Xavier Palomer: "With Virtual Reality many disorders can be treated"

With the development of new technologies, new ways of experiencing reality appear. In fact, currently the possibility of creating very realistic digital worlds is a constant in the world of entertainment thanks to advances in the design of three-dimensional environments. But what is not so well known by the general public is that these resources also have a very powerful therapeutic potential.

However, this ignorance is changing rapidly, and more and more mental health professionals are who take advantage of Virtual Reality to help their patients with different emotional disorders and behavioral The creation of Psious by a Spanish team of developers is an example of this., and on this occasion we interviewed its top manager, Xavier Palomer.

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Interview with Psious: the benefits of Virtual Reality in mental health

Xavier Palomer Ripoll is the CEO and founder of Psious, the first Virtual Reality platform oriented towards the treatment of mental health problems.

Psious was founded in Barcelona in 2014, and since then it has been creating content and optimizing its working with patients, as well as expanding through the clinics and psychology consultations of many countries; and all this, with the participation of mental health experts. It is currently possible contact this platform to find out which is the nearest psychologist who uses this technological solution in patient care.

In this interview, Palomer tells us about the positive effects of using Virtual Reality in psychotherapy and psychological assistance services.

In summary, what does Virtual Reality applied to psychotherapy consist of, as you understand it from Psious?

Virtual Reality (VR) is a tool that allows more effective and efficient therapeutic interventions, it is In other words, scientific studies have shown that results are obtained in less time compared to conventional therapies. traditional. This is so because VR allows not only to reproduce real life situations, but also to adapt and control virtual environments to meet the individual needs of each patient.

What types of psychological disturbances respond particularly well to treatment with this technological solution?

With Virtual Reality multiple disorders can be treated. The Psious library allows intervention in more than 20 different pathologies.

The results are especially effective in the treatment of anxiety disorders such as specific phobias (agoraphobia, claustrophobia, fear of heights, flying, etc...) and anxiety widespread, as well as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorders, and many further.

In the case of treating phobias, one of the forms of therapy in which Virtual Reality is most used, what are the main advantages of this method compared to the use of imagination or physical phobic elements and real?

There are many advantages! The use of the imagination requires a great effort on the part of the patient, taking into account that the imaginative capacities vary from person to person. This means that some patients take time to achieve the expected results.

On the other hand, in vivo exposure, that is, exposure to real phobic elements, can be perceived as too much of an experience. intense on the part of some patients, which makes them not feel comfortable with it, negatively influencing the result of the therapy.

Virtual Reality therapy solves these problems. In addition, it allows you to be in the privacy of the therapist's office and provides greater control of phobic stimuli, adapting the therapy to the needs of each patient. For all these reasons, studies agree that VR therapy is the therapy of choice for patients.

What are the most important factors that contribute to making the Virtual Reality experience in a 3D environment immersive and realistic?

Virtual Reality glasses have screens that emit an image in front of the user's eyes, and registers the movement of the head allowing to see in all directions and thus covering the entire field visual. This generates a sensation of immersion and a sense of presence in the patient, that is, the sensation of being present and immersed in the situation in question. These are the two key components of this technology that make VR more and more incorporated in different fields of health.

In which regions is it possible to have Psious technological solutions in terms of Virtual Reality?

More than 2,000 therapists and health professionals in more than 60 countries around the world have incorporated Psious into their practices. Anyone can contact us to find out if there is a specialist in your region using Virtual Reality in their consultation.