Exposure therapy is a psychological treatment that has been utilized as a way to help people confront their fears, phobias, or anxieties that we tend to avoid in our lives. While this avoidance can reduce feelings of anxiety short term, it can actually make fears worse over the long term. Psychologists use exposure therapy to help break the pattern of avoidance and create a safe space for the client to address their feared stimulus.
What can be addressed using Exposure Therapy?
Exposure therapy is a versatile treatment that has been show to be effective in treating a wide variety of problems including:
- Phobias
- Panic Disorder
Social Anxiety Disorder
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
How is VR Exposure Therapy Different?
In contrast to exposure therapy, VR exposure therapy incorporates the use of virtual reality technology to administer the exposure. This gives the client and the psychologist more control of the environment where the exposure occurs, the settings of the exposure, and the safety of the client participating in the treatment. The added control does not take away from the realism of the treatment as most clients report that the virtual reality scene creates the same feelings and emotions that are present in a real-world exposure.
What do we treat at the clinic?
Despite the advancements in technology, there are some limitations to what phobias and fears we can treat using VR. Here at HUMAN Integrated Performance, we use VR Exposure Therapy to help our clients who are experiencing:
- Driving Anxiety resulting from motor vehicle accidents
- Specific Phobias such as fear of spiders, fear of flying, fear of heights
- Social Anxiety
- Test Anxiety
- Generalized Anxiety and Depression
How can I try VR Exposure Therapy?
If you feel that VR exposure therapy could be a good fit for you, you can start by meeting with one of our wonderful psychologists and chat with them about the fears that you are dealing with. From there, your psychologist will develop a treatment plan that they will go over with you before starting treatment. They will teach you a variety of different coping exercises and skills that you can utilize during the exposure to help manage your emotions during the exposure.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do I need to see a psychologist in order to try VR Exposure?
Yes! Seeing a psychologist before starting any form of exposure therapy is required as they will determine if the therapy is a good fit or if there are different interventions that may be a better fit for you
- How long is a session of exposure therapy?
We offer 30-minute VR exposure therapy sessions for our clients
- How can I book it?
Give us a call here at the clinic! One of our Patient Experience Coordinators will happily help get you booked in for an appointment to help get you started on your road to recovery.
