I’ve written before about the role Roblox has played in my telehealth sessions, and I have shared before about how Let’s Play Therapy Institute has a free training in how to incorporate Roblox into your therapy treatment plans.
One hang up I have had with Roblox, though, is that in order to join your client in their Roblox world, you have to make an account. This is easy to do, and anonymous accounts can “friend” clients (with parental consent) without violating confidentiality, but I feel like this is not ideal when using outside platforms in therapy.
HiberWorld lets you join and create platforms without making an account, though there are more features available if you make a free account. You can make an account to access more features or save things you build, and your clients can join as a guest for confidentiality.
HiberWorld’s platform works on both desktop and virtual reality, so if you and/or your client has a VR headset, you can enter the world that way and become even more immersed in the platform.
While I did not do a deep dive, a quick search of virtual reality and telehealth shows that cognitive behavioral therapists have been effectively using VR platforms for exposure therapy for a while. I did not see peer-reviewed research for play therapy with VR, but the effectiveness of video-based therapy for play interventions has me optimistic.
Anyway, HiberWorld has space to create, so you and your client can use expressive therapies interventions within the platform. You can either start fully from scratch or choose a starting template that you can customize. There are also games with specific objectives you can join, including racing or mining challenges.
One thing to keep in mind is HiberWorld’s terms of service require that all users be at least 13 years old. As with all platforms, make sure you have parent or guardian’s consent for this intervention.