ArachnoTherapy VR

It is more difficult than ever to access mental health support. This is especially true for exposure therapy, which often needs to occur in vivo and requires investment of both time and money. When done in other media, such as virtual reality (VR), these concerns can be mitigated, but still, user interactions are often only passive.

Suitable for a wide range of ages and levels of comfort with spiders, ArachnoTherapy VR is an interactive take on exposure therapy:

• Our user introduction will make sure you're comfortable with the controls and subject matter before you begin the experience.
• Your virtual therapist will teach you about coping techniques and guide you through every step of the experience.
• You'll learn about spiders at your own pace by reading, watching videos, and using built-in audio tools --- long before you ever see a spider!
• You can take your time getting comfortable with the sizes and shapes of model spiders before adding real spiders to the environment.
• When you're ready, use the Spider Creation Interface to add as many spiders as you'd like, with whatever behaviours you'd like!
• See spiders first in an enclosed terrarium, and then in any of three open areas modeled after rooms in a home. If you're feeling comfortable, you can even try kneeling down and touching them!

NOTE: This is an ongoing project. In the future, we plan to add an asynchronous desktop interface that a therapist or psychiatrist could use to observe their patients' playthroughs.

NOTE: ArachnoTherapy VR is not clinically proven. Use at your own risk.