The Power of Virtual Reality in Exposure Therapy

When people think about virtual reality, they often think about video games. However, some therapists and psychologists have been using it for exposure therapy, which is a type of therapy that exposes individuals to stimuli that can cause distress, but in a safe environment. The idea behind exposure therapy is to break the pattern of fear and avoidance by repeatedly exposing oneself to the feared stimulus. Virtual reality makes it possible to expose oneself to certain scenarios virtually, such as an airplane or the top of a tall building, which is why psychologists like Dr. Howard Gerr find it effective for treating certain phobias.

Dr. Gerr uses virtual reality software from a company called Amelia virtual care, which provides users with all the information they need so that they don't have to think about it. The software is meant to be used under the supervision of a therapist, and users need to work with a mental health professional to use it. Dr. Gerr conducted a session with me over Zoom, and I was able to understand why VR can be helpful for decreasing anxiety and addressing phobias.

To access Amelia's virtual environments, you simply download the app on your phone and pop your device into a cheap VR headset. The software is designed to provide users with immersive experiences that simulate real-life scenarios. For my session, I rode a virtual outdoor elevator to the top of a skyscraper, which didn't trigger my fear of heights. However, Amelia also offers a virtual environment that addresses phobias such as driving, and I was able to try it out to see if it would help me overcome my anxiety.

The simulation was animated, but I didn't have a physical steering wheel or gas pedal, which made it feel more like I was along for the ride. The experience was immersive enough to provoke some nervous reactions, such as when I noticed a truck approaching in my side mirror and felt compelled to keep my eyes on the road. Despite this, the pouring rain and sounds of trucks zipping by almost made me forget that I was sitting in an office.

One advantage of using virtual reality for exposure therapy is that therapists can tailor the situation to the patient or client's needs. For example, if someone has a fear of flying, they may need to focus on just the takeoff and landing process. In this case, Dr. Gerr could use VR to simulate these specific scenarios multiple times in a day, which would be rare for most people.

Using virtual reality for exposure therapy can be an effective way to overcome anxiety and phobias. It provides a safe and controlled environment where individuals can confront their fears without the risks associated with real-life situations. By using immersive simulations that mimic real-life experiences, therapists can help patients build confidence and learn coping mechanisms to manage their anxiety.

