IndoPsyCare regularly hosts internal scientific conferences in which our clinician-scientists take turns presenting the latest developments and breakthroughs in the fields of clinical psychology and psychotherapy. 

The very first conference of the year was delivered by our clinician-scientist Kalista Vidyadhara, M.Psi., Psikolog! Virtual Reality (VR) involves an artificial environment where one can experience an environment without physically being within it. 

Today, virtual reality assesses and treats mental health disorders, including Eating Disorders, Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Social Anxiety Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Depression, and Schizophrenia. 

For instance, assessments for Social Anxiety Disorder may require subjects to complete a list of tasks in a supermarket.  Those with social anxiety disorder typically demonstrate heightened anxiety symptoms compared to healthy controls. Moreover, treatments for Social Anxiety Disorder may come in the form of virtual exposures, wherein participants are required to give a presentation in front of an audience.  Moreover, virtual reality is used in the assessment of adults and adolescents. It has also been applied in several studies here in Indonesia! 

While more research is needed, virtual reality presents a promising avenue for further psycho-therapeutic interventions! Taking on myriad forms, its inclusion is predicted to be common practice in the decades to come!