102 School Avoidance? Phobias?: A New Virtual Reality Therapy with Dr. Abbie Vanderwege

https://302.buzz/PM-WhatAreYourThoughts

School Avoidance, social anxiety, and phobias are all common in childhood affecting 5% to 12% of kids. This is a lot of patients showing up in pediatric practices. The gold standard for treatment is exposure therapy, but that model has its limitations. How do you get a kid on an airplane multiple times to help with fear of flying? A new virtual reality (VR) therapy model is an exciting option. Trained psychologists use VR goggles and with sophisticated software create a patient avatar and experiences where patients can gradually face their fears. Research shows in small studies that the experience feels real and that fears diminish. Larger RCT are needed to push this therapy into the mainstream. Dr. Abbie Vanderwege shares her successes with this therapy and walks us through the patient experience. This is an exciting option for children and adolescents who are struggling.

Dr. Vanderwege with a major in Psychology from Kalamazoo College in 2004, quickly transitioned into the master's degree program in Counseling Psychology at Western Michigan University, which she completed in 2006. While working toward that degree, she developed an interest in holistic health and pursued a graduate certificate in Holistic Health Care, which she also received in 2006. Dr. Vanderwege then accepted a position as a family therapist for the Family Reunification Program at Bethany Christian Services. Feeling at home in Kalamazoo, she entered the APA-accredited Ph.D. program at Western Michigan University in Counseling Psychology in 2007 and completed a full-time APA-accredited predoctoral internship at the Battle Creek VA Medical Center where she pursued rotations in outpatient and residential PTSD, outpatient mental health, inpatient mental health, and substance abuse treatment. After completing her Ph.D. in 2011, she joined Child & Family Psychological Services 2011, and then directed the Portage office from 2014 to 2020. In 2020 she joined Teletherapy Group where Dr. Vanderwege sees children and adult clients virtually and face-to-face. Dr. Vanderwege has completed advanced training in psychological evaluation, anxiety and PTSD therapies, and mindfulness

[00:30 - 08:58] Pediatric Meltdown: Dr. Abbie Vanderwege Talks About Social Anxiety, School Refusal

• Dr. Abbie Vanderwege is a pediatric psychologist who has a Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Western Michigan University.
• She has worked as a family therapist for the family reunification program at Bethany Christian services and entered the APA accredited Ph.D. program in counseling psychology at Western Michigan University in 2007.
• After completing her Ph.D., she joined child and family psychological services and then directed the Portage office until 2020.
• In 2020, she joined a teletherapy group where Dr. Vander Wigg sees children and adult clients virtually and face to face.

[08:59 - 17:05] Nurture vs Nature?, School Avoidance: How to help kids

• Specific phobias occur in about 5% of children and can be grouped into a few different areas such as animals, medical procedures, loud noises, storms, and clowns.
• Some changes that may indicate a child is experiencing anxiety include dropping out of school, not wanting to practice driving, sleeping less than the recommended amount, and having little free time.
• If parents notice any changes in their child's behavior that seem out of the ordinary or interfere with their ability to function normally, they should consult a therapist.

[17:05 - 26:01] Exposure Therapy...