In conclusion, virtual reality is a powerful tool in exposure therapy that offers a unique way to overcome anxiety and phobias. With its ability to simulate real-life scenarios and provide immersive experiences, it has the potential to be an effective treatment option for individuals struggling with mental health issues. As technology continues to advance, we can expect to see more innovative uses of virtual reality in therapy settings.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enforeign when you think about virtual reality you probably think about video games but some therapists and psychologists have also been using it for exposure therapy first what is exposure therapy it's a type of therapy that exposes you to stimuli that can cause distress but in a safe environment the idea is to break the pattern of fear and avoidance through repeated exposure virtual reality makes it possible to expose yourself to certain scenarios virtually like an airplane or the top of a tall building which is why psychologists like Dr Howard Gerr find it to be effective for treating certain phobias by asking them to kind of use their imagination and sit there and think about a situation that was threatening or scary to them was very difficult and VR solved that problem so VR provides them with all the information they need so that they don't have to think about it it's it's given to them and then we can use the VR as a tool to enhance exposure therapy I contacted Dr ger so that I could try it out for myself and even after our brief demo I can understand why VR can be helpful for decreasing anxiety and addressing phobias Dr ger uses virtual reality software from a company called Amelia virtual care simply download the Amelia app on your phone and pop your device into a cheap VR headset and your you're ready to go the software is meant to be used under the supervision of a therapist so you'll need to work with a mental health professional to use the software Dr ger and I conducted our session over zoom and you also don't need an expensive VR headset like the 400 Oculus Quest 2 to access Emilia's virtual environments for example I ordered this VR headset on Amazon from a company called be next for less than twenty dollars it essentially serves as a holder for your smartphone that turns it into a virtual reality headset Dr Gerr walked me through several different virtual environments designed to help address phobias including fear of heights during my simulation I rode a virtual outdoor elevator to the top of a skyscraper I don't have a fear of heights but I could definitely understand how this could feel anxiety-inducing for someone who does but Amelia does offer a virtual environment that addresses some of my actual phobias such as a fear of driving I hate driving it's always made me nervous and I've been living in New York City for the past decade which means I've been able to avoid it so I tried getting behind the wheel in virtual reality to see if it would help of course it would take more than one brief session to fully address my phobia and hitting the road virtually is no substitute for the real thing my simulation was animated and I didn't have a physical steering wheel or a gas pedal it felt more like I was along for the ride since there was no way for me to accelerate break or choose when to merge into a different Lane but it was still immersive enough to provoke some nervous reactions for example an experience that familiar Pang in my stomach when I noticed a truck approaching in my side mirror I felt compelled to keep my eyes on the road even though I knew I wasn't in a real car I didn't even turn around to notice that there were other passengers in the back seat until a few minutes in I just realized there's a person sitting next to me and people in the backseat wow I could empty the car too no no that's that's great the pouring rain and the sounds of trucks and cars zipping by almost made me forget I was sitting in my office in addition to these scenarios Amelia also offers mindfulness environments to treat anxiety and other conditions this transports the user to a calming space like a beautiful landscape and then walks them through relaxation exercises another advantage that comes with VR is that therapists can actually tailor the situation to the patient or client's needs for example if a person with a fear of flying is particularly afraid of the takeoff and Landing process therapists like Dr ger can use VR to focus on just that in a plane you'd have one takeoff and One landed and if people flew infrequently like every couple of months or so then that would happen very infrequently but I could have someone take off from land multiple times in a day would you try VR to conquer your fears let me know in the comments and don't forget to keep following CNET to catch more of our VR coverage thanks for watching and I'll see you next timeforeign when you think about virtual reality you probably think about video games but some therapists and psychologists have also been using it for exposure therapy first what is exposure therapy it's a type of therapy that exposes you to stimuli that can cause distress but in a safe environment the idea is to break the pattern of fear and avoidance through repeated exposure virtual reality makes it possible to expose yourself to certain scenarios virtually like an airplane or the top of a tall building which is why psychologists like Dr Howard Gerr find it to be effective for treating certain phobias by asking them to kind of use their imagination and sit there and think about a situation that was threatening or scary to them was very difficult and VR solved that problem so VR provides them with all the information they need so that they don't have to think about it it's it's given to them and then we can use the VR as a tool to enhance exposure therapy I contacted Dr ger so that I could try it out for myself and even after our brief demo I can understand why VR can be helpful for decreasing anxiety and addressing phobias Dr ger uses virtual reality software from a company called Amelia virtual care simply download the Amelia app on your phone and pop your device into a cheap VR headset and your you're ready to go the software is meant to be used under the supervision of a therapist so you'll need to work with a mental health professional to use the software Dr ger and I conducted our session over zoom and you also don't need an expensive VR headset like the 400 Oculus Quest 2 to access Emilia's virtual environments for example I ordered this VR headset on Amazon from a company called be next for less than twenty dollars it essentially serves as a holder for your smartphone that turns it into a virtual reality headset Dr Gerr walked me through several different virtual environments designed to help address phobias including fear of heights during my simulation I rode a virtual outdoor elevator to the top of a skyscraper I don't have a fear of heights but I could definitely understand how this could feel anxiety-inducing for someone who does but Amelia does offer a virtual environment that addresses some of my actual phobias such as a fear of driving I hate driving it's always made me nervous and I've been living in New York City for the past decade which means I've been able to avoid it so I tried getting behind the wheel in virtual reality to see if it would help of course it would take more than one brief session to fully address my phobia and hitting the road virtually is no substitute for the real thing my simulation was animated and I didn't have a physical steering wheel or a gas pedal it felt more like I was along for the ride since there was no way for me to accelerate break or choose when to merge into a different Lane but it was still immersive enough to provoke some nervous reactions for example an experience that familiar Pang in my stomach when I noticed a truck approaching in my side mirror I felt compelled to keep my eyes on the road even though I knew I wasn't in a real car I didn't even turn around to notice that there were other passengers in the back seat until a few minutes in I just realized there's a person sitting next to me and people in the backseat wow I could empty the car too no no that's that's great the pouring rain and the sounds of trucks and cars zipping by almost made me forget I was sitting in my office in addition to these scenarios Amelia also offers mindfulness environments to treat anxiety and other conditions this transports the user to a calming space like a beautiful landscape and then walks them through relaxation exercises another advantage that comes with VR is that therapists can actually tailor the situation to the patient or client's needs for example if a person with a fear of flying is particularly afraid of the takeoff and Landing process therapists like Dr ger can use VR to focus on just that in a plane you'd have one takeoff and One landed and if people flew infrequently like every couple of months or so then that would happen very infrequently but I could have someone take off from land multiple times in a day would you try VR to conquer your fears let me know in the comments and don't forget to keep following CNET to catch more of our VR coverage thanks for watching and I'll see you next time\n"