Overcoming your phobias through virtual reality
From: ABC7 - KGO-TV - San Francisco - 09/26/2011
By: David Louie

Overcoming your phobias - whether it's a fear of flying, public speaking, or
dizzying heights - is a daunting challenge for most people. But you can now
overcome your very real fears through virtual reality. 

Read the entire article at:
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/technology&id=8369046

Links:
Elizabeth J. McMahon, PhD
http://www.elizabeth-mcmahon.com/

Virtual Reality helps treat phobias in the real world
http://virtualnews.associationofvirtualworlds.com/virtual-reality-helps-treat-phobias-in-the-real-world/

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Elizabeth McMahon - Using Virtual Reality to Treat Phobias
Technology and Society Committee Talk - 06/12/2012

Elizabeth McMahon, a clinical psychologist in the psychiatry department at
the Kaiser Permanente facility in Fremont, started using virtual reality (VR)
technology in her practice in early 2011, and is the only one in the Bay Area
using it to treat phobias, such as the fear of flying, heights or public
speaking. The technology, basically the same hardware that is used in VR
games, consists of a headset with sound synchronized to a video display
showing a scene that updates based on movements of the patient’s head.
Vibrations and other physical stimuli can be simulated by having the patient
sit or stand on a special platform. 

Elizabeth will describe the VR technologies used in her practice and her role
in leading the sessions to manage the intensity of the experience and coach
the patient on coping techniques. As time permits, Elizabeth will show
examples of some of the VR scenes used in her treatments.