Sem Dekker

Background

About Sem Dekker

Applied Psychologist with experience in mental healthcare and forensic psychiatry, with a strong focus on using Virtual Reality technology as an innovative intervention in healthcare. During my internships at GGZ Drenthe and the University Center for Psychiatry (UMCG), I contributed to the VR-SOAP research project, aimed at improving social functioning in people with psychosis. For my graduation research at the Center for Transcultural Psychiatry Veldzicht, I developed a toolbox for sociotherapists in which VRelax was integrated for relaxation, stress reduction, and enhancing self-regulation. The positive results led to VRelax being structurally included in sociotherapeutic treatment. In my current role at VRelax, I collaborate with healthcare professionals in mental health care, hospitals, disability care, and elite sports to implement VR solutions in a scientifically grounded, practical, and accessible way. My work focuses on interventions that help clients reduce stress and anxiety, relieve pain, and enhance self-regulation, with measurable impacts on their well-being. With my background in psychology and my experience in translating research into practice, I contribute to making healthcare future-proof and human-centered.