VR and Diverse Populations
Case Example : Therapeutic use of VR
Advantages of VR Therapy
Contraindications for VR Therapy
HIGHLIGHTS FROM AMHCA ’ S 2023 ANNUAL CONFERENCE
CUTTING-EDGE SESSION Using VR to Enhance Your Therapy Practice
continued on page 16
clients seem to have a natural resistance to “ homework ” assigned by their counselors . VR videos and exercises often provide clients with a more immersive and engaging environment than a book or website .
VR and Diverse Populations
My research on the efficacy of VR exposure therapy in a variety of countries and cultures yielded similar results as those focused on populations within the United States . For example , a quick search in Google Scholar yields successful results from studies using VR exposure therapy in Brazil , China , Iran , Ireland , Israel , Malaysia , Mexico , Norway , and South America , just to name a few . The capacity for the human mind to experience change through immersion seems universal .
Case Example : Therapeutic use of VR
A colleague of mine , Dr . Csaba Osvath at the University of South Florida , created a video about his personal therapeutic use of VR for my students to watch ( watch the video at https :// youtu . be / JE3FuOILzUM ).
In this video , he discusses how he uses VR to address his fear of heights , self-care through artistic and creative endeavors , homesickness as an immigrant from Hungary , and grief related to his grandmother ’ s death .
For example , in a scenario involving public speaking , one platform I use ( Amelia Virtual Care ) allows me to control the size of the audience , how distracted or “ bored ” attendees in the audience are , and the degree to which audience members ask challenging versus supportive questions . In a driving scenario , I can control whether the weather is clear or rainy , how crowded the roads are , and whether there are emergency vehicles or traffic jams , allowing for me to incrementally expose clients to more challenging scenarios .
Confidentiality and privacy can be more effectively safeguarded in VR . For example , clients using an in vivo approach who visit a crowded area with their therapist for a social anxiety-related exposure can be seen or overheard by others in public engaging with their therapist , but this is not the case when the exposure is conducted in VR .
VR also enables LCMHCs and other therapists to recreate or reproduce anxiety-provoking circumstances that are difficult to replicate in vivo . For example , a therapist can ’ t safely or meaningfully recreate the experience of a device exploding and killing the friend of a military servicemember in Iraq , but they can do so in VR .
He has published an extensive volume of videos on his You- Tube channel highlighting the use of VR for education and personal wellness , which can be accessed at https :// bit . ly / 3FxYgIF .
Advantages of VR Therapy
VR therapy is non-invasive and relatively safe ( i . e ., clients may feel at times like they are in danger , but they aren ’ t ). Depending on the platform used , it is customizable and controllable by the therapist .
Contraindications for VR Therapy
Some clients experience motion sickness during VR therapy . This is especially true for clients who experience motion sickness in “ real life ” ( e . g ., on boats or in cars ). Though many clients experiencing motion sickness eventually adjust with continued use of VR , some struggle to do so . continued on page 18 The Advocate Magazine 2023 , Issue # 2 American Mental Health Counselors Association ( AMHCA ) www . amhca . org
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