VIRTUAL REALITY: AT THE FOREFRONT OF TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES WITH 3D SIMULATIONS TO TREAT MENTAL DISORDERS
The Center for Growth offers Virtual Reality (VR) as one of their innovative services for mental health with the aim of improving therapies for a variety of mental disorders. Virtual Reality is validated by over 20 years of psychological research, shown to improve traditional therapy in a number of ways, including increase accessibility to specific phobias, decrease in costs and time in therapy. Until recently, this technology was only available at Medical Centers and university research laboratories.
Anxiety disorders, from relatively simple specific fears to complex general anxiety, affect approximately 20% of the population, and are one of the main causes of work absenteeism. These disorders affect the quality of life of the patient and tend to worsen if not treated properly. “I wish I had decided to try it before, my life was limited by my irrational fear of flying and I didn't want to accept it. People who suffer from a phobia develop avoidance behaviors in order to not face the fear, and this is why I did fly in a plane for 20 years. Virtual Reality allows you to do so in a controlled and gradual way to get over your fear in a few sessions and without being embarrassed or having a bad time during the treatment” said Dani Roig, Psious co-founder and ex-phobic. [not sure if we need this paragraph]
In the safety of the therapist’s office, clients put on VR goggles and fingertip, biofeedback measuring devices that are connected to a specialized computer program. The therapist is able to manipulate specific conditions, sights, sounds, and scenarios in the artificial environment to specifically target the feared event. Using the biofeedback measures and verbal assessments, the therapist is able to increase or decrease the anxiety provoking stimuli as needed. These customized therapeutic environments allows the therapist to gradually desensitize clients leading to a faster recovery.
Virtual Reality therapy can be used to target specific conditions, such as:
Fear of:
- Flying
- Driving
- Public Speaking
- Test Taking
- Insects
- Animals
- Small places (Claustrophobia)
- Large places (Agoraphobia)
- Heights
- Needles
- Darkness
Or Virtual Reality therapy can be used to target specific disorders, such as:
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Social Anxiety
- Generalized Anxiety
- Panic Disorders
- Eating Disorders
Additionally, Virtual Reality therapy can be used to learn specific relaxation techniques, such as:
- Diaphragmatic Breathing
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation
- Mindfulness
- Body Scanning
The Center for Growth is eager to help more people with anxiety disorders.
You can self schedule an in-person or virtual therapy session at the Center for Growth by calling (215) 922- LOVE (5683) x 100.
Our Guarantee: If after your first session you are not sold that you are working with the right therapist, do not hesitate to call our intake line at 215 922 5683 x 100 or Alex at (267) 324-9564 and ask to be rescheduled with another therapist. The choice of how you want to proceed is yours. Our only goal is to support you in becoming the best you possible.
For your convenience, we have brick and mortar offices and work with clients virtually in Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
Physical Therapy Office Locations:
Ocean City Therapy Office 360 West Ave, Floor 1, Ocean City, NJ 08226
Mechanicsville Therapy Office 9044 Mann Drive, Mechanicsville Virginia, 23116
Society Hill Therapy Office 233 S. 6th Street, C-33, Philadelphia PA 19106
Art Museum / Fairmount Therapy Office 2401 Pennsylvania Ave, Suite 1a2, Philadelphia PA 19130
Providence Therapy Office 173 Waterman St. Providence, RI 02906
Fayetteville Therapy Office 101 Devant Street #606, Fayetteville GA 30214
Santa Fe Therapy Office, 2204 B Brothers Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 87505
Telemedicine Therapy Locations: We have therapists who are licensed to work in Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Virginia and Pennsylvania
Therapy Services Offered in Fayetteville, Ocean City, Mechanicsville, Philadelphia, Providence, Santa Fe:
Individual Counseling and therapy
Couples Counseling and marriage counseling
Teen Therapy and Adolescent Therapy and tweens and child counseling
Family Therapy and multi-generational counseling
Art Therapy and Counseling no art skills needed
ADHD Therapy and ADD, Dyslexia, Autism, Tourettes counseling
Anxiety, Panic, OCD Therapy and worry and fear support
Breaking the cycle of Codependency and being your own person
Overcoming Chronic Illness and Chronic Pain .
Depression Therapy and sadness, gloom, and upset support
Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) Therapy is a particular style of therapy designed for people with problems affecting their nervous system, how the brain and body send and receive signals.
Grief Therapy and loss, End of A Relationship, rejections, pregnancy and loss and therapy
Mindfulness Based Therapy and spirituality based therapy
Narcissistic Abuse Recovery child of, parent of, spouse of, sibling of a narcissist.
Sex Therapy and sexual function & dysfunction, sex addiction, sexual orientation and gender identity support
Trauma Therapy both emotional and sexual abuse, complex trauma, PTSD counseling
Divorce support
Affairs, Infidelity, Unfaithful, Cheating counseling
Parenting therapy
Personality disorder treatments Narcissist, Borderline, Histrionic
Setting Boundaries and identifying ones own Core Beliefs
Just name some of the Mental Health issues that we work with. Our goal is to help you Change and Achieve Your Dreams
