Counter Culture is a lot more than a Barbershop…

We are actually a Full-blown ministry!

For the past 4 years, I’ve been working on integrating an addiction/prison recovery program with a Barbershop apprenticeship. I take barbers coming out of jail and addiction and enter them into an apprenticeship, but we go a step further. Through a Christ-centered lifestyle, we help damaged people heal.

When you come from prison with a lifestyle background of addiction, what we are dealing with is a person who has been damaged and stunted emotionally, mentally, and sometimes physically. Most importantly damaged spiritually. With criminal backgrounds, it is also very difficult to find well-paying professional jobs where purpose is found. Working odd jobs to pay bills and die alone leads often to a lack of purpose and ambition therefore relapse is very prevalent.

Our overall goal is to help a person understand through example of serving others through a high end haircut provides multiple things. It teaches a servant mentality that takes focus intentionally off the individual Barber. It’s not about them! As a team we work together in an atmosphere that becomes similar to an all day recovery meeting. By being vulnerable sharing individual testimony allows clients to feel comfortable and willing to share their own struggles, also the Barber is now able to find purpose even in his past struggles of addiction And imprisonments to help someone else talk about there deep struggles, addiction, divorce, cancer etc. This creates an overall atmosphere Of healing and relationship building.

We call ourselves Counter Culture because chasing today’s Culture is what allowed a lot of us to find false hope in idles such as money, status, popularity, and materials. By seeking God and focusing on serving others particularly as a barber creates a very intricate lifestyle where true change happens. We hold each other accountable, attend men’s groups, Church on Sunday, and make it known we are focused on being a pillar to our local community and serving the needs of others even beyond the haircut. This program has been working for the past 4 years. Multiple men so far have thrived. Becoming not only fantastic barbers but fantastic Fathers, husbands, friends, and overall Men.

Countering Culture one haircut at a time!

- Phil Wrubleski