Esther Abplanalp

Prof. Esther Abplanalp serves as Department Head of the Department of Professional Development at Bern University of Applied Sciences within the School of Social Work. Based in Bern, Switzerland, she has established herself as a significant contributor to social work education through her research and leadership.

Her research focuses on key areas including:

• Counseling practices and requirements in social work
• Personality development in higher education settings
• Application of immersive virtual reality technologies in social work education
• Practice-based learning and field education in social work programs
• Family social work interventions

Prof. Abplanalp's recent publications demonstrate a strong emphasis on innovative teaching methods, particularly the integration of virtual reality technologies to enhance counseling training. Her 2019 work on Immersive Virtual Reality examines how these technologies can support students' personality development and professional identity formation in social work education.

Available at the university on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, she maintains an active presence in both teaching and research capacities, with her work spanning from foundational family social work (2009) to cutting-edge educational technology applications (2020).