Computer-assisted psychotherapy represents a major new development in clinical practice and is expected to play an increasingly important role over the next 10 years. Use of computers in therapy ranges from relatively simple communication-support tools, to the use of complex simulations and synthetic agents in virtual reality environments. At the simpler end of this spectrum, computer-mediated communication (CMC) has already entered clinical practice, in the form of internet communication, email and video-conferencing. While clearly important, these technologies are not as potentially revolutionary as the use of synthetic agents and simulated virtual environments. It is these more sophisticated computer technologies that are the primary focus of this panel. The success of existing virtual environments to treat phobias and post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) suggests further exploration of these technologies. Specifically, the augmentation of existing virtual environments with virtual synthetic agents, capable of playing a variety of roles, such as social therapeutic companions for supportive therapies, participants in interactive models of internal dramas or conflicts for psychodynamic therapies, coaches and ‘practice partners’ for cognitive-behavioral therapies, and virtual ‘stand-ins’
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