I am a forensic psychologist, psychotherapist (CBT/schema therapy), and clinical hypnotherapist working in Finland, with 15 years of experience in the prison service and a decade in private clinical practice. My hypnotherapy work covers trauma, psychosomatic conditions, lifestyle change and addictions, sleep and stress-related difficulties, anxiety, and issues of mood and self-esteem. I have a particular interest in bringing modern technology into hypnotherapy, especially through the clinical application of digital tools and artificial intelligence (AI) to enrich, personalise, and innovate therapeutic methods.
I also specialise in personality disorders, narcissism, and the psychological impact of high-control and coercive groups, including religious communities. Alongside clinical hypnotherapy, I provide integrative mental coaching that combines evidence-based psychological approaches with hypnotic techniques to support resilience, self-understanding, and sustainable behavioural change.
Presentation
The Future of Hypnotherapy
Name: Pia Puolakka
Job title: MSc (Psychology), Forensic Psychologist, Psychotherapist, Hypnotherapist
Companies: HypnoPia & MindTech
E-mail: piapuo@luukku.com
Abstract
My presentation is an academic literature review and a resume of my personal work in the realm of “digital hypnosis”. In addition to reviewing current findings, the presentation will provide an overview of how digital tools and artificial intelligence (AI) can be applied to hypnotherapy in multiple ways: from telehypnosis (online hypnosis) to the use of conversational AI, avatar-based environments, and virtual reality (VR). Since Covid-19, the digital means of using hypnosis have become increasingly common, and in the post-Covid era various AI-powered applications, chatbots and immersive technologies are transforming the clinical landscape.
A specific focus is on how conversational AI can support the therapist’s work in practice. This includes the use of AI in case formulation, generating and tailoring hypnotic scripts, and assisting in therapeutic assessment through structured prompts and reflective dialogue. AI can enhance creative idea generation for hypnotic procedures and facilitate imagery, immersion and state induction for clients. Virtual reality combined with hypnosis has been applied in pain management, and avatar-based therapies are already used in complex psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia. AI-designed hypnotic scripts, AI-assisted monitoring of hypnotic depth for anaesthesia/analgesia, and client-specific digital interventions illustrate the emerging technological ecosystem around hypnotherapy.
In my private practice, telehypnosis and AI-assisted tools are used with diverse clients, offering new possibilities for personalisation and accessibility. The presentation will also analyse ethical questions, risks and responsibilities related to the digitalisation of hypnosis. Ultimately, the Turing Test serves as a metaphorical boundary: if a human can no longer distinguish an AI-driven hypnotic interaction from a human one, a profound shift in therapeutic practice has occurred.
Keywords: hypnosis, hypnotherapy, digitalization, telehypnosis, artificial intelligence, conversational AI, virtual reality, case formulation, scripts, ethics