that the customer was moving forward in her openness to new beliefs.

Had I not been firmly committed to minding my own business, I might have suggested that the following customer be referred to a DBT specialist for training in radical acceptance after hearing the following:  “I called his mom because I needed closure…but he was on his honeymoon.”