“Psychologist on the Road” wants to break down the taboo linked to mental health by offering an itinerant listening and psychological support service on board a camper that stops in squares and markets
“Psychologist on the Road” is a commendable project born in 2022 in Tuscany with the aim of make psychological support more accessible and normalizecounteracting the stigma linked to mental health, especially in provincial areas.
The idea was born from Dr. Maurizio Cinquini, a psychologist with a past as a train driver and trainer, who imagined a “itinerant listening servicecapable of reaching anyone who needed it. Initially, Cinquini had thought of a door-to-door intervention, but the idea evolved to create a mobile hatch on board a camper which stops in the squares and markets, inviting citizens to “come up” for a chat.
The project offers participants five free thirty minute sessionsduring which the psychologist provides support and, if necessary, directs you to other specialists in the area. The initiative immediately achieved notable success, recording wide participation.
In fact, in the first three months alone, the camper hosted approximately 500 free matchesand “Psychologist on the Road” was enthusiastically received by the community and local governments, also receiving national media attention.
Inside there is a welcoming and informal environment
A distinctive element of the service is the ability to create a welcoming and informal environmentbreaking down the traditional barrier that can be created in a clinical context. Inside the camper, decorated with bright colors and symbols of freedompeople feel encouraged to talk openly about their difficulties.
Patients, from young students to the elderly, find in this space support to deal with stress, anxiety, depression or even simply post-pandemic loneliness and sense of loss. Cinquini and his team also use mindfulness and meditation techniques to help relax and focus thoughts.
“Psychologist on the Road” represents a concrete response to the growing need for psychological assistance and aims to promote a universal access to mental health care. In Italy, in fact, the psychologist is often seen as an “extreme” figure associated with serious mental health problems, and this project contributes to normalize the idea of taking care of your psychejust as you would with physical health.
Innovative and accessible, this traveling service shows how even small initiatives can have a large social impact, allowing many people to overcome initial resistance and to recognize the value of psychological support.
