Transforming mental health with VR | The Guardian “The Good Life”

On rebuilding confidence, dignity and a sense of purpose after a period of social exclusion

On 8 March 2025, The Good Life magazine, published in association with The Guardian, featured Apax in a piece titled Transforming mental health with VR. Apax is a supported housing social enterprise in Sydenham, South East London, and the feature focused on its award-winning VR Wellness programme.

The piece described an aim of helping people rebuild their confidence, regain independence and rediscover a sense of purpose. Those ideas, together with dignity, are worth thinking about more closely, because they describe what so many people hope to recover after a difficult period in their lives.

What the Feature Described

The Good Life described Apax as a multi-award-winning provider of supported housing, working with vulnerable individuals facing social exclusion, including people at risk of homelessness. Through a values-driven approach, it said, Apax offers tailored support to each person.

The feature then turned to VR Wellness, which harnesses virtual reality and AI to offer immersive experiences tailored to individual needs. It is designed to promote relaxation, mindfulness and resilience as part of a holistic approach to mental wellbeing.

The magazine summed up its message in a short phrase: “Break barriers, build futures.” It is a simple line, but it captures the hope that sits behind supported housing and the people who make it work.

What Social Exclusion Takes Away

Being pushed to the edges of society can affect far more than where someone lives. Over time, it can wear down confidence, loosen ties with friends and family and make it harder to believe that things could change. It can also make asking for help feel risky.

Many people who arrive in supported housing have spent long periods feeling unseen or unheard. Rebuilding from that point is rarely about one big moment. It usually happens through many small experiences of being treated with respect.

Recognising what has been lost is the first step to restoring it. Confidence, routine and a sense of belonging can all return, but they need time, safety and people who believe in them, even on the days when they struggle to believe in themselves.

Confidence Grows in Small Steps

Confidence is often rebuilt quietly. It might start with keeping a regular routine, managing a weekly budget or speaking up in a residents' meeting. Each small success makes the next one a little easier to attempt.

The Good Life described VR Wellness as offering new and accessible ways for people to reduce stress and depression and improve their overall health. Feeling calmer can make it easier to take on everyday tasks that once felt overwhelming.

Support works best when it moves at each person's pace. Pushing too hard can undo progress, while gentle encouragement helps people to discover what they are capable of, often to their own surprise.

Dignity in Every Interaction

The feature spoke of integrating technology with compassionate, person-centred support. Technology on its own changes little. What gives it meaning is the way it is offered, with patience, choice and respect for each person's story.

Dignity means being treated as an individual rather than a case. It means having a say in decisions, being spoken to kindly and having privacy respected. These are simple things, yet they make a lasting difference.

For readers curious about how immersive tools can sit within this approach, our guide to virtual reality applications for mental health and wellness explains more about how the technology works and what it can offer.

Rediscovering a Sense of Purpose

Purpose gives shape to a day. For someone who has felt shut out, it might come from learning a new skill, volunteering, returning to study or helping a neighbour. Each offers a reason to look forward.

Supported housing can be a place to explore these possibilities safely. With encouragement, people can try new things, make mistakes and try again, without the fear that one setback will undo everything.

Purpose also tends to grow alongside connection. Feeling part of something, whether a group, a community or a household, reminds people that they have something valuable to contribute to the lives of others.

Moving Forward With Hope

The Good Life described Apax as helping individuals move forward with dignity, purpose and hope. Those words point to where the work is heading, towards lives that are settled, independent and full of possibility.

Hope is not the same as optimism. It is the steady belief that change is possible, even when progress is slow. Holding on to that belief, on behalf of residents, is part of what good support does.

Every person's journey looks different. Some move on quickly, while others need more time. Both deserve the same patience and the same confidence that a brighter future is within reach, however long the road may be.

Hope for the Road Ahead

The feature closed by describing Apax as striving to shape a brighter, more inclusive future for those in need. It is an aim that will keep guiding the work, and one that depends on residents, staff and partners together.

We are thankful to The Good Life magazine for sharing the story with its readers, and to every resident who has been willing to try something new on the way to rebuilding their life.

You can read the full feature in The Good Life magazine, published in association with The Guardian: Transforming mental health with VR.