Abstract:

In recent years, virtual reality (VR) has been developing dynamically, becoming one of the most promising technologies emerging in the area of training and education. Concurrently, the demands for psychotherapeutic services and new forms of psychotherapy are expanding, and innovative ways to support psychotherapy processes are needed. As technologies have advanced, the number of ways in which supervision and training are delivered and enhanced has also increased. VR possesses features that allow for remote and authentic immersive experiences, which have the potential to effectively enhance the psychotherapy process or training. In this contribution, based on an extensive literature review and previous original empirical research, basic features of VR technologies are discussed in the context of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) psychotherapeutic training. A SWOT analysis is conducted to identify VR potentials in CBT psychotherapy training, and selected lessons learned that emerged from the empirical exploration of VR technology as a tool for psychotherapy are outlined. Regarding the SWOT analysis and lessons learned, future directions for the applications of VR technology to training psychotherapists are emphasized and discussed.

Keywords:

IVR, virtual reality, psychotherapy, training, cognitive-behavioral therapy.