Like it or love it, tech seems to be here to stay. And in a world where tech is everywhere, therapists are finding creative ways to use it in their practices. We chatted with a few pros to see how they're making the most of tech - from virtual sessions to handy apps - and how it's changing the game for both them and their clients.

 The Interviewees    Ashley Campo of ashleycampo.comMexico, Colorado, Utah, Steve Lovatt of Your Time Wellness,Bedale, UK  Larisa Lipianu of  larisalipianu.com  worldwide online 
      

[HT&P Mag] What digital tools, platforms or technologies have youintegrated into your hypnotherapy practice and what do they do?

[Ashley] I have recently incorporated Virtual Reality intomy hypnosis practice. I have partnered with a mindfulness app, FLOAT VR, and usetheir app as a way to have clients see a hypnotic image as they listen to myvoice guiding them through hypnosis.

[Steve] I use Mailchimp for mailings, JotForm for clientintake forms and also for client appointment records, Zapier for automation oftasks from the website and inbound enquires, Diib for Search engineoptimisation, Vimeo for hosting client recordings, both audio and video,SoundCloud for audio-only recordings and Turboscribe to transcribe audiorecording of client meetings etc.

[Larisa] I have integrated a calendar scheduling tool Calendly and Cal.com to book my calls and appointments with clients. It allowsclients to book a session directly and see my availability. Cal.com also has avideo conference option which is free - so it saves me paying for Zoom when Ido online sessions.
I use Mailerlite to send automated emails to clients when Iwant to promote a course.
I use Wise Multicurrency account to receive paymentsinternationally and work with multiple countries. It’s been easy to use andintegrate into my systems.
I also use Google Drive regularly to upload my clients' recordings and email them to them.
I also use social media to attend networking groups andcollaborate with other industry experts. It has helped me to find new clients.
I use AI tools such as ChatGPT to help me generate ideas forblog posts, and write an outline. Other AI tools have been great,I used them to generate images or backgrounds for my photos when my originals were too dark.

 

[HT&P Mag] Which has made the biggest impact on your work and how?

[Ashley] Incorporating Virtual Reality has had a huge impacton my work - first, it has opened me up to a whole new world of potentialcustomers which has been wonderful. It has also created something new andinteresting for me to be navigating, which keeps me interested and engaged andit also creates something new and interesting for my clients which also keepsthem interested and engaged. And we know that that novelty creates dopamine forboth of us which helps lock in the change clients are coming to me for which isreally great.
[Steve] The biggest impact has been JotForm. the ability tohave online forms via a simple link in an email has reduced the physicalpaperwork immensely. In addition, I have just started using JotForm to captureclient notes during appointments, so I have a master client form, which iseffectively the intake and health form, a record of their intake interview andseparate forms for each client appointment.
Via the integration ofZapier, I will have the ability to send reminder texts, although this has not beenimplemented yet.
Integration with the Apple calendar is the next task, althoughI am not yet sure what tool I will use for this. I find thecontextual/dynamic aspect of the forms where the question choices change basedon client input, particularly useful and can reduce the length of the formimproving client acceptance as they are not being asked to complete irrelevant questionsof very long forms.
[Larisa] I think Zoom makes the biggest impact for me as I can have video calls with clients from all over the world. Itgives me variety and flexibility and my income is not dependent on one location.The calendar scheduling system is also great because I work internationally andit saves me the hassle of calculating the time zones. I integrated it with mywebsite and my clients can easily book a session without having to message me.

 

 

[HT&P Mag] What is your best and worst experience with technology?

[Ashley] Overall, I’ve had great experiences integratingVirtual Reality into my practice. At times, of course, there are technicaldifficulties but, in those moments, I just revert to my training and go withthe flow. I guide my client to just close their eyes, and we finish the session“the old-fashioned way”. Those moments are few and far between, whereas thosemoments where clients can really access their unconscious mind on deep levels,quickly, easily and comfortably are much more common. I love to hear back fromclients a few days later on how our sessions have had such lasting effects forthem and how they are incorporating my Virtual Reality “homework” into theirdaily lives to continue this work on their own.
[Steve] The best experience is when it all works andintegrates seamlessly. This can be quite a struggle and involves a considerableamount of my time. When this happens large elements of the administrativeoverhead of my practice become automatic and occur in the background. The worstexperience is the fact that there is not one single solution that fills all therequirements and getting them to all work together can be extremely arduous.Plenty of time needs to be left for testing and numerous interactions with therelevant technical support teams may be needed. I found the user forums veryhelpful, although you need to be able to communicate the technical aspects ofwhat you are trying to achieve quite fluently, which can be difficult if youare not familiar with the terms used or technology in general.
[Larisa] I work online and the worst experiences are whenthe internet isn’t working, and I lose a call with a client in the middle ofthe conversation or during a hypnosis session. I had to reschedule the sessionif the internet was terrible, and I do think it ruined the flow of the session.I also experienced glitches when the clients aren’t used to joining Zoom, andit can be a delay at the start.

