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Virtual Reality for Mental
Health
 What are Virtual Reality Exposure
Therapies (VRET)?

A TREATMENT WITH PROVEN

EFFECTIVENESS

A MULTIFACTORIAL THERAPEUTIC
APPROACH

THERAPIES ACCESSIBLE
TO EVERYONE

AN ADAPTATIVE
TECHNOLOGY

THE FUTURE OF
NON-PHARMACOLOGICAL
THERAPIES
Mental Health 2.0
Mental health refers to the public health domain that addresses
psychological disorders. The impact on individuals' functioning is
significant and requires appropriate care. Today, this field is in a dynamic of
restructuring, with a focus on non-pharmacological alternatives. In this
sense, attention and hopes are turning towards new technologies that
answer the call by developing e-health. Among the leading techniques,
virtual reality therapies are at the forefront.

VRET : New Approaches

In essence, virtual reality can be defined as an application that allows a
user to interact with a virtual environment. In a therapeutic context, virtual
reality emerges as an alternative and optimized method of exposure in
light of the principles of cognitive-behavioral therapies. These are brief
therapies, focused on the "here and now." They require the use of specific
equipment to immerse patients in environments where sensory stimuli are
integrated, triggering the onset of emotions, behaviors, and dysfunctional
thoughts to facilitate desensitization.
 VRET
01 Definition, Techniques, Advantages and
Scientific Research

BECOMING AN EXPERT THERAPIST

02 How, What Training, and Why
TABLE OF Pursue It?

CONTENTS 03
VR IMMERSION
A Visual Exploration of C2Care’s VR
Environments

C2CARE YOUR PARTNAIR

04 The Various Scope of Our
Offerings
PART I
Virtual Reality Exposure
Therapies
WHAT ARE VRETs ?
To date, Cognitive Behavioral Therapies (CBT) are the only therapies with scientific validity.
Recommended by the High Authority of Health, these therapies utilize cognitive and behavioral
methods to treat psychological disorders. Habituation is one of the psychophysiological
mechanisms sought after: it arises from exposure. The principle is simple: the patient is
gradually confronted with stimuli that generate dysfunctional emotions, cognitions, and
behaviors until these are extinguished. This is a counter-conditioning caused by new learning.

Until recently, there were two exposure techniques: imaginal and "in vivo," or confrontation with
real stimuli. These techniques present complexities in their application, notably the accessibility
of environments. Clinicians and researchers have turned to virtual reality to address these
deficiencies, with success. Indeed, this technology allows for the infinite replication of exposure
situations while retaining the therapeutic benefits of in vivo. Thus, the 4th wave of CBT, known
as Virtual Reality Exposure Therapies (VRET), was born.
VRET Techniques

Activation of the Habituation

limbic system Exposure until a significant
During exposure to reduction in the dysfunctional
synthetic stimuli
response

Graduation Repetition
With a progressive Until the dysfunctional
exposure to stimuli response is extinguished
 The Advantages of Virtual Reality

EFFICACY SPEED ERGONOMICS CONTROLLABILITY

Therapeutic benefits identical Significant time savings Multifactorial use Maximized supervision for
to in vivo the therapist

CONFIDENTIALITY ACCESSIBILITY SAFETY ENJOYABLE

Immersion from the Immediate exposure Secure environments, no Promotes therapeutic
therapist’s office real danger engagement
Scientific
Research on
VRET
Virtual reality (VR) enhances scientific research through
new paradigms involving human-machine interaction.
In the field of Psychopathology, studies utilizing VR for
therapeutic purposes are increasingly numerous and
yield convincing results. The primary interest lies in
being able to transfer the acquired knowledge in the
virtual environment to the patients' daily lives.

The range of applications is vast, and experiments have

multiplied over the years. The compelling results
provide scientific validation for this method, which
continues to grow in its clinical applications.
 RESOURCES ON ANXIETY DISORDERS
Phobies Troubles de stress Post-Traumatique
● Comparison of the therapeutic effectiveness in patients ● Combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder
with generalized anxiety disorder, agoraphobia and panic (Rothbaum, 2011)(LINK)
disorder (North, 1994) (LINK) Significant reduction in anxiety and depressive
Significant Reduction in Anxiety and Avoidance symptoms sustained
● Acrophobie (Emmelkamp, 2002) Virtual Reality treatment
versus exposure in vivo: a comparative evaluation in ● (Roy, 2016)
acrophobia (LINK) Significant reduction in amygdala in war traumas
Efficacité égale
● Virtual reality in the treatment of spider phobia: A
controlled study (Garcia-Palacios, 2003) (LINK)
Significant reduction in anxiety and avoidance
maintenance of gains at +6 months
● Generalized Social Anxiety Disorder( Geraets, 2019)(LINK)
Significant reduction in anxiety related to social
interactions, depressive symptoms, and significant
improvement in quality of life
 RESOURCES ON ADDICTIONS
Substances Gambling
● Virtual Reality cue exposure for the relapse prevention of ● Exposure Therapy for Gambling Disorder: Systematic
tobacco consumption (Malbos 2016)(LINK) Review and Meta-analysis (Bergeron, 2022)
Effectiveness of CBT coupled with VRET in the exposure therapy reduces gambling cravings and
prevention of smoking relapse in subjects with smoking severity, as well as time spent gambling and erroneous
abstinence beliefs

