Virtual Reality Therapy
Experience innovative healing through immersive technology
What Is Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy?
Virtual reality Exposure Therapy uses a Virtual Reality (VR) headset that aims to mirror “reality and create a world that is both immersive and interactive” (Maples-Keller, Bunnell, Kim, & Rothbaum, 2017). VRET uses technology to swap real-life environments with made-up ones that look real. This is called simulation. Exposure therapy helps you face your fears in a safe environment. It’s used to treat:
- Phobias
- Panic disorder
- Social anxiety disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Generalized anxiety disorder
- Traumatic brain injury
VRET has proven to be a powerful tool to help people overcome these areas. With virtual reality therapy, experts combine VR technology with exposure therapy to mimic many triggers, stressors, or fears you may have, exposing you to them through a VR headset. This might include sights, sounds, smells, and vibrations that create realistic versions of the traumatic or stressful experience.
An example, if you are afraid of flying on a plane, VRET can simulate takeoff and landing without you having to get on a real plane. A licensed mental health professional works with you to control the length, pace, and intensity of the VR sessions. Ultimately, the goal of VRET is to help ease your fears over time and improve your overall quality of life.
What Can You Expect During a VR Session?
During a VRET session, you will sit in a dark room and wear a headset that covers your eyes. You’ll be immersed in a virtual environment that triggers your trauma or fear. Your therapist will be able to see what you’re seeing. They can guide you through the session and control the intensity, length, and details.
The length of the session depends on what you’re able to tolerate. Your therapist might discuss this with you beforehand and help you prepare for it mentally and emotionally.
How Does It Work?
VR works because the digitally created sensory feedback from the artificial world replaces our everyday experiences.
To feel immersive and present, systems typically include two visual displays – one for each eye – that differ slightly, as they do when we view any object in the non-digital world.
For example, look at your finger with one eye closed, then swap with the other eye. You will notice a slight shift in the image.
Our brain takes inputs (artificial or real) from both eyes to create a 3D mental representation. The virtual world is made more realistic by adding additional sensory information: auditory stimuli enter through both ears to create a 3D spatial surround sound, and haptic feedback creates the sensation of “physical contact with the virtual world” (Bohil et al., 2011).
Perhaps the most fascinating part of VR is the ability of the wearer to interact with the environment. By moving the head, pointing at or grabbing something, or even redirecting our gaze, we can change the environment in front of us.
The degree of (sensorimotor) immersion reflects the amount of physical stimulation that we experience through our senses and the system’s sensitivity to receiving information about how we move.
Therefore, the sense of reality depends on the quality and quantity of the sensory experience and our ability to interact with the environment.
A Look at VRET and Phobias
Phobias are regularly treated using exposure therapy. This involves the controlled introduction of a situation or object that the patient fears.
The treatment typically begins with the patient imagining what they are scared of then gradually increasing the physical presence of the phobic stimulus. Over time, as the client perceives more control over the environment, they gain a sense of mastery over their fears (Bohil et al., 2011).VR settings have been successful in treating phobias, including (Bohil et al., 2011; Maples-Keller et al., 2017):
- Arachnophobia – an intense fear of spiders
- Aviophobia – an extreme fear of flying
- Agoraphobia – the fear of open spaces and situations where escape is not possible
- Claustrophobia – an intense fear of being trapped in small spaces
- Glossophobia – the fear of public speaking
For the therapist, VR is a valuable tool to facilitate and control emotional engagement in clients while working through their fears, anxiety, and trauma (Maples-Keller et al., 2017).
Step Into Real-World Contact—Safely (with TTS)
After VR practice for anxiety or triggers, TTS offers supervised community visits to generalize gains.
Supervised Visitation & Safe Exchange
Start in neutral settings; progress to community visits as ready.
Therapeutic Supervised Visitation (TSV)
Clinician-guided public outings to reinforce coping skills.
PCIT
For ages 2–7, coach parents through public-place stressors (stores, parks, restaurants).
Schedule supervised community visits through TTS