MHConcierge has posted several articles in the last year about using virtual reality (VR) for therapy. It is evident that VR is a “thing,” and therapists need to know enough about VR to make an informed decision about whether to incorporate it into their practice. This will be the first of several MHConcierge posts about VR. We will start with a brief overview of VR and VR headsets. Future posts will discuss more specific use of VR with certain disorders, mainly anxiety disorders including social anxiety, phobias, and PTSD, but also pain disorders. And, it can be potentially helpful for
Virtual Reality treatment for pain – “better than medication?”
Virtual-reality worlds filled with penguins and otters are a promising alternative to pain killers, posted on the business news site Quartz.com on 5-2-17, provides a thorough review of the opioid abuse crisis and alternative, evidence-based treatments for chronic pain, including virtual reality (VR) treatments. The author notes that relaxation training can work well, but requires muti-session training programs, practice between appointments, and “in general life gets in the way” for many pain patients. And, many pain patients don’t want a “program,” and are seeking quicker and easier treatments.
Virtual reality-enhanced assessment and therapy – two articles
The American Psychological Association Journal Practice Innovations published “Virtual Reality for Psychological Assessment in Clinical Practice” in the September, 2016 issue. The online blog PsyPost posted “Virtual Reality Training Improves Social Skills in People on the Autism Spectrum” on September 20, 2016.