Knowledge about VR
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Literature
Efficacy of Virtual Reality Therapy for Anxiety Disorders
Results of a systematic review and meta-analysis
Some of the key findings from the recent original publications on VRET
Patient perception of VRET vs. in-vivo therapy
References
"The VR applications open up new possibilities in therapeutic practice, especially in the treatment of anxiety. Exposures can be tailored to the individual needs of patients, making therapy not only more effective but also significantly more efficient. The new extensions particularly enhance the support options for patients during exposure and offer a variety of new VR videos and treatment options. I no longer want to miss VR in therapeutic work."
Dr. Anja Bauer
Child and adolescent psychotherapist
"Virtual reality allows me to meet patients exactly where they are. The combination of immersive VR experiences with personal contact creates a safe space where difficult topics can be addressed more easily. This way, it is possible to not only develop new insights but also to sustainably transfer them into everyday life – a challenge that often lies at the heart of therapeutic work."
Dr. Claudia Ruff
Psychological psychotherapist
"It was also surprising for us how well virtual therapy scenarios are received and how effective they can be. Our study shows that a supportive, therapy-accompanying VR relaxation intervention can be effectively implemented and is effective even in an outpatient psychiatric setting."
Prof. Dr. Christine Rummel-Kluge
Senior physician and head of the psychiatric outpatient clinic at Leipzig University Hospital
"People are visual – in therapy, I often hit limits with words. A real height exposure is hardly feasible in terms of time, but with VR, it can be implemented immediately. At virtuallythere, I noticed right away: You think from the perspective of therapists and continue to develop the media library in a practical way. The support is also quick and competent."
Sarah Überall
Diploma Psychologist, Psychological Psychotherapist
"The VR headset makes it easier to start exposure therapy – especially for patients who struggle to overcome their fears. Scenarios like crowds can also be implemented realistically and easily with it."
Anna-Sophia Fritsch
Psychological psychotherapist
"I conducted the first confrontation with the emetophobia videos. Everything worked perfectly. I was thrilled. The patient was too. Next week, we will address the fear of flying."
Anja Pajda-Zawada
Diploma Psychologist
"We have clinically tested the VR media library from virtuallythere with my team. In our daily clinical practice, we can scientifically work on fears, phobias, as well as addiction and relaxation. The range of scenarios is very broad and clearly topic-oriented."
PD Dr. med. Bernd Ibach
Chief physician a.D., Zentrum Alterspsychiatrie, Clienia-Gruppe
"If patients are to immerse themselves in a previously experienced situation, it often isn't very powerful. With virtual situations, I can bring the experience directly into the therapy session. This allows me to achieve faster, more secure, and lasting results with my patients."
Iris Naumann
Alternative practitioner for psychotherapy
Virtual reality has the great advantage that I can spontaneously enter a relevant situation with a patient – simply and easily. The application can be used individually and achieves excellent results in a very short time. I'm continually fascinated by it and wouldn't want to be without it in my practice anymore.
Anja Hirth
Hypnotherapist and alternative practitioner for psychotherapy
"With virtual reality, I achieve a more realistic experience in therapy sessions than "just" talking – I can connect what we have worked on in therapy with real experiences."
Johanna Funk
Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, Sonthofen
"I definitely recommend virtuallythere. Exposures can be implemented as often as therapeutically appropriate – without much effort. For example, with agoraphobia, I was now able to easily use a train station scene, which was hardly practical before. The patients can then continue to practice well on their own."
Nina Klasen
Psychological Psychotherapist, Berlin
"The patient already showed significant physical reactions (heart palpitations, sweating, nervousness) with simpler videos and was noticeably startled by thunder and lightning. In more difficult scenes, there was intense fear—supported by wind simulation and headphones. After about 12 minutes, a clear habituation was achieved, and by the end, she was able to watch all the videos largely emotion-neutral."
