VR Health Experience: A Virtual Space for Arts and Psychomotor Therapy

Abstract

Introduction: Mental health and well-being are under pressure because of the corona pandemic. Arts and psychomotor therapists said that they had almost no experience with working online, but despite the fact that they felt incapable, they were positive towards it.Method: This qualitative action research was aimed at how arts and psychomotor therapists can become more skilled in offering online arts and psychomotor therapy and how they can methodically enlist the VR Health Experience (a virtual arts and psychomotor therapy space) in therapy. It is envisaged that the arts and psychomotor therapist could be telepresent in order to offer arts and psychomotor therapy remotely. In online training that made use of the Lean Startup Method, participants (n = 5) integrated their working knowledge with the VR Health Experience. The interventions were immediately tested by the participants and in practice. Participants were interviewed retrospectively and their experiences were thematically analysed.Results: The VR Health Experience came forward as an innovative addition to the usual arts and psychomotor therapy. Often, clients were encouraged to play and experiment, and the VR world offered several options. The VR Health Experience lowered the threshold, expanded the training areas and held a great attraction for play.Discussion: This project offered an innovative quality boost for arts and psychomotor therapy. Arts and psychomotor therapy have proven to be possible remotely via telepresence of the therapist. The therapist is present together with the client in the VR Health Experience, the virtual arts and psychomotor therapy space, where connectedness can be felt and new experiences can be gained. VR also offers further possibilities in arts and psychomotor therapy.

Art as therapy in virtual reality: A scoping review

“…The joy of "holding my completed artwork in my hands," is a quality that seems to be exclusive to physical artworks (Hacmun et al, 2018). The deprivation of sensory cues through the absence of sufficient tactility stimulation in digital media often brought up in the reviewed papers, is one of the main factors that prevent some art therapists from considering the adoption of not only VR but also other digital media in their psychotherapeutic treatments (Haeyen et al, 2021a).…”

“…According to the reviewed papers that addressed these issues, the lack of systematic training in new media for art therapists discourages the use of VR technology in art therapy practice. Specifically, art therapists are hesitant about the use of VR technology, as they acknowledge the lack of technological expertise in the field and have no clear direction in how to incorporate digital materials in their psychotherapeutic treatments, which are often highly experiential and active by nature (Brahnam, 2014;Haeyen et al, 2021a). Consequently, the lack of technological expertise results in a lack of evaluation regarding the psychotherapeutic efficiency of the digital tools available and many practitioners arrive to the arbitrary conclusion that new media are inefficient compared to traditional media (Salles et al, 2020).…”

Efficacy of Integrated Neurofeedback and Virtual Reality Training in Children with ADHD: A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…In recent years, some scholars have attempted to use game interventions to assist in the treatment of ADHD patients, with VR being one of the new intervention methods [18]. VR technology, also known as 'spiritual realm' technology, is a comprehensive information technology that integrates computer graphics, digital image processing, multimedia technology, computer simulation technology, sensor technology, display technology, and network parallel processing technology [19]. VR technology creates realistic environments through software and hardware to achieve interaction between reality and virtuality and can compensate for the shortcomings of traditional game interventions [20].…”