Digital avatar may improve wellbeing for those hearing voices

AVATAR therapy is a series of guided therapy sessions during which voice hearers are able to have a conversation with an animated digital representation of their distressing voice. The research, published in Nature Medicine and led by King’s College London researchers, found that AVATAR therapy is an effective means of helping participants to feel less distressed by the voice and more empowered in daily life.

The therapy was first created by the late Professor Julian Leff at UCL, and the voice conversion system was built by Emeritus Professor Mark Huckvale (UCL Psychology & Language Sciences). AVATAR therapy’s early development was supported by the UCL Translational Research Office and transitioned to a spinout company, Avatar Therapy Limited, with patent filings managed by UCL Business. The researchers continued to refine it in a collaboration with King’s College London, supported by Wellcome.

Read the full story on UCL News.

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