● Efficacy of VRET for the treatment of alcohol use disorder

(Deng 2022)(LINK)
VRET Effective in the Short-term and Long-term,
Sustaining Abstinence at +3 Years
PART II
Becoming an Expert
Therapist in Virtual Reality
Highly Recommended Training

To effectively use virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) software, it is highly recommended to have a
background in behavioral techniques. Specifically, exposure techniques are the theoretical foundations that will
be most essential in the practice of VRET. Some VRET training programs provide, in addition to the methods
related to virtual reality, the prerequisites in cognitive-behavioral therapies.

The training options are as follows:

Online training, 2-hour duration (technical and medical aspects)

In-person training for institutions, half-day duration, 3.5 hours (technical and medical aspects)
Why Become a Therapist Specialized in
Virtual Reality?
Today, mental health is increasingly recognized by public authorities. The impact of psychological disorders is
finally acknowledged as a distinct illness. This recognition has led to the proliferation of healthcare services and
training for healthcare professionals. Virtual reality fits seamlessly into cognitive-behavioral therapies,
recognized as the only therapy with scientific validity.

Virtual Reality offers a plethora of exposure environments, thus addressing the deficiencies of in vivo exposure.
From the therapist's office, the patient can be virtually exposed to situations like flying, being on top of a building,
facing a spider, or being transported to a maximized relaxation environment, all without the time-consuming and
sometimes impossible accessibility issues of these environments and/or phobic stimuli.

Non-pharmacological therapies are gaining popularity, and for good reason. Faced with the detrimental
consequences of medication-based treatments, professionals and patients are seeking alternative solutions. VRET
fits into this approach and enhances the skills of therapists trained in this field.
PART III
Immersion in Virtual
Reality Environments
Virtual Reality Exposure Therapies (VRET) are
based on the principles of exposure therapy in
cognitive-behavioral therapy. Social Phobia
Patients are placed in virtual situations that are
actively avoided due to their anxiety-inducing
Specific Phobia
nature, and this exposure is prolonged and
repeated. The patient gradually becomes
Agoraphobia
accustomed to the virtual anxiety-inducing stimuli Post-Traumatic
and, through the transfer of learning, can regain
normal functioning.
Virtual environments replicating ecological
situations in which craving cues (intense desire to
consume/engage in a behavior) have been placed
will allow the patient to confront their challenges.

Through exposure to the object and/or cues of Substance

addiction, the therapist will work not only on active
cognitive processes but also on problematic and Gambling
behavior by providing them with the appropriate
methods to manage their addiction. Addiction
Work on Body Dysmorphic Disorder using the
silhouette test, which has been replicated for in
virtuo assessment. Immersion enhances the
accuracy of the evaluation and provides an
additional qualitative diagnostic tool. With this
test, you can assess the severity of body
dysmorphic disorder or uncover irrational
expectations.
Eating
Disorders
This application also helps increase awareness of
the disorder by confronting the patient with their Dysmorphophobia
actual silhouette compared to their self-perceived
silhouette.
The numerous environments offered will help initiate
positive emotions and establish a state of tranquility.
Optimize your mindfulness, sophrology, hypnosis, and
relaxation sessions with environments created
through the collaboration between our scientific team
and specialists. Relaxation
Whether symptoms of stress and anxiety take on a Hypnosis
pathological nature or simply cast a shadow on your
patients' daily lives, C2Hypno will assist you in their
treatment.
PART IV
C2Care: Your Partner
for VRET
ABOUT THE
AUTHORS
We are developing therapeutic software
based on exposure therapies under the
guidance of university medical teams and
healthcare professionals.

We have developed multiple treatment

modules, a teleconsultation platform, and
have the ambition to create new innovative
solutions, all with the goal of simplifying
access to healthcare, especially in the field of
mental health.
 OUR SOLUTIONS
+250 Virtual Reality VR Trainings AppC2Care for an easy
Environnements use
Réalité Virtuelle

● Developed in collaboration with ● Support for quick and ● A dedicated platform for the
over 25 academic teams easy integration therapist
● Customizable VR scenes tailored ● In-person or remote ● Monitoring of exposures
to each patient training ● Access to all environnements
● Patient tracking
Multiple Usage Scenarios

Individual Group Therapy Remote

Consultation

Des Solutions adaptées aux professionnels de santé

Private Practitioner Institution Others

(Associations,...)
THANK YOU
Any Questions?

contact@c2.care
https://c2.care

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