Erin Bogdanski , Psychotherapist and Founder
Milestones 2019
THERA Panel Presentations and Awards
Milestones 2017/2018
Who We Are
We are therapists using virtual reality...
You may feel like going to the couch takes so much time out of your day. With our busy lifestyles, and tight commutes getting to see you regular therapist can be challenging and costly. THERA is an affordable way to have regular one hour sessions in VR with an avatar therapist.
Support for Private Practice
If you are a therapist and see the advantages of using online counseling to acomodate a higher population THERA is a adjunct to your private practice. You can choose create your professional profile, choose your virtual office and schedule your clients..
The New Couch - Virtual Reality
If you are a person struggling with a mental illness or even life stressors, transition or just need to have support from a therapist , THERA brings the new experience of entering "in world" in a discreet, customizable environment which is anonymous, safe and HIPPA compliant.
Services
Traditional One Hour Sessions
If you are seeking therapy THERA will provide you an assigned therapist who specializes in your immediate needs based on an online assessment prior to treatment. You will meet with your therapist for one hour session once a week or based on your needs. Therapy is done in a virtual office and completely confidential.
Your Avatar Therapist
THERA provides your therapy sessions in virtual reality where you can meet with you avatar therapist in real time. Your therapist can look like their online profile or our unique feature is that you can "customize" your avatar therapist. Customizing your therapist may reduce the anxiety or stigmatism you may feel when seeking treatment.
Evidence Based Treatment
With THERA you can also have 24 hour access to immediate interventions in virtual reality to help treat a number of different issues. Mindfulness, anxiety reduction, addiction, or pain management are just some of the tools that can be accessed 24 hours a day.
Virtual Reality Works
Virtual Reality has higher rates of success than taking drugs...
For populations who suffer from PTSD, chronic pain, addiction and eating disorders science has proven that virtual reality has higher rates of success in treatment more than dependency on medications. The reason is virtual reality provides a more intense "mind/body experience" then traditional counseling. Using the 5 senses your client can benefit the complete experience of therapy.
PTSD and Virtual Reality
Virtual Reality has been proven to treat one of the most impactful diagnoses in our country... PTSD. Suicide and violence are on the rise. Research has shown that after VR treatment those who were diagnosed with PTSD, 65.9% no longer met criteria in a treatment study. Credit Skip Rizzo, USC Institute for Creative Technologies
The Mind/Body Connection in VR
Having therapy in VR is a unique and physical experience. If you have had therapy before you can still feel the same benefits of talking to your therapist in a safe and confidential space but also getting the benefit of the mind/ body experience of using your 5 senses.
The Team
Erin Bogdanski Founder
My passion is healing with VR
Saro Nikraz VR Designer and Developer
My passion is designing in VR healing environments.
Executive Team and Advisors
Amit Jain CTO and Co Founder
Amit is a pioneer in Silicon Valley where he has stellar career in tech, investor relations and is a mentor at BootUp Ventures.
Dr. Skip Rizzo Advisor
Dr. Rizzo, whose work using virtual reality-based exposure therapy to treat PTSD received the American Psychological Association’s 2010 Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Treatment of Trauma, is the associate director for medical virtual reality at the USC Institute for Creative Technologies.
Dr. Walter Greenleaf Advisor
Walter Greenleaf is a behavioral neuroscientist and a medical technology developer working at Stanford University. With over three decades of research and development experience in the field of digital medicine and medical virtual reality technology, Walter is considered a leading authority in the field.
Dr. Vince Felitti Advisor
A renowned physician and researcher, Dr. Vincent J. Felitti is one of the world’s foremost experts on childhood trauma. Leading the charge in research into how adverse childhood experiences affect adults, he is co-principal investigator of the internationally recognized Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study, a long-term, in-depth, analysis of over 17,000 adults.
Mike Snyder Advisor
Mike Snyder, co-founder of IFEST, is a Silicon Valley based social entrepreneur and economist with deep experience developing and executing S&T initiatives. He serves or has served as senior advisor to several IT, blockchain, VR, telecom, ecommerce, chemical, agricultural, and biotech startups, active in global markets.
Graham Hawkes Advisor
Graham Hawkes is a London-born marine engineer and submarine designer. Through the 1980s and 1990s, Hawkes designed 70% of the manned submersibles produced in those two decades. As late as 2007, he held the world solo dive record of 910 metres in the submarine Deep Rover. Graham has been the principal advisor to THERA at the dawn of inception!