Guided exercises outside therapy sessions as the starting point for the project
Trauma symptoms are often linked to uncontrollable hypo- or hyperarousal activated by the autonomic nervous system. One of the main objectives of therapy is that the client learns to identify and become aware of the changes happening in their body and to find suitable means to regulate their alertness. The aim of the project was to develop an application that would make it possible for the therapist to provide guided regulation exercises outside therapy session. They would help the client understand the mechanisms of trauma symptoms.
Right solutions with the end client’s understanding
At the beginning of the project, Solita’s service designers interviewed therapy and healthcare professionals working in the field of trauma therapy. Based on the data from the interviews, they formed a hypothesis about how the application could best serve clients between their therapy sessions.
Based on the hypotheses, several prototypes were developed. They were used to test the hypotheses confidentially when interviewing therapy clients in depth. Three key objectives were identified for the application based on customer insight gained from interviews with clients:
- To increase understanding of the reasons and mechanisms behind trauma symptoms
- To practise regulating bodily symptoms easily
- To make clients feel safe in everyday life between their therapy sessions
In the course of the planning stage, Solita developed a well-functioning pilot that therapists and their clients used for several months in the context of genuine therapeutic alliance. Solutions created with the help of the pilot were further developed to support therapy work together with users. End-users’ feedback helped Solita to firmly focus on the right issues at all stages of the project.
