This is the era of technology, and you must have heard about virtual reality, also known as VR. Virtual reality is often not used in the context of mental health therapy. However, this new concept is changing people’s lives. The use of VR Therapy has been helpful in reproducing real-life scenarios from the comfort of a home.
By creating live experiences for clients, therapists are able to help them get over their fears and phobias and achieve more control over the environment. This solution caters to a wide range of psychological problems and uses a number of techniques. It is also easy to use and implement, even for people who are not very tech-savvy.
Top benefits of Virtual Reality Therapy.
- Improved engagement.
One of the most important benefits of using virtual reality for exposure therapy is that it provides an immersive and engaging experience for the patients. Traditional exposure therapies were not as engaging as these ones. They were repetitive and, therefore, failed to provide an engaging experience for the individuals and often led to demotivation.
- More personalized treatment.
Another benefit of using virtual reality therapy is that it allows the mental health professional to repeat as many scenes as necessary for the patient. It is a form of more personalized treatment. The virtual environment is completely under the control of the professionals. Therefore, it eliminates any issue of interference that may occur in a real-time setting.
- Customizable.
Virtual reality therapy can be customized to fit each patient’s unique needs and requirements. For instance, if a patient has a fear of public speaking or lacks confidence, he or she can be exposed to a virtual audience that is designed for their specific needs.
With such technological advancement, they can practice speaking in front of a small audience and increase their numbers as their anxiety level lowers and they gain confidence.
- Reduces costs and time.
Finding the right time and place for vivo exposure therapy can be lengthy and hectic for the therapists. However, with virtual reality therapy, this problem is eliminated. It can reduce the cost and time required for the treatment.
It gives total freedom to the therapists to control the environment according to their judgment or as per the needs and requirements of the patients. Patients also do not need to travel for the therapy sessions. They can access it easily from their own comfort space.
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- More control over stimuli.
Virtual reality therapy also provides professionals more control over the stimuli that patients are exposed to. They can customize the virtual environment and create scenarios as per the needs of the patients. By monitoring the patient’s response to stimuli, they can also adjust the therapy accordingly.
