Using VR With Clients
HIGHLIGHTS FROM AMHCA ’ S 2023 ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Using VR With Clients
CUTTING-EDGE SESSION Using VR to Enhance Your Therapy Practice
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I use VR in five different ways in my therapy practice :
1 . Relaxation training ( aka somatic quieting );
2 . Exposure therapy ; 3 . Behavioral activation ;
4 . Building social skills and social supports ( i . e ., socializing ), and
5 . Psychoeducation .
Here is a brief overview of each of these approaches .
1 . VR for Relaxation Training
When teaching clients relaxation techniques , I offer to introduce them to VR in session . I use an app that allow clients to choose a relaxing natural environment , such as a tropical island , a green forest , a savannah , a snowy forest , the mountains , underwater , or even outer space . Clients can glide through the landscape , listening to nature sounds and watching animals poke around against the background of quiet , ambient music . There are also apps for guided meditation , breathing exercises , and even tai chi .
Many clients who struggle with guided imagery and traditional breathing exercises find these apps very helpful . The apps are also great for therapists to use for self-care during a break between clients or after a long workday .
2 . VR for Exposure Therapy
One commonality among all evidence-based psychotherapies is that they involve intentionally and directly encountering troubling issues . Our clients don ’ t recover by avoiding their problems and stressors — they do so by directly addressing them . Exposure therapy ( ET ) is defined by the American Psychological Association as “ a psychological treatment that was developed to help people confront their fears .” ET is an evidence-based therapy commonly used for phobias , panic disorder , social anxiety disorder , OCD , posttraumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ), and generalized anxiety disorder . ET can be provided through :
• In vivo exposure : Exposing clients to aversive stimuli in “ the real world ”
• VR exposure : Exposing clients to aversive stimuli through VR technology
• Imaginal exposure : Prompting clients to imagine themselves encountering aversive stimuli
• Interoceptive exposure : Prompting clients to replicate the somatic symptoms of distress ( e . g ., rapid / shallow breathing ) associated with exposure to aversive stimuli .
When I started examining meta-analyses ( i . e ., statistical analyses that combine the results of multiple studies exploring the same research question ) related to the efficacy of exposure therapies , I assumed that the effect size ( i . e ., the magnitude of the therapeutic effect ) of in vivo exposure would be superior to
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Photo by kegfire
The Advocate Magazine 2023 , Issue # 2 American Mental Health Counselors Association ( AMHCA ) www . amhca . org 15