Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy reinforces Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy protocols. The assistant accompanies the patient without judgment at each stage of the exposure, in addition to the work carried out with the practitioner.
In a CBT protocol, exposure to feared situations (metro, crowds, public places) constitutes a key step in working on agoraphobia and panic attacks. However, reproducing these situations in consultation is not always simple.
Some depend on an external context that is difficult to request on demand, or on the presence of third parties that the practitioner does not control. Their intensity and progression also remain complex to adjust session after session.
Virtual reality makes it possible to recreate some of these contexts directly in the office, in a controlled and reproducible environment, without depending on the hazards of the field.
The C2Care environments make it possible to recreate situations associated with anticipatory anxiety worked in CBT, such as the busy subway, crowds or public places.
The practitioner chooses the scene adapted to the objectives of the session and adjusts the intensity of the stimuli in real time, based on the patient's reactions. Exposure can thus be repeated and intensified gradually, at the pace of the protocol.
This work is integrated into the cognitive restructuring carried out in parallel, allowing the patient to confront his catastrophic thoughts with a concrete and controlled situation.
VRET
The practitioner seats the patient on a swivel chair and fits them with the virtual reality headset
Using the control interface, the practitioner selects the environment suited to the session's goals and starts the exposure.
During immersion, the practitioner supports the patient using a visual feed and can adjust the exposure scene in real time
Environments
The metro scenes offer variable attendance, at night or in the event of a breakdown.
Outdoor spaces and supermarkets are offered with several densities of people.
Conference rooms, meeting rooms and lecture halls offer several reactions from the public.
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Solène Montègue
Neuropsychiatrist
The developments C2Care is currently integrating into the interface are very promising and meet the established therapeutic objectives [...]: offering tailored exercises that can be adapted to levels of dependency, cognitive disorders, and patients' real-time responses.
Samia Lahya
Psychiatrist
With the acquisition of new equipment [...] and updates to the C2Care programs, its use has expanded even further: OCD, phobias, addictions, anxiety disorders, depression, and PTSD. Ten years later, it is no longer merely a curiosity, but a genuine therapeutic tool that is stimulating, innovative, and effective.
Sabrina Gineau
Psychologist
I incorporate this technology into brief therapies lasting two to four months, with one session per week. I begin with relaxation techniques and, when patients are ready, we proceed. It makes it much easier to expose people to these situations.
Noël Schepers
Psychologist
Virtual reality can enrich and personalize treatment, facilitate patient-therapist collaboration in developing the treatment plan, and add a playful dimension. The possibilities for development and application are immense and extend to every area of psychology and psychotherapy.
MĂ©lanie Boucherot
Psychologist
The value of this technology [C2Care] lies in offering new possibilities for therapeutic support and expanding the range of tools available to healthcare professionals.
François Maltese
Psychologist
For several months, we have been using virtual reality in habituation therapies. Before the procedure, patients are progressively and immersively exposed to their future medical environment and psychologically prepared to accept it.
Dre Marie-Claude Roberge
Doctor of Psychology
Since 2022, we have been using virtual reality therapy with the C2Care platform to simulate exposure to aversive stimuli and triggers that cause anxiety. Exposure therapy is used to treat specific phobias, including fear of heights, enclosed spaces, flying, dogs, emetophobia, and many others.
Dr Laure Du Pouget
Urologist
Using a virtual reality headset for self-hypnosis during prostate biopsies creates a calm atmosphere for a procedure that can sometimes be uncomfortable, even with effective local anesthesia...
Delphine Py
Psychologist
Thank you to C2Care for providing innovative virtual reality solutions to support CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy)! A major step forward in making exposure exercises easier and helping our patients overcome their phobias.
Monaghesh et al. — CBT assisted by virtual reality to improve theory of mind and reduce paranoia in patients with schizophrenia
Virtual reality assisted cognitive behavioral therapy improves theory of mind and decreases paranoia in patients with schizophrenia: a randomized controlled trial
Arnfred et al. — CBT group with virtual reality exposure versus in vivo exposure for social anxiety disorder and agoraphobia
Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy With Virtual Reality Exposure Versus In-Vivo Exposure for Social Anxiety Disorder and Agoraphobia: Underpowered Results From the SoREAL Pragmatic Randomized Clinical Trial
van Loenen et al. — Effectiveness of CBT based on virtual reality exposure for severe anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder
The Effectiveness of Virtual Reality Exposure-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Severe Anxiety Disorders, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Meta-analysis
Steenen et al. — Interventions to reduce adult state anxiety, dental anxiety, and dental phobia
Interventions to reduce adult state anxiety, dental trait anxiety, and dental phobia: A systematic review and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials
Chen et al. — Effects of virtual reality rehabilitation on cognitive function and activities of daily living in patients with post-stroke cognitive impairment
Effects of Virtual Reality Rehabilitation Training on Cognitive Function and Activities of Daily Living of Patients With Poststroke Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Discover more
Depending on your patients' needs, other areas may also be relevant to explore. Discover the different environments available in C2Care.
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FAQ
Here are the answers to the questions most asked by practitioners about Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy and its integration into CBT protocols.
Virtual reality allows for graduated exposure to anxiety-provoking stimuli in a secure and reproducible setting. It promotes patient engagement and allows the practitioner to adapt each virtual environment. It applies to anxiety disorders, phobias, addictions, mood disorders and cognitive remediation.
C2Care has been testing its virtual reality exposure therapy software in hospitals since 2016. The clinical case presented on this page, written in 2016, illustrates this initial period of use of the VRET in addition to cognitive-behavioral therapies.
A virtual environment is an immersive scene reproducing an anxiety-provoking situation, such as the subway or the crowd in the clinical case presented here. The patient explores this environment via a headset, under the control of the practitioner who adjusts the intensity of the stimuli.
Some users may experience cybersickness, a sensation similar to motion sickness, which affects around 10% of people. This phenomenon remains temporary and does not call into question the therapeutic use of the VR headset, supervised by the practitioner.
Virtual reality treats anxiety disorders, including phobias and post-traumatic stress, as well as addictions, mood disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorders. The clinical case presented here concerns agoraphobia, panic attacks and moderate depression.
Practitioners such as psychologists, psychiatrists and occupational therapists use virtual reality to support their patients. In the case presented, virtual reality exposure therapy complements traditional cognitive-behavioral therapy treatment.
Yes, all C2Care environments are grouped into a single application. The practitioner can thus move from one scene to another, such as the subway or the crowd, without changing software during the session.
Patients suffering from anxiety disorders, phobias or panic attacks may benefit from virtual reality exposure therapy. The clinical case presented here concerns an agoraphobic patient with panic attacks and moderate depression, in addition to cognitive-behavioral therapy.
