The Context

Train conductors often face traumatic incidents on the railway, ranging from aggression to fatal accidents. Recovering from these events is difficult, and returning to the physical location of the trauma can be overwhelming.

The goal was to create a Gradual Exposure Therapy tool. By using Virtual Reality, we could recreate the train station environment in a way that is completely safe and controlled by the therapist.

Design Process

I designed the levels in Unity with a focus on psychological safety. The environment needed to be realistic enough to trigger the necessary memory processing, but not so hyper-realistic that it caused retraumatization.

We implemented specific features for user control, such as a "safety anchor" (a virtual object the user can look at to instantly dim the environment) and adjustable crowd density settings for the therapist.

Environment Detail

Lighting and sound played a crucial role. We avoided harsh, sudden noises and focused on ambient station sounds to ground the user in the experience gently.