Understanding VR therapy

What the term means

"VR therapy" is used loosely. In research it usually means a practitioner using virtual reality as part of a treatment with a defined goal, such as practising arm movements after a stroke or gradually facing a feared situation.

The technology varies. Immersive VR uses a head-mounted display that fills the field of view. Non-immersive VR shows a virtual environment on an ordinary screen, often with motion sensors. Much of the published rehabilitation research uses non-immersive systems. The 2025 Cochrane review of stroke rehabilitation, for example, found very few trials of fully immersive VR.

A headset is not a treatment

Buying a headset gives you hardware and apps. It does not give you an assessment, a plan, graded difficulty or someone watching for problems. The research summarised on this site is about structured programs, usually delivered or supervised by clinicians. Results from those trials do not transfer automatically to unsupervised home use.

Who delivers it

VR is used by practitioners within their own scope of practice. Physiotherapists and occupational therapists use it in physical and functional rehabilitation. Psychologists use it in some anxiety treatments, such as exposure therapy. Ask any provider what their qualifications are, what the goal is, and how progress will be measured. Our find support page lists where to start.

VRTA does not provide therapy and is not accepting registrations or bookings.

What the evidence looks like

Two patterns recur in the reviews we have summarised. First, effects are often modest and certainty is often moderate or low. Second, it can matter what VR is compared with. In stroke rehabilitation, gains were clearer when VR added therapy time. In anxiety, the effect was smaller against an active comparison than against usual care or a waitlist. See applications and use cases.

Side effects

Reviews report side effects that are usually mild. Cochrane's stroke review lists pain, headache and feeling faint or dizzy. The 2025 anxiety meta-analysis notes possible nausea and vertigo. Motion sickness in VR is common enough that comfort settings and short sessions are standard practice. Anyone with a medical condition should ask their clinician first.

How it is regulated in Australia

The Therapeutic Goods Administration says that software claiming to diagnose, prevent, treat or monitor a disease or condition is likely to be a medical device. Advertising for medical devices has rules: for example, a product cannot be described as "TGA approved", and claims must be substantiated. A consumer headset sold for gaming and general use is a different thing from a regulated therapeutic product, even when it is used in therapy.

Flagged for review · regulatory wording to be checked by a qualified adviser before launch