A therapist walks into a virtual pub. I follow, wearing a virtual reality headset, swivelling to take in the scene: flags are draped over the walls and the TVs show sports games. At the dark wood bar, two guys and a girl offer me a drink. In the corner of my field of vision, a scale appears asking me to rate my level of anxiety between one and 10.
If I were a recovering alcoholic, this kind of virtual situation would be likely to prompt desires that I must learn to resist. Luckily, my therapist is right there with me, using an iPad app to guide me through a tense situation.
