You Can Grow Here A Theraputic VR Journey for Anxiety Management

Nakhammoune, C., Gaeun, L., Jo, H., Myat, K. Y.

Location: Vancouver, BC
PDF: 2025_siggraph_ycgh_final-compressed.pdf

Caption: Overview image of the island with key locations of scenes numbered.

Anxiety is one of the most widespread mental health issues, affecting nearly 30% of U.S. adults. In 2024, 43% reported feeling more anxious than the year before. Traditional treatments often require clinical settings, which can be costly, inaccessible, or intimidating. There’s a growing need for self-guided, engaging tools that support emotional regulation in everyday environments.

VR is emerging as a powerful tool in clinical anxiety treatment. At Princeton House, VR sessions led to a 35% reduction in anxiety, and CUCARD uses VR for exposure therapy in controlled environments like classrooms. However, these tools rely on professional oversight and offer limited user agency. “You Can Grow Here” builds on this research by offering a non-clinical, self-directed VR experience - making emotional support more personal, immersive, and accessible.

Our project followed an iterative design process centered on user feedback and therapeutic impact. Through frequent testing, we refined key elements such as lighting, sound balance, and interaction flow to enhance emotional engagement. Demonstrations leveraging improv theatre were used to prototype the user journey, ensuring each interaction supported our well-being goals. Weekly meetings and collaborative tools like Unity, Figma, and Discord enabled efficient teamwork. Continuous evaluation ensured alignment with our therapeutic objectives, fostering a meaningful and emotionally restorative experience.