Let’s meet in the metaverse! In this week’s episode we embark into a new therapy frontier: virtual reality. We’ll hear Mona’s experience trying VR Therapy and what it was like to engage with a therapist in a non-traditional “location.” Mona and Abby then interview the practitioner, Dr. Jessica Stone who is at the precipice of utilizing VR technology in therapy. Dr. Stone discusses the ethics of technology in therapy, the benefits, and the many ways she’s used it with clients. This is a fun one so definitely stay tuned!

Jessica Stone Bio:

Dr. Jessica Stone, PhD is a licensed psychologist in the state of Colorado. She has served on a number of boards including the World Association for Sand Tray Professionals, AutPlay, and the California branch of the Association for Play Therapy. Dr. Stone is an international speaker, clinical supervisor, and registered play therapist.  She is the co-creator of The Virtual Sandtray, which has partnered with the Lowenfeld Trust, and is the developer of Digital Play Therapy. Dr. Stone has been featured for her work throughout the virtual world as an innovator, ambassador of play, and stalwart advocate for the use of digital technology in the field of psychology.

Website: https://jessicastonephd.com/

Virtual Sand Tray Website: https://www.virtualsandtray.org/

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/digitalplaytherapy

Instagram: @allthetherapies

Editing by: Blackwell Post

Original music by: Juli Crockett

Time Stamps:

0:51 Abby and Mona discuss their curiosities for the week

7:45 Mona explains how she prepared for VR therapy

11:23 Mona describes her experience in the session

24:14 Interview with Jessica Stone

26:01 Jessica describes VR Therapy and how it differs from in-person sessions

31:29 Jessica shares how she first became interested in VR as a therapeutic tool

43:12 Jessica ponders where she imagines VR technology moving in the future

46:58 Jessica describes the ideal client for VR therapy

56:10 Our favorite final question: What does Jessica think healing is?

59:02 How to find out more about our guest, Jessica Stone