“It Just Gave Me a Source of Strength When the Time Came” Virtual Reality Stress Resilience Training as a Preparation for Domestic Violence Custody Hearings: A Case Study

Domestic violence survivors who share children with their perpetrators often face additional challenges after leaving their violent partners due to custody and visitation arrangements. Custody hearings can be particularly distressing for victimized mothers, who may find the court process intimidating or re-victimizing. This qualitative case study examined the effect of a novel, trauma-informed virtual reality stress resilience training (VRSRT) for a domestic violence survivor preparing for a custody case court hearing. VRSRT aims to desensitize individuals to stressors, teaching them to override instinctive fight-or-flight reactions and respond more adaptively. The participant completed three sessions before the hearing and one follow-up session afterward. In-depth interviews were conducted after each session to assess whether the VRSRT facilitated preparatisson for real-life court. Reflexive thematic analysis resulted in three main themes: (1) Preparation using the VRSRT, (2) real-life court experience, and (3) initial coping and adjustment after court. The participant felt that visualizing the environment and vocalizing the abuse contributed to greater knowledge, which enhanced her self-efficacy and resilience to stress. In real-life court, the survivor felt in control and prepared and attributed this to the VRSTR, even though facing the abuser and cross-examination were difficult. After court, the survivor experienced difficult emotions, although social support tempered these reactions. The findings suggest that VRSRT can be effective in enhancing self-efficacy, which could contribute to a sense of control and preparedness, leading to a clearer and more effective testimony.