VR Exposure Therapy for PTSD
Clinician-guided virtual reality tools designed to improve access, precision, and engagement in trauma-focused therapy.
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Trauma-focused therapies are effective, but access remains limited and engagement can be difficult for many patients. This project explores how controlled, clinician-guided virtual reality can support existing therapeutic approaches by reducing reliance on imagination alone and improving treatment consistency.
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This initiative represents the convergence of military medical experience, interactive systems design, and venture-stage execution.
The Problem
Limitations in Current PTSD Treatment Delivery
Prolonged Exposure therapy and EMDR are evidence-based treatments, but both rely heavily on patient recall and imagination. For many individuals living with PTSD, visualizing traumatic experiences in sufficient detail can be cognitively and emotionally taxing, contributing to extended treatment timelines and elevated dropout risk. Access to specialized care is further constrained by cost, geography, and clinician bandwidth.
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These challenges are not theoretical—they are experienced daily by clinicians and patients navigating real-world treatment environments.
Clinician-Guided VR Exposure Therapy
Virtual reality offers an opportunity to support trauma-focused therapy by providing controlled, repeatable, and clinician-directed exposure environments. When designed appropriately, VR can reduce cognitive load, improve consistency, and allow clinicians to tailor exposure intensity while maintaining therapeutic control.
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The opportunity is not to replace existing therapies, but to augment them with better tools.
How It Works
Step 1: Clinician Configuration
Clinicians select or configure a simplified VR scenario based on therapeutic goals, exposure hierarchy, and patient readiness.
Step 2: Guided VR Session
The patient engages with the VR environment during a supervised therapy session, with the clinician controlling pacing, duration, and exposure intensity.
Step 3: Therapeutic Integration
The VR experience is integrated into the broader therapeutic process, including preparation, monitoring, and post-session processing.
