Virtual Reality Therapy for Young People: Our Experience in Developing Virgils

Marco Virtual
2 days ago
3 min read

In 2021-2022 I had the opportunity to collaborate on an international project that allowed me to discover a different approach to virtual reality. It was Virgils , a US- based platform designed to facilitate therapeutic sessions with young people, using digital spaces accessible from a browser or VR headsets like Oculus and Meta Quest .

virtual reality young people 3d design — Virtual platform for youth therapy - 3D Design Marco Virtual

The project was born in Philadelphia under the direction of Christian Ulstrup, Beko Jang (with whom I worked directly) , and Monet Goldman, and offered a unique environment where participants could interact safely, comfortably, and facelessly, using non-human polygonal avatars.

🌿 A therapeutic experience from the virtual world

Through 3D worlds divided into stages and featuring themes such as forests, floating islands, and symbolic classrooms, therapists guided groups of adolescents through sessions designed to strengthen empathy, self-esteem, digital coexistence, and emotional expression.

3D virtual forest design — Virtual environment - Forest - Marco Virtual

This program was called Virgils Fellowship , and it ran for six weeks with sessions led by mental health professionals.

For many of the young people, participating in this way was less intimidating than a video call. By eliminating the camera and replacing it with an avatar, a more emotionally free space was created.

🛠️ My role in technical and creative design

From Marco Virtual , I was responsible for developing virtual environments using Mozilla Hubs , a lightweight and accessible platform compatible with WebXR . Working with Hubs presented specific technical challenges:

creative 3d spatial design — Design of virtual spaces - Marco Virtual

Limit of 10,000 to 20,000 polygons per environment.
Only basic materials (flat colors or simple PBR textures) were accepted.
Each file had to be exported in GLB format with a maximum size of 30 MB .

I used Blender to model, light, and texture each of the spaces. I also optimized the mesh, materials, and textures to ensure the environment would work seamlessly on different devices, from computers to mobile phones.

🧩 More than avatars: design with purpose

The environment avatars were deliberately designed without human forms. By adopting abstract polygonal styles, participants' identities were protected and a more neutral experience was offered, free from biases and visual expectations.

virtual space 3D design — Polygonal characters - Marco Virtual

Each world we designed had an emotional purpose. The forest served as a relaxing meeting point; the spaces with floating geometry evoked imagination and freedom; the interior lounges were used for deeper conversations.

✨ A project that continues to inspire

Although Virgils ceased to be available in 2023, it was one of the projects that taught me the most about the balance between the technical and the human. It allowed me to explore the real capabilities of virtual reality in sensitive contexts such as emotional health and youth work.

3D virtual reality office — Customized offices - Marco Virtual

Throughout the development, I was also fortunate to have the collaboration of Marcela Urmeneta Gil de Partearroyo , audiovisual artist, photographer and co-director of Marco Virtual.

conference technology virtual framework technology — José Ripalda - Marcela Urmeneta Gil de Partearroyo - Marco Virtual

His participation was key in several stages of the project: from the general organization , the design and optimization of 3D models , to the functionality and navigation tests within Mozilla Hubs .

3D design virtual reality nature — Optimized 3D design - Marco Virtual

“Every environment Marco Virtual created had a clear intention. They were not only high-quality, but also functional for what we wanted to achieve emotionally with the participants.”— Beko Jang, co-founder of Virgils

One point I consider essential to mention is that this project was developed with talent from Mexico and Peru . As Latin Americans, being part of an international initiative in mental health and technology was a way to demonstrate that, from our region, we can also contribute high-level solutions with creativity, sensitivity, and commitment.