Why the First Few Minutes Matter More Than You Think
For many kids, the hardest part of therapy isn’t talking, it’s transitioning into the space where talking can even begin. Those first few minutes are critical. When a child arrives dysregulated, anxious, distracted, or shut down, valuable session time is often spent just helping them settle.
That lost time adds up. It can delay progress, frustrate caregivers, and put added strain on therapists managing full caseloads. But when a child starts their session calm and grounded, it creates a window for more productive work and a better experience for everyone involved.
That’s where VR can help.
Healium as a Pre-Session Tool
Healium is a collection of virtual reality experiences designed to help kids feel calm, focused, and ready before the session even begins. Using biofeedback from wearables like a smartwatch or EEG headband, Healium responds in real time to a child’s heart rate or brain patterns, gently guiding them into a more regulated state.
It’s not a replacement for therapy, it’s a tool that enhances it. In under four minutes, children can engage in an immersive, self-guided experience that helps quiet racing thoughts, ease jitters, and improve session readiness.
Important Note: Healium is designed for children ages 13 and up, ensuring the content and technology are developmentally appropriate.
Because it’s drug-free, easy to use, and built specifically with emotional regulation in mind, Healium is a simple but powerful way to reclaim those crucial opening minutes.
The Clinical Impact of Starting Calm
When a child begins a session in a regulated state, everything changes. They’re more focused, more receptive, and more able to engage with therapeutic work from the very start. Instead of spending the first 10 minutes calming down, they’re ready to dive in.
Over time, this adds up to more meaningful progress. Regular use of Healium helps build emotional “muscle memory” giving kids a reliable, repeatable way to shift out of fight-or-flight and into a place where real growth can happen.
For children who tend to get anxious, shut down, or rev themselves up before therapy, that shift can be the difference between a tough session and a breakthrough one.
Why It Works for Teens
Healium’s environments are designed to captivate without overwhelming. Instead of loud sounds or rapid visuals, kids experience gentle, nature-based scenes that promote calm. It’s immersive enough to hold their attention but intentionally low-stimulation to avoid triggering anxiety or sensory overload.
For kids who are hesitant about therapy or struggle to settle in, this balance makes all the difference. It creates a sense of safety without demanding anything from them, just breathe, watch, and let their nervous system catch up.
Visual Feedback Builds Self-Awareness
Healium doesn’t just calm kids, it teaches them to recognize what calm feels like. Through visual cues like an expanding aura, children get real-time feedback on their internal state. They begin to connect how they feel with what they see, building awareness, and over time, agency.
That awareness doesn’t stay in the headset. It starts showing up in classrooms, at home, and during moments of stress. The more they practice self-regulation in a low-stakes environment, the more likely they are to reach for those same tools when it matters most.
Getting Started With Healium
Bringing Healium into your practice is simple. All you need is a compatible VR goggle and an enterprise account. Sessions are self-guided, so even younger clients can navigate them with minimal help.
Introducing it to families is just as easy. Parents appreciate that it’s drug-free, easy to use, and designed with anxious children in mind. Many even ask if they can try it themselves.
Ready to see how it works?
