Bas Oppenheim

I develop humane, responsible software.

My focus is on (mental) health software that benefits people in how they think, feel, and function. With a background in both psychology and philosophy, I pay particular attention to:

• Designing with care for high-stakes contexts;
• Grounding decisions in scientific research and relevant expertise;
• Building with contemporary, platform-appropriate technologies.

My work

I work at the intersection of mental health, ethics, and technology. In much of this practice, ethical, scientific, and technical factors are treated as constraints after a concept has already been defined. In my work, they are part of the conceptual design itself: they inspire, shape, and constrain the concept from the beginning. This approach leads to software that is both responsible and innovative.

I am personally responsible for the overall conceptual, content-related, and technical direction of the following projects:

The EMDR App

The EMDR app generates bilateral and other forms of stimulation commonly used in EMDR therapy, which is an evidence-based treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The app is grounded in scientific research and developed in collaboration with licensed therapists, with its scope explicitly bounded by clinical and ethical considerations.

Beyond its clinical grounding, the EMDR app stands out through several technical and design choices:

• Native, platform-specific experiences across Apple platforms, from Mac to Apple Watch;
• Availability of an optimized version on Apple Vision Pro from the platform’s first day;
• The ability to control the EMDR app on nearby devices without an internet connection;
• Support for bilateral vibration using generic hardware, such as Nintendo Joy-Cons.

It is now used during therapeutic sessions, both in-person and online, and can, on the recommendation of the therapist, also be used by clients between sessions.

Additional projects I designed and developed further demonstrate the same principles, in different contexts and at different scales:

Thought Records

Thought Records is an app for reframing stressful situations using techniques from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Although effective, the method is difficult to apply independently and is therefore often limited to therapeutic settings.

The app systematically guides users through the process wherever they are. It is designed with privacy as a core principle and supports synchronization across devices.

Our Focus

Inspired by motivation theory, and in particular the human need to belong, Our Focus is a social variation on the Pomodoro technique, also showing the progress of other active users.

Although it's there, the community aspect is intentionally restrained to avoid distraction from the app’s productivity goal, aiming to achieve a meaningful social experience with minimal interaction.

An initial version was completed in time for the launch of Apple Vision Pro, where solitary use is common and careful social design is particularly relevant.

You can find more about my apps at Apps for the Living.

If you’d like to know more or get in touch, feel free to contact me at [enable JavaScript].