Foley, who works for CFG Health Systems in Marlton, N.J., (which created SECTER along with Greenleaf Medical in Palo Alto, Calif.), says Joe played himself and she role-played his adoptive mom, with whom he had a combative relationship in real life. At first, Joe refused to engage—and instead moved his avatar to make it flee from Foley's, mimicking his actions in response to his adoptive mom.
He made his avatar run through the computer-generated town's streets and along its beach. Foley, however, followed with her avatar. "My role was to not give up on him," the therapist says. "I made the virtual mom avatar chase Joe's avatar everywhere so Joe would realize he couldn’t find a way out of a conversation." To help Joe stay focused, Foley set clear limits and expectations for each half hour role-playing session, rewarding him afterward with five minutes of free play in the virtual world.
By the third session, she says, Joe came to like his virtual self, whom he refers to as "My Guy," because he could change his appearance according to mood. "If I was angry, I'd turn him invisible," he tells ScientificAmerican.com. "If I was happy, I'd put him in an ambulance driver's suit." (SECTER allows participants to change the appearance of their avatars to reflect different activities taking place throughout the virtual town.)
Foleys says that Joe had a breakthrough at the end of the seventh session, when she used SECTER's "after action review" feature, which replays role-playing sessions from any avatar's point of view. In this case, she wanted Joe to see the interaction from Foley's—or his adoptive mom's—perspective. She says the feature helped Joe recognize that his behavior in the virtual world—and by virtue of that in the real world, too—"was inappropriate and hurtful."
Joe says that the exercise has given him new insight. "I looked ridiculous because of how I acted," he now admits. A few days later after the eighth and final SECTER session, Foley says Joe was more responsive during a family therapy session than he had been before the virtual role-playing. She says that instead of blowing up, running away or becoming defiant or defensive, he calmly told his adoptive mother during the session that he felt rejected and abandoned by her. Foley believes that without SECTER, it might have taken six months or longer—rather than eight weeks—for Joe to make similar strides.
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10 Comments
Add CommentDoes anyone know if they are using VOIP to communicate?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe article mentions headphones, but perhaps they text too.
It never occurred to me before, but now that I read this article, it seems so obvious: use a virtual reality game to get through to troubled teens. This is THEIR world. It's their medium and operates on their plane. What better way to build empathy?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe other huge benefit of the video game is that it's available anywhere, anytime. Helping someone in emotional distress doesn't just happen at the appointed hour. These kids need help the moment the get triggered in the back seat of the car on the way to school or at 11:30 at night. If the therapist can offer assistance when the client needs it most, that's key.
Of course, virtual reality is no substitute for the real thing. But as a way to connect with these kids, it has potential to serve a huge purpose.
I'd like to know more about the SECTER program and am interested to see their ideas really latch on.
We are on the frontier of a new era in medicine. As a layman it appears to me that biofeedback techniques are on the cusp of taking a quantum leap forward in being able to modify behavior. Overcoming phobias of all sorts is just one application. Physical therapy is another. It will be fascinating to see all the different areas that Virtual Reality can be applied to in the coming years as the technology develops and clinical practices incorporate these new techniques. Don DuBois
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisGreenleaf's SECTER is a customized version of Forterra's OLIVE virtual world software. It uses VOIP and text chat.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSee
http://www.forterrainc.com/index.php/industries/healthcare
Well, at least they're not pushing pills.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisVirtual reality will help third world people to escape from the cruel world they live in. They could adopt any avatars they like and communicate in the virtual world in a way that would be impossible otherwise. Just imagine a simulation which would teach them development skills. Already with Google Earth we can do virtual tourism on Mars...All the third world needs is for OLPC interfaces to be efficient. Imagination is the future...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this'quick progress'? Can progress be defined in the same way as if by normal techniques?I think not. Clearer definition is needed so as not to mislead..
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this'quick progress'? Can progress be defined in the same way as if by normal techniques?I think not. Clearer definition is needed so as not to mislead..
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisKudos to CFG for their innovations and attempts to bringmental health into the 21st century.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThere was an interesting article in the Journal of Medical Internet Research recently looking at different healthcare related applications for virtual worlds (specifically Second Life) - http://tr.im/oMci
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAs a physician I think 3D virtual worlds seem be the natural extension of existing "remote" communications methods and certainly have the potential to significantly augment these methods in helping consumers better manage their health. I have recently strated a project called HealthyWorlds to explore the use of VWs in delivering health related services. If anyone would like to know more or to get involved please do not hesitate to contact me or visit www.healthyworlds.com / twitter.com/healthyworlds