Virtual VR TierOne therapy was created to support the mental health of patients struggling with depression, anxiety and stress. Research demonstrates a strong connection between depression and physical health, which is why the VR TierOne solution is aimed at people who have lost their physical health in the result of the disease, and their unfavourable mental condition inhibits the healing process. The therapeutic factor is not only the immersive Virtual Reality, but also elements of Ericksonian psychotherapy. Mental disorders can be successfully treated, and sometimes pharmacotherapy will be required, but in other cases psychotherapy will work or both methods are required simultaneously. The biggest issue is the availability of professional mental support for people in need. Due to economic reasons and the lack of a sufficient number of psychotherapists, patients are left to themselves in depression, stress and anxiety. Weakened by the disease, patients lack the motivation and determination to seek and wait for psychological support. VR TierOne therapy applies technology to bring mental health care closer to patients and enable mental support in a short time.
Short-term therapy
Psychotherapy doesn’t have to last years. Especially when we have a specific problem to solve. In the event of a sudden loss of health and depression, anxiety or stress, short-term therapy can be attempted. This kind of therapy does not delve into the patients’ past, does not analyze their biography, but focuses on what is difficult for them at present. In the event of illness, such therapy may be appropriate. Problems brought about by the disease will be the main area of work. The most important assumption of short-term psychotherapy is to induce beneficial change during a small number of meetings. Short-term therapy can take place in many psychotherapeutic currents, one of them is the Ericksonian trend focusing on the patients’ strengths, and not their deficits. The method of working in this trend is oriented towards the future, not the past.
Ericksonian therapy
Milton H. Erickson will be remembered as a psychotherapist following his own path. With his unusual method of working with the patient, he gave rise to the so-called Ericksonian trend. He believed that every person has the potential to solve their problem. In the Ericksonian trend, the therapy based on the achievements of this eminent psychotherapist, focuses on extracting the hidden potential of the patients and using their own strength to make positive changes. The task of the therapist working in the mainstream is to use the patient’s resources through the appropriate type of communication. The person conducting the therapy emphasizes what is positive in the patient. The therapist creates an appropriate atmosphere in which the patient discovers his unconscious resources that are required for constructive changes. Erickson’s therapy is focused on the present, yet oriented towards the future. As a rule, it is a short-term therapy, but can transfer to long-term type. It works well in the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders, alleviating psychosomatic symptoms, and is also effective in crisis situations.
Effective short-term VR TierOne therapy
The World Health Organization (WHO) points to a gap in mental health treatment. The services of mental health professionals are not available to all people in need of them. Untreated depression results in other diseases and disabilities, putting a strain on healthcare professionals worldwide. Early antidepressant treatment improves physical condition and speeds recovery. For this reason, efforts are made to ensure that the medical personnel in the first line of contact with patients pays attention to the mental health of their patients. Here at VR TierOne we understand the link between the psyche and physical health problems. The proposed solution is a response to the world’s need to help and support people with depression, anxiety and stress disorders. In cooperation with a psychotherapist, a unique therapy was created based on Ericksonian psychotherapy, capable of effective reduction of depression, stress and anxiety in a short time. VR TierOne therapy owes its effectiveness mainly to Virtual Reality and Ericksonian therapy. Both these elements share a common feature – the introduction of patients in the “here and now” condition.
VR technology, known from computer games and entertainment, ensures immersion and interaction with the created environment. Medicine draws from these VR properties. In the field of medical application, Virtual Reality is devoid of side effects and brings therapeutic experiences. VR gives the opportunity to create an environment conducive to treatment, in the case of VR TierOne it is the Garden of Rebirth. VR technology makes the patient easily plunge into the world prepared for him, focuses on what he sees and hears at a given moment. It separates itself from anything that interferes with focus and attention. VR makes the therapy run more efficiently and can be carried out in a short time. The relaxation effect during therapy extends the use of the VR TierOne solution to relatively healthy people who want to maintain mental well-being. Virtual therapy maintained in the Ericksonian trend increases the feeling of being present in the moment. Under the influence of thoughtful and creative messages, rich in metaphors, symbols and suggestions, the patient begins to feel the motivation and strength coming from within.
The therapy is planned for short-term intervention that consists of a cycle of 8 therapeutic sessions. The effectiveness of short-term VR TierOne therapy was ensured by the use of carefully selected and complementary therapeutic elements, acting on the patient at the same time. Therapy carried out in the virtual world does not replace the psychotherapist, it even happens that it paves the way and breaks the patient’s reluctance to contact a specialist. VR TierOne, by no means, poses a threat to mental health professionals, it can help make the patient more open to psychotherapy. The VR TierOne medical device can be successfully applied in hospitals, clinics, sanatoriums, rehabilitation and wellness centres. VR TierOne therapy is conducted by a virtual therapist, both the session and the entire cycle lasts a fixed amount of time. This means that patients do not give up the therapy, they know how long it will take and its cost, which is much lower compared to traditional psychotherapy, and the effects come faster.
Two weeks of daily sessions are able to empower the patients enough to take action and join their healing process. In VR TierOne therapy, the patient gains motivation and faith in their abilities. Short-term VR TierOne therapy can be understood as a prelude – an independent short intervention or an introduction – to further therapy with a mental health specialist.
Advantages of the short-term VR TierOne therapy:
- effectiveness confirmed by research in the field of reducing depression, stress and anxiety,
- relaxing and analgesic effect,
- no side effects,
- easy to use,
- pleasant experience,
- increase in motivation,
- acceptance by patients,
- increase in agency and influence on one’s own life,
- quick verification of the effectiveness of the therapy,
- low therapy dropout figures,
- financial availability for a wider group of patients,
- focusing on the problem without looking into the past,
- lack of stigma associated with traditional psychotherapy,
- possibility of returning to therapy and restarting the cycle.
