As part of the Launceston Suicide Prevention Trial, City of Launceston council invited barbers to a mental health training information session on Tuesday evening.

Having had clients suicide in past years, Alex Toscan, owner of Kingsway Barbershop, was eager for his staff to undergo training.

"I think it'd be really important to these guys, even if it's just for their own personal development and their own personal mental health ... if they can help one person, or stop one person from doing something to hurt themselves then that'd be worth it," he said.

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Mr Tuscan said barbers were kind of like counsellors, with regular clients opening up about their personal lives and struggles.

He said his staff did not always know how to respond, and formal training could help them pick up on signs and point clients in the right direction.

Launceston Suicide Prevention co-ordinator Stephanie Armour said barbers were uniquely placed within the community to have ongoing relationships with their clients.

"By equipping them with some mental health training, it allows them to know how to respond after asking the question, 'are you OK?'," Ms Armour said.

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Sidney Davies, barber at Hobart's Monks & Co, spoke at the event. He became motivated to complete training after noticing changes in a regular client.

"One day I just asked him 'hey, are you OK? I just noticed that you've missed a couple of hair appointments and you're just not yourself', and that kind of led into a conversation about his mental health and he had just been diagnosed with manic depression and was really struggling'."

Mr Davies said mental health first aid training was as important as general first aid.

"The stigma that we've had in society about mental health for so long makes it like a taboo conversation that a lot of people don't want to have ... when you're confronted with that conversation in a barber's chair, you can't ignore the client, you can't escape from it."

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Representatives from about ten local barbershops attended, all wishing to participate further. The program has funding for a limited number of barbers to undertake training.

Richard Lewandowski, Launceston Headspace centre manager, praised the initiative.

"If we can find avenues where people feel comfortable and safe and we can train people up in those areas - barbers, football clubs and [places] like that - then it's a really great way to support people and their mental health," Mr Lewandowski said.

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If you need help, contact Lifeline, 131 114, or Beyond Blue, 1300 224 636.

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