Rimor & Studio Psiche: the Psychologist is on the Road!

The partnership with Psychologist On The Road continues full steam ahead. The project stems from an original and ingenious idea which was a great success last year with many people signing up: the first completely free counselling service in a motorhome in Italy.

In the heart of magnificent Tuscany, an extraordinary project conceived by Studio Psiche and Rimor is giving a new meaning to psychology, bringing counselling directly to your doorstep. The “Psychologist on the Road” project is revolutionising the approach to mental health and primary mental health prevention, bringing it closer to people and taking the subject onto the streets.

This project, funded by local town councils, aims to offer free counselling through short meetings with a psychologist or psychotherapist, lasting 30 minutes each. What makes this project really special is its approach, with the meetings taking place inside a Rimor motorhome, provided specifically for the project.

The first cornerstone was laid by the town of Figline e Incisa Valdarno, which believed firmly in the importance of primary mental health prevention and helped bring about Psychologist on the Road. From 6 March to 28 April 2023, the service opened its doors three days a week, offering counselling to members of the local communities. Alongside experienced psychologists, the project also involved interns who welcomed the people who came along to the motorhome.

The results were impressive. Psychologist on the Road was warmly received and was a great success with the people who took part. They felt that they were being heard and overcame the prejudices that often surround the figure of the psychologist. This project went beyond one-on-one meetings, organising primary prevention days, raising the community’s awareness of mental well-being and trying to overcome the stigma, unfortunately still present today, surrounding mental health and the role of the psychologist.

To date, four towns have taken part in the project: Figline Valdarno, Piombino, San Giovanni Valdarno and Terranuova Bracciolini. Each stop was an opportunity to raise awareness in the community on mental well-being and offer direct support to those in need. And each town responded in a unique way to this initiative, with growing openness towards psychology.

An example of this was on 13 May 2023, when the motorhome was parked in the main square of Figline Valdarno during THiNK, the Festival of Digital Culture. On 20 and 21 May 2023, it parked in Piombino, where the initial diffidence was overcome by the growing interest of the community. People approached the counsellors to tell their stories and ask for advice, demonstrating greater open-mindedness than in the initial stages of the project.

On 24 June, Psychologist on the Road arrived in San Giovanni Valdarno and the most recent stop was in Terranuova Bracciolini, where, from 23 to 26 September 2023, the motorhome was present at the Feast of Forgiveness, offering its support to the community and citizens.

A journey full of moving moments and another incredible adventure on four wheels, ready for the next appointment on 11-12 November in Figline, at the AUTUMNIA 2023 fair, within the context of the ‘Piazza della salute’ project. As always, alongside our friends from Studio Psiche who have taken the lead in this exciting project. Find out more at www.autumnia.it