Harley Street Psychology Clinic Introduces Next Generation Virtual Reality Therapy with 90% Success Rates
A psychology clinic located on prestigious Harley Street, London, is pioneering the way for virtual reality (VR) to be used to treat a range of mental health issues. Taking a unique approach that involves blending VR with more traditional treatment methods, the Health Psychology Clinic is successfully treating 90% of patients across a range of conditions.
Through its next generation approach, the established clinic is helping to further a new gold standard for the treatment of anxiety and phobia management. The immersive VR technology, which includes a headset and earphones, submerges patients into an alternate world they can interact with, helping them to confront perceived problems and challenges. When combined with traditional cognitive behavioural therapy and biofeedback, virtual reality boasts an impressive 90% success rate, marking it as a future treatment option that psychologists should be exploring.
Joanna Konstantopoulou, Registered Health Psychologist and Founder of Health Psychology Clinic said, “Virtual reality is still relatively new and much of the developments focus on the entertainment industry, but it holds a huge amount of potential for the treatment of mental health disorders. Since we began using VR at the Health Psychology Clinic in 2017, we’ve already seen exceptional results. As the tech further develops and professionals continue to explore how it can benefit patients, I expect VR to take centre stage.”
VR technology allows Konstantopoulou to create a platform where patients can escape from their worries and break down concerns into manageable chunks, creating better ways of dealing with them. The tech has also proven vital for the treatment of phobias, encouraging patients to face their fears and develop improved coping mechanisms in an environment where they’re safe.
The application of virtual reality can also be used to effectively treat the fear of flying, exam anxiety, public speaking anxiety, pain management, depression, and body image issues, as well as supporting mindfulness techniques. The Health Psychology Clinic is already exploring how VR can further complement well-established treatments and is committed to innovating how VR is used throughout the industry.
A visit to the leading Harley Street practice includes a clinical and lifestyle assessment and a complete psycho-education about the patient’s issue to allow an effective treatment plan to be created.
To find out more visit healthpsychologyclinic.co.uk/.