Start-up of the day: treating mental disorders with virtual reality

®Psious

By Giacinto Bottone

Psious is a Spanish start-up that provides dozens of virtual reality environments in order to treat various types of mental disorders. The tool is already a reality in clinical intervention, aimed at psychologists and therapists they can use it as a complementary technology or as a treatment hub. The experts get a virtual reality kit which they can then customize, monitor responses in real-time, organize all their patients in one place and have access to different treatments for disorders such as anxiety, phobias, eating disorders, ADHD, OCD, EMDR, etc. Additionally, it can be also a useful tool for mindfulness and relaxation exercises, which therapists can use in their work.

Innovation Origins talked to Psious’ CEO Xavier Palomer about their goals and beginnings of the start-up.

Check out other entries of the start-up of the day series here

Can you explain what you do at Psious?

Psious is a first virtual reality platform which is revolutionizing psychotherapy, specifically designed to improve the clinical practice of professionals working within mental health. It makes the advantages of virtual reality available through realistic environments. Currently, the Psious platform has more than 70 environments of virtual reality, augmented reality and 360º videos which offer complete versatility to the therapist. The various scenarios within the platform are used to treat different types of disorders (PTSD, OCD, ADHD, anxiety, fear, phobias, etc.,) as well as facilitate the practice of mindfulness and relaxation techniques. Each scenario has been designed, supervised and tested by psychologists for its proper implementation in various treatment sessions.

What was the motivation to behind the creation of the start-up Psious?

The project began with the need to help a friend overcome his fear of flying. Looking for a therapy to treat it, we saw how applicable virtual reality was in this field. We wanted to improve cognitive-behavioral therapies. Today we can say that we are achieving it, since thousands of people enjoy a higher quality of life thanks to our solution.

What is the importance of Psious?

At Psious, we believe that no person should be limited by his or her mind. Our mental health technology solutions help psychologists and therapists around the world to perform faster and more effective therapies. It uses multiple techniques (psych education, gradual exposure, systematic desensitization, relaxation, distraction, acceptance and commitment, mindfulness, EMDR …) to work with patients.

What makes Psious different from other similar startups? What makes it stand out from the pack?

We have a clear strategy and a huge focus on executing this strategy. Focus, focus, focus … this is the key

What has been the biggest obstacle that Psious has had to overcome?

We started this venture with limited business experience and managing skills. You can imagine how many difficulties we have encountered. But, at the end of the day, is not about obstacles or problems you find, is about resilience, hard work and of course, being lucky when you need it.

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What has been the most gratifying moment? And what has been the biggest accomplishment?

The most gratifying moment was when one of our users called us congratulating because a Psious solution helped one of her patients take the subway for the first time in six years! This example was at the very beginning when we had just started out, but it happens quite often. This is what drives us, what keeps us moving ahead!

What can we expect from the coming year? Where do you want the company to be in 5 years?

We are currently testing a system so that patients can practice at home what they have worked on during sessions with their therapist. And in the future you can do treatments from home, at all times supervised by a health professional. I think the future will come very quickly in this field and the most important thing is to be prepared for it as soon as possible.

What is your ultimate goal?

Making something meaningful that helps people and makes everyone better!

Have you had any feedback?

Yes, from Psious we conduct follow-up interviews with all our clients. We want to make sure that they are satisfied with the work tool that we provide them with and, above all, we want to know what results and advances they are getting in their consultations with their patients. When we carry out collaborations with public or private hospitals or with other types of healthcare institutions, we also take care of the monitoring side in order to obtain your feedback.

In general, all the Psious team is very satisfied with the results and the positive feedback obtained so far.