Master Clinician Seminar 6 - Using Virtual Reality (VR) to Treat Anxiety Disorders
Saturday, November 19, 2022
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM EST
Location: Majestic/Music Box, 6th Floor
Earn 2 CE Credit
Keywords: Anxiety, Phobias, Telehealth/m-Health Level of Familiarity: All Recommended Readings: McMahon, E., with Boeldt, D. (2022) Chapter 3 "Uses of VR in Anxiety Treatment". In Virtual reality therapy for anxiety: A guide for therapists. Routledge. Carl, E., Stein, A. T., Levihn-Coon, A., Pogue, J. R., Rothbaum, B., Emmelkamp, P., Asmundson, G., Carlbring, P., & Powers, M. B. (2019). Virtual reality exposure therapy for anxiety and related disorders: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of anxiety disorders, 61, 27–36.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2018.08.003 Benbow, A. & Anderson, P. (2019). A meta-analytic examination of attrition in virtual reality exposure therapy for anxiety disorders. Journal of anxiety disorders, 61, 18-26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2018.06.006. Chesham, R., Malouff, J., & Schutte, N. (2018). Meta-Analysis of the Efficacy of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Social Anxiety. Behaviour Change, 35(3), 152-166. doi:10.1017/bec.2018.15 Botella, C., Fernández-Álvarez, J., Guillén, V. et al. Recent Progress in Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Phobias: A Systematic Review. Curr Psychiatry Rep 19, 42 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-017-0788-4
Psychologist Independent Practice San Francisco, California
Virtual reality (VR) can be used in teletherapy to provide immersive, evocative experiences for graduated exposure and other uses. VR is increasingly affordable, available, intuitive, and evidence - based. Clients are actively searching for therapists offering VR therapy (VRT). Attendees will see examples of VR scenarios and products and will learn how VR can be used for various therapeutic purposes, including VR exposure therapy (VRET). Benefits, risks, and research support will be reviewed. Attendees will learn the strengths and limitations of VR exposure compared to imaginal exposure and in vivo exposure. The timing and uses of VR will be discussed in the context of an overall model of anxiety disorders and their treatment.
Outline: • Types of virtual reality (VR) content and equipment needed • Summary of research findings, clinical applications, and benefits of VR • Advantages, disadvantages, and possible risks of VR exposure • Case examples illustrating VR exposure therapy (VRET) for anxiety • How to choose VR product(s) for your practice • Additional training resources
Learning Objectives:
At the end of the session, the learner will be able to:
Describe two uses of virtual reality (VR) in treating anxiety disorders.
List two research findings supporting the use of VR in treating anxiety disorders.
Name one advantage of VR exposure over imaginal exposure.
Explain two advantages of VR exposure over in vivo exposure.
Identify two risks of using VR for exposure therapy.
Long-term Goal: Assess the appropriateness and possible benefits of adding VR as a clinical tool to his/her/their practice.
Long-term Goal: Select VR product(s) appropriate for his/her/their practice and create a VR exposure hierarchy.