The assignment:
Beyond Care is a virtual reality start-up launched by the Alkmaar-based IT company Triple. To test the potential of a mobile trauma treatment, they asked me to turn an EMDR treatment protocol into a mobile application. The application is intended for people with memories of mildly traumatic experiences (car accidents, bullying, robberies etc.) It was important that the application is pleasant to use and that the users do not prematurely stop the treatment.
The result:
Trauma Toolkit is honest, inspiring and helpful. The users seek self-help on their own and they must feel that they are truly being aided. Trauma Toolkit doesn’t make any promises that it can’t keep. The treatment is authentic, effective, and pleasant to undergo, encouraging the user to confront the traumatic memory. This is different from competing solutions, which are either user-unfriendly or scientifically unsubstantiated.
Eye movements ensure that the memories’ emotional charge is reduced. To amplify the eye movements, you can also use a virtual-reality headset. Trauma Toolkit can potentially help a large number of people who would otherwise have no access to mental healthcare. The medical function of the application is still being validated. If it works, then a great deal of time, money and manpower could be saved in the healthcare sector.
Link(s) to additional project info/demo(s)/film clips:
https://vimeo.com/171413474
Images:
