VR therapy is the future of psychology. It has become one of the most effective treatments combining cognitive behavioral therapy with technology.
Experiencing symptoms less intensively: VR therapy makes it possible to experience the symptoms in a safe virtual environment that the patient can control; therefore, the intensity of the symptoms is much lower. Let’s take the example of the fear of flying. Instead of physically arriving at the airport and provoking a panic attack, anxiety can also be treated in a neutral place. The VR therapy session takes place in a therapeutic room where the therapist is there to analyze the situation and help the patient in every possible way.
Avoidance of embarrassment: Many patients report that they avoid addressing situations where their phobia could be provoked because they are afraid of how others would react to their seemingly unusual behavior. To stick with the example above, people who fear flying avoid taking flights. Therefore, they miss out on great travel or business opportunities. At Verapist, the patients can express their behavior in a virtual environment and get support from their qualified therapist.
Gradual exposure and the ability to control: The patients do not have to express all their anxious feelings all at once. Instead, the therapist at Verapist creates a virtual environment where he can control and stop the simulation when the patient appears to be crossing a certain emotional threshold. The patients gradually learn how to manage their behavior in the given situations.
Easy role-play: The exposure of the phobias can take place in particular places, which can be hard to access with a therapist. Thanks to Verapist, there is no need to travel to the actual locations where especially the phobia, the anxiety, or even the ADHD could be triggered. Each situation can be created with VR simulators and experienced as if the patient was there.
Safe environment: The same situations and places that provoke phobias or anxiety in virtual reality can be dangerous in reality. Therefore, VR therapy is a safe solution for the patients to express their fears and learn to control them in a structured, safe but realistic virtual environment where the therapist has complete control of the situation.
Uniformity of the experiences: The same scenarios can be repeated continuously until the patient feels that they have mastered the fear at this particular stage and are ready to move on.
Immediate feedback: The effect of the treatment on the patient can be seen almost immediately – already during the treatment itself. There is no need for long sessions and conversations to analyze the background of the feelings. Instead, it is possible to share immediately, directly and in details what the patient experienced in the virtual environment. The therapist will understand immediately what triggers the symptoms or the fears, how the patient reacts, and what needs to be done to reduce and eliminate those fears and symptoms.
It is not only the virtual experience that provokes the symptoms but treatment with a qualified CBT therapist, who guides and controls the simulations and supports the patient’s coping and recovery process.
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