What if the most effective mental health treatment didn't happen in an office—but in the metaverse?
In this episode of Lightning RX, host Colette Nataf, founder of Lightning GTM, sits down with Peter Oykhman, Founder of PsyTechVR and CorePartners, to explore how virtual reality is revolutionizing the way clinicians treat anxiety, PTSD, OCD, and more.
PsyTechVR is not just another VR meditation app; it's a clinician-first tool for immersive exposure therapy and guided mental wellness. Peter walks us through how the platform allows psychologists and psychiatrists to control highly customized therapy environments, everything from turbulence on a plane to the sound of a barking dog, empowering patients to safely confront their fears in deeply engaging, AI-generated simulations.
They discuss the startup's go-to-market journey, including bootstrapping with minimal marketing spend, overcoming institutional resistance, and why even insurance companies are now recognizing VR as a billable therapy tool.
What You’ll Learn:
- What PsyTechVR is and how it supports CBT, EMDR, and exposure therapy
- How clinicians use AI to create personalized VR scenarios for anxiety, phobias, and PTSD
- Why virtual reality therapy is more immersivem, and safer than traditional treatments
- How PsyTechVR keeps users engaged while eliminating distractions
- What’s holding back VR adoption in mental health (hint: not the tech)
- Why insurance companies are faster adopters than clinical associations
- The hidden costs of chasing VC funding, and how PsyTechVR focused on profitability instead
- How VR therapy is already backed by decades of peer-reviewed research
💡 Golden Nugget:
“VR therapy isn’t science fiction; it’s peer-reviewed, clinically proven, and already has CPT codes. The APA just hasn’t caught up yet.”
Connect with Peter Oykhman
- 🌐 PsyTechVR.com
- 🌐 CorePartners.com
- 🌐 CoreIMS.com
Connect with the Show:
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