 

[HT&P Mag] How have clients responded to your use of tech? Have you hadto make any allowances for clients who dislike, mistrust or have trouble withit?

[Ashley] I only use Virtual Reality with clients who requestit. If a client is not interested in it, then we have our session without it.It is very important to me that the client always feels comfortable and incontrol. VR is a great tool but not necessary to have great success withhypnosis.
[Steve] Generally, the response has been very positive, although forclients who may be technically challenged I find I still need to haveconventional alternatives. This is particularly the case with my older clients.
[Larisa] Usually, the clients I have worked with have beenvery open-minded and used to technology. Ever since the pandemic, most clientshave become used to online sessions. I did have clients who preferred meeting face-to-face, but this happened rarely.

 

[HT&P Mag] Virtual sessions have become a lot more popular in recentyears. Do you conduct hypnotherapy sessions online? If so, what has been thebiggest benefit and the biggest difficulty it has caused?

[Ashley] My practice is 100% virtual and that has beenwonderful for my clients and for myself! It allows my clients to have theirsession in an environment that they are comfortable in and, this way, they canrelax and spend some time integrating our session prior to getting on withtheir day. I encourage my clients to take some time after our work to journal,drink some water or tea, and sort of slowly “reintegrate” into their day-to-daylives. That is soooo much better for them than having to immediately jump backinto things by hopping in their car to drive away. It’s a much more gentleintegration. There are, occasional times when internet connection can be aproblem, or technical difficulties get in the way but that’s really few and farbetween. Because of that unpredictability, I try to be fairly reasonable andflexible when someone needs to reschedule, and my clients really appreciatethat.
[Steve] Yes, I do conduct virtual sessions using acombination of either Zoom or doxy.me. I find Zoom to be the higher qualitysolution, although I think a second solution is important as I have experiencedtimes when Zoom seems unreliable. The biggest benefit is the geographic spreadof clients. I now have clients as far away as Australia and the US. The biggestchallenge is the variability of the client's internet connection.
[Larisa] Yes, the biggest benefit is that it saves time forthe client and me. Clients who work from home can join the session straightafter work and they look forward to the hypnosis session to wind down anddestress. Another benefit is that they are at home in the comfort of their bedso they can be dressed casually in clothes that make them comfortable.  Clients feel more relaxed and safe to talk tome when they are in a familiar place that they’ve known. The difficulty hasbeen that sessions require a reliable internet connection and for the clientsto be in a place where they won’t be disturbed. I’ve had sessions when theclients went in the car to join the call because a family member decided tovisit, and I had experiences where people entered the bedroom and disturbed thesession. This has been difficult as it interrupted the flow.

[HT&P Mag] Have you explored the use of virtual reality (VR) in yourhypnotherapy practice? If so, how do you use it, and how well has that worked?If not, is it something you’d consider in the future and why/why not?

[Ashley] Why yes, I have! 😊  I have been using it during my one-on-onesessions with clients and I have also begun offering them “homework” within VRso that they can continue this work even when I’m not there with them. So farthe response has been really wonderful and I’m excited to continueincorporating Virtual Reality into my practice.
[Steve] I have considered VR, as I think it may well be oneof the developments that clients expect to evolve. The main issue that mostpeople think makes this less attractive is the price of the hardware. Aftersome investigation, I found that although high, the hardware cost is unlikelyto be a limiting factor. The cost of producing the content is likely to be thefactor which makes this technology prohibitive for most hypnotherapists.Production costs of VR content range from a minimum of £1000 to tens ofthousands or even more, even for a short 3–4-minute segment. When it isconsidered that much of our work is customised or individual, I think this willlimit the growth of VR. More generic content such as walks, beach scenes etcmay also be unsuitable as they impose a particular experience on the user,which may not meet their preferences/modalities. Many companies can be found onthe internet promoting VR-based hypnotic solutions, but isn’t this reallydiluting the ability of the individual to imagine, with the power of theirmind, rather than an imposed “Disney-like” experience? I am sure this may be acontroversial standpoint, but feel it is now open for debate.
[Larisa] I have not explored that, and I don’t see thebenefits of it yet. I think the clients who struggle to imagine may benefitfrom VR, but I am not familiar with it yet or how to set it up.

 

 

[HT&P Mag] Technology and automation can be seen as impersonal. How doyou balance this with the need to maintain a human connection with yourclients?

