14 DAY TRIAL // Whether we like to admit it or not, the fact of the matter is that, in this day and age, life is pretty stressful for most of us. Hence, it's safe to assume that we could all use a psychotherapy session every once in a while, just to clear our heads and get a whole lot of things off our chest.
By the looks of it, a company in Stockholm, Sweden's capital city, is very much aware of the fact that with the perks of modern life come a heck lot of problems that we could sure use to talk about with somebody specializing in the inner workings of the human mind.
To help tackle this situation, the company launched a new taxi service that promises to allow people to embark of a journey of self-discovery while traveling to a destination of their choice. The innovative taxi service launched late last month and it's already quite popular.
So, how does this taxi service work?
Just like all other taxi services, the one launched by this company boils down to having a passenger get into a car, tell the driver where it is that they want to go and then simply sit back, relax and enjoy the ride. Oh, and pay for their journey once they reach their destination.
The thing is that, when getting into a car owned and operated by Taxi Stockholm, customers find a psychotherapist chilling on the backseat, Oddity Central explains. This psychotherapist was put there to listen to people's problems while the driver takes them places.
What's interesting is that, at least for the time being, the consultations offered by the psychotherapists put in charge of helping Taxi Stockholm's customers are free of charge. True, the session only lasts as long as the ride, but it still counts as something.
Probably because the consultations are free of charge, this service is now offered by just three of the company's cars. Still, should folks in Stockholm become insanely fond of such rides, perhaps the company will consider hiring a few more therapists.
According to Mia Fahlén, one of the psychologists involved in this project, even a short ride can prove more than enough for people to spill the beans on the thing that are troubling them and get a fresh perspective on life.
“A lot of people are lonely. There are so many single people in Stockholm. And a lot of the people I meet from abroad tell me they’re frustrated with Sweden. They say it’s really hard to meet people and that even when they try, the Swedes can be very quiet,” she said.
How they got the idea
Taxi Stockholm got the idea to launch this taxi service after learning that, according to a recent investigation, about 70% of the people living in Sweden's capital city think of cab rides as the perfect opportunity to reflect on things and let their mind wander. Besides, it appears that many like to talk about their problems with the driver.
“When you think about it, the drivers can even become like therapists,” Natalia Santos, a spokesperson for Taxi Stockholm, said in a statement. “So we decided to put the two together for all Stockholmers – especially considering it’s getting so cold and dark now,” she added.
