The use of virtual reality exposure in the treatment of anxiety disorders.

Rothbaum et al. (1999) tested virtual reality exposure in a lab. Adults with height phobia wore headsets and walked virtual balconies.

Half got VR. Half waited. The team tracked fear, avoidance, and distress.

VR beat the waitlist on every measure. Fear dropped, avoidance shrank, and distress faded.

A second case showed VR also helped one adult fly without panic.

Rus-Calafell et al. (2013) ran the same idea with flyers. Both VR and imaginal exposure helped, but VR users felt calmer on the real flight six months later.

Miller et al. (2020) swapped the goal: teach autistic preschoolers to navigate an airport, not reduce fear. Three short VR sessions let all five kids board a real plane independently.

Ferris et al. (2025) kept the immersive gear but aimed at street safety. Autistic children learned to cross roads in VR, then crossed real streets safely.

Together these studies show VR exposure keeps working when you move from phobia to daily skills and from adults to young kids.

If you already own VR headsets, you can do more than treat fear. Rehearse job interviews, airport walks, or street crossing with clients who avoid these settings. Start with one five-minute scene, track correct responses, then test in the real place.