Case Study: XR Therapeutics – Boundless: Unlocking better anxiety care  through immersive digital therapy 

The healthcare challenge

Many people living with anxiety, particularly autistic individuals and people with learning disabilities, can find traditional talking therapies difficult to access or engage with. Some struggle with imagination-based therapeutic techniques, while others experience barriers relating to communication, unfamiliar environments or overwhelming clinical settings.

At the same time, anxiety disorders continue to place significant pressure on NHS mental health services, creating demand for innovative approaches that can improve patient outcomes while making more effective use of clinical resources.

XR Therapeutics developed Boundless to address these challenges. By using devices that services often already own, the platform avoids the need for specialist hardware and enables therapists to deliver immersive, exposure-based interventions in a safe, controlled environment.

Early health economic modelling suggests the potential for savings of approximately £21,000 per 100 patients treated, alongside an additional seven quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Some services have also reported meaningful patient progress within fewer than three therapy sessions.

The innovator’s journey

XR Therapeutics emerged from more than a decade of collaborative academic research led by Newcastle University and Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust into the potential of immersive technology to support mental healthcare.

The organisation was founded in response to a clear clinical need for more effective ways of supporting people who may find conventional therapeutic approaches difficult to engage with. Clinicians were looking for safer, more controllable methods of delivering exposure therapy and emotional regulation techniques, particularly for autistic young people and adults.

Early development focused on ensuring the platform was accessible to neurodivergent users, building clinician confidence in emerging technologies and meeting rigorous NHS governance and safeguarding requirements.

Through extensive co-design with patients, clinicians and neurodivergent communities, Boundless evolved into a device-agnostic, therapist-led platform that can be delivered both remotely and in person. Throughout its development, the focus has remained on strengthening therapeutic relationships and improving access to care, rather than replacing existing clinical pathways.

Impact and outcomes

XR Therapeutics has achieved a number of significant milestones in the adoption of immersive therapies within healthcare.

These include:

• Becoming the first XR company to secure an Integrated Care Board (ICB) commission.

• Recognition of the technology within the NHS Long Term Plan as an example of the shift from analogue to digital healthcare delivery.

• UKCA Class I Medical Device registration and DTAC certification.

• Adoption across NHS Talking Therapies, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), Children and Young People’s Services (CYPS), prison and probation settings, and autism and learning disability pathways.

• Deployment across multiple NHS Foundation Trusts.

Clinician feedback has been highly positive, with services reporting:

• Improved engagement from patients who previously found therapy difficult to access.

• Greater confidence among clinicians delivering exposure-based interventions.

• Increased patient tolerance of anxiety-provoking situations.

• Better patient control over the pace and intensity of therapy sessions.

• Service efficiencies through shorter treatment pathways and, in some cases, fewer sessions being required.

Parent of an autistic child treated for severe dog-related anxiety

“While she’s still building confidence, the change has been incredible. She now feels she can face situations involving dogs and get through them. Being able to do this remotely with such a calm, kind therapist made a huge difference. We couldn’t have asked for a better setup. Thank you to XRT.”

Working together for better outcomes

XR Therapeutics is committed to working with organisations that share its goal of improving outcomes for people living with anxiety and related conditions.

The team welcomes opportunities to collaborate with NHS organisations, researchers, charities, care providers and mental health services interested in exploring how immersive technologies can improve access to evidence-based care and enhance patient outcomes.

To start a conversation, visit xrtherapeutics.co.uk/contact.