ABSTRACT. The use of virtual reality (VR) is rapidly gaining traction as an innovative tool for emotional regulation and the treatment of anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Introducing technology into the practice of psychotherapy requires specialized training, and therapists need to master several key concepts to maximize the benefits of VR.

This workshop is designed for professionals familiar with cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) for anxiety-related disorders in adults and minors. As such, clinical information about CBT and anxiety disorders will be briefly covered. The primary focus will be on providing hands-on, live demonstrations of VR applications within CBT treatment. The presentation will highlight critical distinctions between effective and counterproductive therapeutic strategies. Clinical examples will be provided to illustrate these concepts in practice. The first demonstration will showcase VR´s role in the treatment of OCD, as it provides several practical examples that generalize well to phobias and other anxiety disorders. The second illustration addresses social anxiety disorder, where the integration of VR requires more skills, and more creativity from the therapist. Additionally, the workshop will cover and illustrate the integration of VR in the CBT of selective mutism. The conclusion will discuss the relative importance of the feeling of presence in VR applied in therapy and the management of potential unwanted negative side effects induced by immersion in VR (e.g., cybersickness). By the end of the workshop, participants will have gained practical skills, increased confidence, and a deeper understanding of how to effectively integrate VR into their therapeutic practice to enhance treatment outcomes.

The two workshop leaders have extensive research and clinical experience on the topic. They contributed to the development and validation of virtual environments for anxiety disorders and OCD. This workshop is part of a training program offered by the HEI-Lab Digital-Human Interaction Lab.

After this workshop, participants will be able to: 1) Outline the scientific results about exposure in VR for anxiety disorders and OCD. 2) Identify the key ingredients relevant for using VR and how they differ between each clinical condition. 3) Know how to include VR in their CBT practice to approach creatively the use of a variety of software. 4) Recognize and deal with cybersickness and take necessary clinical precautions. 5) Describe how to increase the sense of presence in order to make VR work more efficiently, or to deal with low level immersion. 6) Apply VR in ways that reduce avoidance and increase its therapeutic potential.