Confronting the patient with the feared animal, without real risk: this is what virtual reality exposure therapy allows. Virtual reality is 80% effective against phobias according to Eric Malbos, psychiatrist, with lasting effects beyond a year.
C2Care offers practitioners immersive environments where anxiety-inducing animals gradually appear.
Exposure to the feared animal may be relevant in supporting patients suffering from animal phobia. However, reproducing this confrontation in consultation is not always simple.
Access to a real animal depends on its availability, unpredictable behavior and sometimes the presence of third parties. The progressiveness of the exposure, from a simple glimpse to close contact, remains difficult to control in these conditions.
Virtual reality makes it possible to recreate the presence of the animal directly in the office, in a controlled and reproducible environment, without any real risk for the patient.
The immersive environments of C2Care make it possible to gradually confront the patient with the feared animal, whether they are spiders or other anxiety-inducing animals.
The patient may also be exposed in public places or open spaces where the animal might appear, as the practitioner adjusts the intensity of the scene to their tolerance.
This graduated and repeated exposure makes it possible to work on the fear reaction as well as the catastrophic thoughts associated with the animal, at a pace entirely controlled by the practitioner.
VRET
The practitioner seats the patient on a swivel chair and fits them with the virtual reality headset
Using the control interface, the practitioner selects the environment suited to the session's goals and starts the exposure.
During immersion, the practitioner supports the patient using a visual feed and can adjust the exposure scene in real time
Environments
Each environment recreates a situation of confrontation with the feared animal, for progressive and secure exposure.
Captive spiders, stationary or moving, allow the exposure to be gradually adjusted.
The presence of a calm or barking dog can be adjusted, alone or accompanied by its master.
Hidden, stationary or moving rats offer different levels of confrontation.
Wasps posed, in flight or in groups allow gradual exposure to insects.
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Solène Montègue
Neuropsychiatrist
The developments C2Care is currently integrating into the interface are very promising and meet the established therapeutic objectives [...]: offering tailored exercises that can be adapted to levels of dependency, cognitive disorders, and patients' real-time responses.
Samia Lahya
Psychiatrist
With the acquisition of new equipment [...] and updates to the C2Care programs, its use has expanded even further: OCD, phobias, addictions, anxiety disorders, depression, and PTSD. Ten years later, it is no longer merely a curiosity, but a genuine therapeutic tool that is stimulating, innovative, and effective.
Sabrina Gineau
Psychologist
I incorporate this technology into brief therapies lasting two to four months, with one session per week. I begin with relaxation techniques and, when patients are ready, we proceed. It makes it much easier to expose people to these situations.
Noël Schepers
Psychologist
Virtual reality can enrich and personalize treatment, facilitate patient-therapist collaboration in developing the treatment plan, and add a playful dimension. The possibilities for development and application are immense and extend to every area of psychology and psychotherapy.
MĂ©lanie Boucherot
Psychologist
The value of this technology [C2Care] lies in offering new possibilities for therapeutic support and expanding the range of tools available to healthcare professionals.
François Maltese
Psychologist
For several months, we have been using virtual reality in habituation therapies. Before the procedure, patients are progressively and immersively exposed to their future medical environment and psychologically prepared to accept it.
Dre Marie-Claude Roberge
Doctor of Psychology
Since 2022, we have been using virtual reality therapy with the C2Care platform to simulate exposure to aversive stimuli and triggers that cause anxiety. Exposure therapy is used to treat specific phobias, including fear of heights, enclosed spaces, flying, dogs, emetophobia, and many others.
Dr Laure Du Pouget
Urologist
Using a virtual reality headset for self-hypnosis during prostate biopsies creates a calm atmosphere for a procedure that can sometimes be uncomfortable, even with effective local anesthesia...
Delphine Py
Psychologist
Thank you to C2Care for providing innovative virtual reality solutions to support CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy)! A major step forward in making exposure exercises easier and helping our patients overcome their phobias.
Schuler et al. — Virtual reality telemedicine clinic for the treatment of specific phobias
Examining a Telemedicine-Based Virtual Reality Clinic in Treating Adults With Specific Phobia: Protocol for a Feasibility Randomized Controlled Efficacy Trial
Botella et al. — Augmented reality exposure versus in vivo exposure in the treatment of small animal phobia
In Vivo versus Augmented Reality Exposure in the Treatment of Small Animal Phobia: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Botella et al. — Telepsy and self-help: treatment of phobias via the internet
Telepsychology and self-help: the treatment of phobias using the internet
Lindner et al. — Virtual reality for several specific phobias, including dogs and spiders
oVRcome - Self-guided virtual reality for specific phobias: A randomised controlled trial
Discover more
Depending on your patients' needs, other areas may also be relevant to explore. Discover the different environments available in C2Care.
Create a free account to discover all exposure situations and subscribe directly online
FAQ
Find the answers to the questions most asked by practitioners about this virtual reality support.
The patient is gradually confronted with virtual animals, spiders, insects or dogs, in a completely secure environment. This graduated exposure makes it possible to reduce the fear reaction without any real risk, at a pace entirely controlled by the practitioner.
C2Care's immersive environments include spiders and various anxiety-inducing animals. They are presented in a graduated manner, according to the patient's tolerance, in order to build progressive desensitization to the feared animal, under the control of the practitioner.
C2Care has been testing its virtual reality software in hospitals since 2016. This clinical experience has made it possible to refine the immersive environments, including those dedicated to animal phobia, and to gradually adapt them to the real needs of practitioners and their patients.
A virtual environment is an immersive scene reproducing an anxiety-provoking situation for the patient. The practitioner adjusts the difficulty gradually in order to expose the person to a fully controlled, secure setting adapted to their pace of progress.
Virtual reality is not dangerous in itself. It can cause cybersickness in around 10% of people, with temporary nausea or disorientation. Exposure remains graduated and permanently supervised by a practitioner in order to limit this risk.
Some users experience cybersickness, which affects around 10% of people exposed to virtual reality. It manifests itself as nausea or a feeling of disorientation, most often temporary, and diminishes as exposure is adapted.
Psychologists, psychiatrists and occupational therapists can integrate virtual reality into their practice. It can be used both in CHU hospitals and clinics and in private practices, depending on the needs of the practitioner and their patients.
The interactive aspect promotes patient engagement and adherence to treatment. Adaptable environments allow each exercise to be precisely adjusted to the individual's needs, while maintaining complete control of exposure in real time.
Yes, all of C2Care's immersive environments are grouped together in a single application. The practitioner can thus move from one disorder to another and personalize their care without changing tools or platforms.
Our technical service can be reached via live chat directly from your control platform. In the event of a problem with the VR headset, a diagnosis is made and the defective equipment is replaced within 48 hours if necessary, to ensure continuity of care.
