Guest Contributor:
Kerrianna Floyd
Black Mental Wellness Intern
She is the braider with healing vision. Kerrianna Floyd has worked for the past 10 years providing hair care and wellness tips to women, girls, and sometimes boys and men, in the black community. “I was able to realize a true connection with my clients by creating an environment that was both accommodating and warm. I realized that those sessions were a time for refreshing and the impact on my clients would go beyond that present moment.”
When the pandemic hit, Kerrianna got creative and decided to make her services mobile. Kultured Kreations Mobile Braiding Services was birthed during a mental and physical transformation for the world, and for Kerrianna personally. “We have all joked about how quarantining impacted our hair, nail care, and grooming. I hit a low point mentally and physically that I was not able to recover from until I intentionally took the time to do my hair and some self-care. I knew that if I was experiencing this, so were my clients; and that’s when I got to work.”
Kultured Kreations Mobile Braiding Services LLC now services all of Houston and greater Houston areas.
Tell us about your educational and/or professional training, and current area of expertise related to mental health and wellness?
I am an entrepreneur, braider, and healthcare administrator. My undergraduate degree is in business management, majoring in Entrepreneurship, and I also have a Masters in Healthcare Administration. I began my career as a Senior Project Coordinator within a mental health clinic and began to recognize the connection between mental health and wellness practices promoted within my work as a hair stylist – self care. There were so many valuable principals that connected the two.
Styling sessions are a time to reflect and plan for most clients. It is also a time for connection. This is where I realized the mental health impact. We would often discuss the plans to come with the new style, and share challenges and stories of overcoming obstacles. Styling sessions could even at times be confidential as the client shares their most vulnerable conditions with the stylist – their crown, their mind. I lend a listening ear to my clients, advocate for them to seek therapy if necessary, and also provide resources.
Do you have an experience with seeking mental health treatment that you would like to share with the Black Mental Wellness audience?
While adjusting to changes brought on by the pandemic, I had a complete meltdown. Like many of us, the threat of the virus hit close to home, and the changes were overwhelming to a point where I needed to be evaluated. I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and felt awakened within myself. This was a life changing experience that was necessary to healing and reconnecting to my purpose. After spending a weekend under admission and a month in therapy, I have a renewed sense of value for mental health treatment and management. It is a holistic journey that we should all be working to maintain, because life’s changes have a way of surprising us. It is okay to ask and receive help.
What are your top 5 favorite wellness and self-care strategies?
Journaling. It is so valuable to write down your thoughts and feelings as a way to sort through them. This is an effective and confidential strategy that you can utilize when you feel like you may not have anyone to talk to. I like to journal about any and everything. It helps me get through my mood swings and process thoughts, both good and bad, that I would like to return to at a later time.
Working out – Exercise. A healthy body is a healthy mind. Getting my body moving also improves my mood and energizes me. All it takes is 30 – 45 minutes to produce those endorphins necessary for wellness.
Getting fresh air, or simply stepping outside. Quarantining definitely made me appreciate the outdoors more. Feeling a great breeze reminds me to breath. Deep breaths coupled with sunlight are great for mood improvement.
Doing hair. Getting my hair done and doing hair are both times of creative expression and self-care. A new hairstyle boosts your confidence and gives you energy to face any obstacle or task with a renewed strength. I feel this within myself, and I love to see this within my clients as they leave my chair.
Connecting with friends and family. Whether by quality time or during a video call, having a support system is vital to wellness. I like to catch up on TV shows, make plans for the weekend, and go out to eat. Fun is also an ingredient in the wellness recipe.
Guest Contributor
Kerrianna Floyd is a Healthcare Administrator and Braider looking to offer holistic healing experiences to Black women through beauty, wellness, and mental health services. Growing up in Houston, Texas, Kerrianna has always had an affinity for healthcare and knew that one day she would contribute to the health and healing of others. Today, she serves as a Sr. Project Coordinator in the Pediatrics Department and is owner and operator of Kultured Kreations Mobile Braiding LLC.
