{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,7]],"date-time":"2026-05-07T06:16:26Z","timestamp":1778134586443,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,7]],"date-time":"2026-05-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1778112000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychol."],"abstract":"<jats:p>Virtual reality (VR) is an increasingly accessible technology with strong potential to support cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), particularly through virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET). However, real-world uptake remains limited, and there is a lack of knowledge about implementation needs in specific regions. This convergent mixed-methods study explored the attitudes, perceived benefits and barriers, and desired functional and training requirements of Czech and Slovak CBT psychotherapists regarding the use of VR. Thirty-three therapists completed an anonymous online questionnaire combining Likert-type ratings and open-ended questions. Overall attitudes toward VR were positive (M\u202f=\u202f4.09, SD\u202f=\u202f0.72), while perceived acceptance among colleagues was moderate (M\u202f=\u202f3.39, SD\u202f=\u202f0.80). Perceived risk of detracting from the therapeutic alliance was low-to-moderate (M\u202f=\u202f2.09, SD\u202f=\u202f0.84) and differed by practice length, with the lowest risk in mid-career therapists. Key perceived benefits were client safety and controllability of exposure; the dominant barrier was financial cost (60.6%), followed by training and technical concerns. Therapists prioritized safety controls (e.g., stop button), flexible exposure adjustment, biofeedback, and structured protocols, with a strong preference for online training with practical demonstrations. Findings suggest readiness to adopt VR, contingent on affordable infrastructure, standardized guidance, and clinician-centered tool design.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1811278","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,7]],"date-time":"2026-05-07T05:43:42Z","timestamp":1778132622000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["CBT therapists\u2019 attitudes toward virtual reality use in psychotherapy: a brief report from the Czech Republic and Slovakia"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Krist\u00edna","family":"Kvapil Var\u0161ov\u00e1","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology, Masaryk University","place":["Brno, Czechia"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Vojt\u011bch","family":"Ju\u0159\u00edk","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology, Masaryk University","place":["Brno, Czechia"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1672","DOI":"10.3390\/app12031672","article-title":"Phobia exposure therapy using virtual and augmented reality: a systematic review","volume":"12","author":"Albakri","year":"2022","journal-title":"Appl. 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