On Feb. 10, 2018, the AUS Psy.D. program, in collaboration with the AUS BA completion program, hosted a symposium entitled “Can you hear me now?: Bridging the gap between psychology and technology.” The event featured a panel of three experts who discussed the ways psychology intersects with technology. Panelist Dr. David Luxton reviewed the current research and ethics regarding the use of technology in psychotherapy, including smartphone apps, virtual reality, and therapy robots. Fulbright Scholar and entrepreneur, Jame Riggall, provided examples of successful application of virtual reality in pain management, physical rehabilitation, and exposure therapy. And lastly, Dr. Raffael Boccamazzo encouraged clinicians to destigmatize the use of technology in the field of psychology as well as offered pragmatic suggestions on how to incorporate technology into psychotherapy.
This event was the beginning an ongoing dialogue, along with research and development, addressing the future of technology and psychology. The event was well attended by professionals in both fields and research collaborations were established.