[Ashley] I think that using technology and automation can bea wonderful tool to help you make a larger impact on the world. At the end ofthe day, I’m just one person running my small practice and so I try to useautomation in places that doesn’t take away from that personal connection withclients while then doubling down on the personal connection when it mattersmost. Scheduling, appointment reminders, etc - I automate all of those to helptake those little tasks off my plate so I’m better able to focus on my clientswhen I’m working with them, when I’m replying to their emails, when I’mpreparing for their sessions, etc. And I think they can feel that humanconnection and realness in those moments to the small, automated things don’tmatter.
[Steve] I think a personal service is extremely importantand strive to provide this direct interaction with my clients. I dislike theautomated approach, typical when you call a telephone helpline and have toselect 1 for X and 2 for Y. Generally, the use of technology is transparent tomy clients. I always ensure that more traditional forms and communicationstyles are available to all my clients. This can particularly be a requirementfor my older clients.
[Larisa] I am very mindful when I send automated emails, andI am clear about the reason why I am sending them. When it comes to the sessionitself, I aim to be fully present with the client during the call and I believethat makes a difference. Technology has been useful for me to createpersonalised recordings for the client which they can use outside of thesession.

 

[HT&P Mag] Have you encountered any ethical or privacy concerns relatedto technology in your practice? How do you address these to ensure clientconfidentiality and trust?

[Ashley] What a great question. It is true, as youincorporate more and more tech into your practice, you do have the potential tohave privacy concerns come up. When I first began offering Visual Realityservices, once the client granted me access to their device, there was no wayto “disconnect” my control from their unit. As soon as we realized this (aftermy first VR session), I worked with the app maker to add controls so that theclient had to approve my control of their device with each session, and wecould also “disconnect” their device from my control panel. I think that beingaware and cognizant of these types of things makes a huge difference. As weincorporate technology into our practice, things are going to be new, and thebiggest thing is to stay aware of potential issues so that we can address themright away.
[Steve] Data storage and security are a key considerationfor me when selecting solutions. I always ensure that solutions are at leastGDPR compliant, as a bare minimum and that UK-based data centres are usedwherever possible, to ensure compliance with present and future legalrequirements. If this is not possible the minimum is European data centres. Ialways ensure all data is protected with strong passwords and change passwordsevery three months. With regards to the ethical elements, I continuously evaluatethe solution I adopt against any changes to the ethical policies of the variousprofessional bodies and as a sense check always ask the question of whether Iwould feel happy and safe if I were a client of mine.
[Larisa] I am very mindful of the software I use when wehave client sessions, and I always check the security settings. If a clientmessages me on Facebook or WhatsApp, I always encourage them to discuss it directlyin the call so that their information will not be shared inappropriately.Outside the session, I think it’s important to protect customer data and ensurethat any clients' notes are stored offline or password-protected and coded, tominimise risk.

 

[HT&P Mag] Do you think that, overall, the impact of technology onhypnotherapy practice has been positive?

[Ashley] Absolutely. I think that the impact of technologyon my hypnosis practice has been overwhelmingly positive. From being able tooffer my services to clients all over the world via the magic of Zoom, toincorporating Virtual Reality, to my ability to take online training from thebest teachers out there… I would 1,000% say that technology has been a positivething in the world of hypnosis.
[Steve] Yes, although it needs to be adopted carefully andprofessionally.

[Larisa] I think technology has been very positive, it allows peopleto have more options in finding the right therapist and it gives accessibilityto people who are struggling. I have worked with clients battling chronic pain,who were stuck in bed and would not have been able to see me if I couldn’t meetonline.  It makes the process easier, andclients can see me without having to drive through the traffic hours, or rainyweather to wait outside my office. I can also support clients worldwide andclients contact me from Dubai, New York, and India to receive support.Technology made this possible.

 

[HT&P Mag] What role do you see technology playing in the future ofhypnotherapy? Are there any emerging tools or trends that you're particularlyexcited about? Or anything you would like to see developed that’s not yetavailable?

[Ashley] I think we are just beginning to dip our toes intowhat we might be able to do with Virtual Reality and I’m incredibly excited tosee what we’ll come up with in the future.
[Steve] I think the role of technology will be key to myfuture practice, it will allow me to further streamline the administrativeelements of my business and enhance the client experience, leading to morepositive outcomes.
[Larisa] I think it will allow more people to find supportand it will spread awareness about the benefits of hypnotherapy and how it canhelp people.

So there you have it. Has this changed any of your ideas? Are you more likely to try integrating forms of tech into your practice? Or or there things you already use not mentioned here? 

Please let us know in the comments. 

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 Images: pixabay

Author: Debbie Waller is an experienced hypnotherapist and hypnotherapy trainer. She is the author of Anxiety to Calm: a Practical Guide to a Laid-Back Life, The Hypnotherapist's Companion, Their Worlds, Your Words, and The Metaphor Toolbox, all available from Amazon or direct from the author. Find out more about Debbie's services on
Yorkshire Hypnotherapy Training - multi-accredited hypnotherapy practitioner training, taster days and foundation levels.
CPD Expert - accredited CPD and other therapy training (online and workshops options), expert and qualified hypnotherapy supervision