Virtual Reality (VR) Therapy is an evidence-based treatment supported and validated by years of psychological research. Despite this, a lot of people don’t know much about it.
Traditional psychological therapies like cognitive behavioural therapy, exposure and response prevention and acceptance and commitment therapy are incredibly helpful and effective for a range of conditions. VR therapy can be used as an adjunct to these forms of therapy.
VR therapy can be used with children, adolescents and adults experiencing a range of mental health issues like OCD, phobias, PTSD, social anxiety, stress management, panic disorder and difficulties with attention and concentration.
For many of these conditions, exposure based treatment is the gold standard. However, there are certain situations that are hard to replicate or confront in reality. In addition, VR provides the clinician with more control over the situation to meet the specific needs of the person. VR allows us to repeat the situation as many times as necessary to help overcome the fear. And all of this is done in the safe environment of the therapy room.
Here at Melbourne Wellbeing Group we have access to incredible VR technology to offer our clients. When meeting a client for the first time, our clinicians will always begin with an thorough assessment including gathering a history and information about the presenting problem, which will allow us to establish whether VR will be an appropriate option. If you and your therapist agree that VR would be helpful, your therapist will talk to you about what to expect from a virtual reality session. A VR session runs very similarly to a regular session, but a visual immersion device will be used to create a simulated environment that is relevant to you and your fears. Some examples of the simulated environments available in the technology include driving, flying, heights, tight spaces, social situations, crowded situations, exams, and more. Our therapists at Melbourne Wellbeing Group are specifically trained in working with VR and will talk you through everything you need to know and do during the session.
Ultimately, VR is an exciting and beneficial way to face your fears in a controlled and safe environment.
If you think VR might be helpful for you and you are interested to explore further, give our team a call to arrange an appointment on (03) 9882-8874.
This blog was written and prepared by Hannah Gersh - Psychologist at Melbourne Wellbeing Group.