FAQ's
1. What are phobias?
2. How do I begin the treatment process?
3a. What licensing do the therapists have?
3b. What training and experience do the therapists have in this
area?
4. What are the clinical procedures at the VRMC?
5. Are you able to prescribe medication to me if I need it?
6. What will happen during therapy?
7. How many sessions are required?
8. How can I be an active participant in my own recovery?
9. How much does treatment cost?
10. What is your rate of success?
11. Are your services covered by my insurance?
12. Other than anxiety disorders, what conditions do you treat
at the clinics?
13. What if you don't have a virtual environment for my phobia?
14. What if there is not a clinic near me?
15. Do you treat children?
1. What are phobias?
A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder. Phobias can be divided into three categories:
social phobia, agoraphobia and specific phobia. Social phobia is a fear of being
judged in social or performance situations. Agoraphobia is a fear of public places
and open spaces. Specific phobia is a fear of a specific object or situation, such
as airplanes, spiders or heights. Click here to learn more about
phobias and anxiety disorders.
2. How do I begin the treatment process?
You will sit down with the therapist and talk about any questions that may be present.
Together both of you will discuss what will be done as part of the program. You will
also discuss what you would like to accomplish through treatment. A full history and
clinical assessment will also be provided. You will then learn relaxation techniques
and diaphragmatic breathing skills as a means to ease fear and stress levels. Please
visit our About Virtual Reality page for more information.
3a. What licensing do the therapists have?
3b. What training and experience do the therapists have in
this area?
Please visit our staff page to get to know the therapists
at the clinic near you.
4. What are the clinical procedures at the VRMC?
Non-invasive sensors used to measure your heart rate, breathing rate, sweat gland
activity and skin temperature. The therapist will then explain visual feedback of
physiology to you. You will learn to control your breathing rate and heart rate, and
cognitive coping techniques will be taught before placing you into the VR world. Please
visit our About Virtual Reality page for more information.
5. Are you able to prescribe medication to me if I need it?
There is a psychiatrist available at the Los Angeles clinic who can prescribe medication
to patients who are pursuing that treatment option. Though the therapists at the other
clinics do have doctorates in psychology, they are not medical doctors and cannot prescribe
medication to you. However, the therapists at each clinic have close ties to psychiatrists
and internal medicine specialists in the area and can refer you to those professionals
should you wish.
6. What will happen during therapy?
Please visit our About Virtual Reality page for more information.
7. How many sessions are required?
The following price list is according to comparable rates in the area. The
intake session is 90 minutes long and consists of a diagnostic interview and
lessons on anxiety management. Every regular session thereafter is 45-50 minutes
consisting of either continued psychotherapy or VR exposure. On average, patients
complete treatment by scheduling once a week for 8-12 weeks. At this time,
we are not offering services based on a sliding fee scale.
The number of sessions required will vary depending on the specific condition being addressed. All sessions, after the initial session, are 45-50 minutes each. Normally, treatment progresses once per week. On average, if you are seeking treatment for a specific phobia, 8-10 sessions are required. The average number of sessions for panic disorder with agoraphobia is 12-15. This average will vary by individual based on the severity of your disorder and your active participation in treatment and assigned "homework" tasks.
8. How can I be an active participant in my own recovery?
There are many ways to be an active participant in your own treatment. Learning and
practicing the anxiety management techniques is key. Reading and completing workbook
exercises between sessions will also help your progress. In addition, you can explore
the feared environment in real life in one of its less threatening modes in between VR
exposure sessions (ie. visiting the airport if you have a fear of flying).
9. How much does treatment cost?
Please call 1-866-822-VRMC or email us at frontoffice@vrphobia.com
for further information.
For questions about insurance, please read question 11 or
you may call us at 1-866-822-VRMC.
10. What is your rate of success?
Controlled clinical studies of virtual reality treatment as well as clinical
services performed over the past seven years at the VRMC for specific phobias,
panic disorder and agoraphobia reveal a success rate of approximately 92%.
11. Are your services covered by my insurance?
We have had great success with getting treatment covered by major insurance
companies. VRMC will bill insurance companies directly as a courtesy to our
patients. Some insurance policies may cover our services as individual psychotherapy
billed under the 'mental health' benefit portion. Other insurance policies
may cover our services under 'medical parity'. We will be happy to call your
insurance to verify.
12. Other than anxiety disorders, what conditions do you
treat at the clinics?
Psychologists and psychiatrists are available to treat stress-related disorders
such as migraine and tension headache, chronic jaw pain, and irritable bowel
syndrome. In addition, general stress management is taught.
13. What if you don't have a virtual environment for my
phobia?
The Virtual Reality Medical Center employs psychologists and psychiatrists
that are able to treat clients with traditional Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
This typically involves teaching stress and anxiety management techniques
that can be used in any anxiety-inducing situation, and then exposing you
to pictures and video and auditory stimuli of the phobic object. Some disorders
will then involve exposure to the actual feared object in real life, when
you are ready for this step.
14. What if there is not a clinic near me?
Condensed treatment, one session per day, Monday-Friday, is available for
those traveling from out-of-town/out-of-state.
15. Do you treat children?
The youngest client treated at the VRMC has been six years old and the most
senior has been 83. There are therapists available to treat individuals of
all ages.
For further assistance, please call 1-866-822-VRMC or e-mail us at frontoffice@vrphobia.com.
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