Elena Sauer
Psychological Psychotherapist, Center for Psychotherapy Humboldt University of Berlin
As a behavioral therapist for children, adolescents, and adults, I value virtuallythere as a valuable addition to treatment. In addition to the high motivational factor – as the entry into virtual reality is simply fascinating – VR has proven particularly effective in exposure therapy. Especially in situations that are difficult or even impossible to carry out in reality, VR allows for effective preparation. For example, in the case of blood-injection phobia, visual and auditory impressions from the video can be specifically combined with tactile stimuli.
Dr. Johanna Thünker
Child and adolescent psychotherapist in Bottrop
As a child and adolescent psychotherapist, I currently use the VR headset primarily for the treatment of social phobias and blood/injection phobias. The videos for blood draws are already very helpful – a vaccination video would be great, as many patients are more afraid of injections than of blood draws. It was especially nice to use the Ferris wheel video as a reward for an 8-year-old girl who missed visiting the fair during the lockdown – she was thrilled!
Stephanie Bona
Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, Munich
"I use virtuallythere to bring more variety to therapy sessions and to implement confrontations – such as with fear of driving or social phobias – more easily. My patients also experience a noticeable boost in motivation through working with the VR headset."
Michaela Pfeifer
Psychological Psychotherapist, Bovenden
Frequently asked questions
After the approximately one-hour onboarding, we recommend setting aside 1–2 hours to familiarize yourself with the extensive video library and to try out the VR headset yourself. This way, you can quickly find suitable content for your patients. Once you have an idea, you can get started in the next session. A simple quick guide will help you implement everything smoothly.
The video library is easy to search – you can search by keywords or filter specifically according to your needs. Each video is precisely described: with a title, short description, teaser video, and five clearly defined parameters in four gradations. This way, you can find the right one in seconds. Of course, you can use the videos flexibly – also to support diagnostics.
With VR@Home, your patients can easily continue practicing at home. They transfer selected VR content to a second headset and provide it along with your therapeutic instructions to the patient. We also offer rental headsets for this purpose. There is a detailed guide available for both you and your patients. Through your VRET portal, you can keep track: you can see how often practice sessions occurred, what feedback the patient provided, and you can respond directly if needed. This way, progress can be easily monitored and targeted continuation can take place in the next session.
In the VRET portal, you have a synchronized 2D view of the VR experience – directly on the device of your choice (PC, tablet, laptop, or smartphone). Through the web browser, you can closely follow what the patient sees and where they move their head. You also have the option to pause the session, set repetitions, and take notes during the process.
We recommend our pre-installed Pico models. They offer a very good price-performance ratio and come with pre-installation, service, storage box, and warranty. If you already own your own glasses, you can also use one of the following models:
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You only need an internet-capable device with a web browser (e.g., PC, Mac, tablet, or laptop) and a stable internet connection—ideally through a reliable Wi-Fi. This way, streaming or downloading the VR videos will work smoothly. Additionally, you need a VR headset that is compatible with our VT system (see above).
Only application data is processed – for example, exercise frequency, feedback, or your own notes. The real names of the patients are not stored, so no direct assignment is possible. Data protection is always ensured.
Theoretically yes – but we advise against it. In a shared account, all applications and notes are stored together, which can lead to privacy issues and overlaps.
Better: You can simply add more users through the existing account. This way, each person has their own secure user account – with separate data and full functionality.
In the VT system, the following information is processed:
- Selecting a diagnosis (e.g. phobia – social phobia - crowd)
- Assignment of VR videos for application in practice and at home (VR@Home)
- Free text comments from therapists about patients and VRET applications
- Frequency, date, and duration of the VR sessions
- Feedback from patient and therapist on exposures and scenes (including screenshots from video scenes)
All data is anonymized and assigned to a patient ID and can be exported as a PDF if needed.
In the VT system, the following information is processed:
- Selecting a diagnosis (e.g. phobia – social phobia - crowd)
- Assignment of VR videos for application in practice and at home (VR@Home)
- Free text comments from therapists about patients and VRET applications
- Frequency, date, and duration of the VR sessions
- Feedback from patient and therapist on exposures and scenes (including screenshots from video scenes)
All data is anonymized and assigned to a patient ID and can be exported as a PDF if needed.
