A Radical New Therapy Uses Deepfake Technology to Help Survivors of Abuse Confront Their Trauma
In a groundbreaking development at the intersection of technology and mental health, a novel therapeutic approach is harnessing deepfake technology to assist survivors of abuse in confronting their perpetrators—digitally, safely, and with clinical support. This innovative use of artificial intelligence offers new hope for individuals coping with unresolved trauma, particularly when traditional therapies have fallen short.
Facing the Past Through a Digital Lens
Marina vd Roest, one of the first participants to try this therapy, describes the experience vividly. After decades without facing the man who abused her as a child, she sat in front of a laptop where a highly realistic, AI-generated avatar of her attacker appeared—blinking and speaking in real time. The emotional toll was immediate. “I felt scared … like a little child again,” vd Roest recalls. “Sometimes I had to close the laptop and get my breath back before opening it and continuing with the conversation.”
Despite knowing the image was not real, her body reacted with a fight-or-flight response, showing the deep psychological impact of the encounter. The avatar was voiced by a trained clinician, carefully operating the deepfake to simulate the perpetrator’s likely responses while providing a safe environment for expression.
A New Frontier in Therapeutic Exposure
This therapy is the brainchild of researchers seeking to extend the benefits of exposure therapy and restorative justice models for abuse survivors. Traditional methods—such as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy—often help patients recall traumatic events with some success but can fall short in providing closure or addressing deep-seated feelings of guilt and anger that linger for years.
The deepfake therapy involves survivors bringing photographs of their abusers, which are then converted into digitally controlled avatars operated by clinicians during live, up to 90-minute sessions. While the survivor interacts with the avatar, therapists guide and support them throughout the process. This setup enables survivors to express emotions directly to the “face” of their abuser—asking questions like “Why did you do it?” or confronting feelings of betrayal and pain.
Empowerment Through Dialogue
According to Jackie June ter Heide, a clinical psychologist leading ongoing studies on this approach at the Netherlands’ ARQ National Psychotrauma Center, the technique helps survivors reclaim a sense of justice and empowerment. “It gives the victim the sense of being heard,” ter Heide explains. “Even if the perpetrator is not able to be very empathetic, at least it gives them the sense that ‘I have spoken up for myself. I have done justice to myself.’”
The therapy emphasizes shifting shame and guilt back onto the perpetrator, a crucial step for many survivors who often internalize blame. Therapists use scripted responses to ensure this focus remains clear, carefully balancing realism with the therapeutic goal to avoid re-traumatization.
Careful Screening and Ethical Considerations
Because of the emotional intensity of the sessions, patients undergo thorough preparatory interviews to set expectations and tailor the approach based on individual experiences, including the nature of the abuse and the personality of the perpetrator. Some survivors prefer a single session, while others find multiple encounters helpful as they work through their trauma.
Ethical oversight remains paramount. Marieke Bak, assistant professor in medical ethics at Amsterdam UMC, highlights the importance of conducting these sessions within clinical settings to mitigate the risks of re-traumatization or psychological harm. She also underscores the need for privacy protections, given the use of perpetrators’ images without consent, and warns against attempting such interactions without professional supervision.
Future Directions and Potential
Following a promising pilot study published in 2022, a larger clinical trial is currently underway in the Netherlands, with results expected next year. Researchers hope that this approach will provide a valuable complementary therapy for those struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other complications of abuse.
As deepfake technology becomes more widely available, the mental health community is carefully considering guidelines and ethical frameworks to ensure it is used responsibly. For survivors like vd Roest, the therapy represents not just a technological novelty but a profound chance to speak truth to power in a setting that fosters healing and reclaiming agency.
In summary, this radical therapy marks an intriguing new chapter in trauma care—demonstrating how emerging technologies can be adapted for profound human benefit when combined thoughtfully with psychological expertise.
