From admin days to creative Fridays: Dyslexia-friendly workflow with Heidi
Heidi Team
April 24, 2025•5 min read
Dr. Lisa Gibson x Heidi at a glance
"I feel like it’s a really good time to be a dyslexic psychologist... it's an era where I can truly thrive and where it doesn't need to hold me back. I can utilise my strengths - being able to articulate my thoughts, engage with others, be creative, and really connect with my clients." – Dr. Lisa Gibson, Psychologist and Sexologist
Key outcomes:
Significantly reduced administrative burden, creating more mindful client interactions
Improved clinical quality through personalised, strengths-based documentation
Enhanced work-life harmony by clearly separating professional and personal time
Enabled creative freedom to develop therapeutic tools, community outreach, and mentorship
Administrative pressures negatively impacting your energy and practice sustainability
Challenges balancing thorough documentation with mindful, client-centred care
A desire to leverage personal strengths to improve your clinical workflow
Seeking innovative ways to reclaim your time for meaningful professional and community activities
Background
Dr. Lisa Gibson, a psychologist and sexologist, built a thriving private practice focused on emotional safety, accessibility, and mindfulness. With two master's degrees and personal experience overcoming challenges associated with dyslexia, Lisa deeply understands the importance of leveraging strengths and adapting workflows to support sustainable practice. Her unique practice features thoughtful amenities, such as onsite childminding and welcoming spaces designed to foster meaningful connections and reduce barriers to therapy.
Challenge
From eating on the go to mindful practice
The traditional demands of clinical documentation posed a unique challenge for Lisa. Diagnosed with dyslexia in high school, she faced early discouragement but went on to complete two master's degrees and build a thriving practice.
After years of witnessing colleagues rush between sessions and eat on the go, Lisa was determined to build a different kind of practice. The administrative burden of detailed note-taking threatened her vision of sustainable, mindful practice.
"Previously all of the time would be taken up with notes... even knowing that if a session is recorded by Heidi or I even just have a three-minute chat to summarize the session, I can mentally park it."
Solution
Redefining practice operations: hot tea, onsite playroom, and mindful breaks
A chance conversation with colleagues introduced Lisa to Heidi Health. As she transitioned to full-time private practice, implementing Heidi became crucial for her practice vision.
Heidi Health's voice-enabled documentation provided a perfect match for Lisa's strengths as a verbal processor.
One of Lisa’s core values is accessibility and fostering emotional safety for her clients. This encompasses having an onsite playroom and offering free childminding during therapy sessions.
“There is nothing better than being able to make my clients the perfect cup of tea and provide an accessible service.”
Lisa has also developed a range of communication tools for kids, teens, and couples with the aim of helping people beyond the therapy room.
Between sessions Lisa makes her wellbeing a priority. Making time for mindful walks, restorative yoga, and 90-minute lunch breaks.
Implementation
Lisa developed personalized templates reflecting her values-based approach, incorporating ACT terminology and strength-based language. She uses both real-time session recording and post-session verbal processing, developing a documentation workflow that leverages her strengths.
"When I can use Heidi or even summarize a session verbally to Heidi, it's utilizing my strengths, which safeguards my capacity and my energy, which means I can do more of the things that I love."
Impact
With Heidi, Dr. Gibson has gained capacity to create space for community innovation, mindful client care, and better work-life balance.
Empowered practice
"I find now that my admin can be done amongst seeing my clients. It's no longer like this additional thing that I have to do... it just frees up so much time."
“It can be really validating... as a therapist, there's a lot that you do in session that you don't give yourself credit for. When it's summarized back to you,... it captures things that I forget or just do on default."
Enhanced clinical quality
"I began this journey having a really deep understanding of what works for me and how to modify things in a way that I can thrive."
Work-life harmony
"There's a huge separation now between work and home where before it was just one big blend... which definitely has an impact and it's not sustainable long term."
Creative freedom: Tool development and community outreach
With Heidi, Lisa has transformed her admin days into "Creative Fridays," enabling:
For Lisa, Heidi represents more than just time savings – it enables a new model of sustainable practice.
"For me, I never wanted to be the psychologist that was burnt out... I've got this amazing ebb and flow of being able to be really mindful in what I do and listen to what my body needs."
But her story also demonstrates how the right technology can transform perceived limitations into strengths.
"I went on to complete two master's degrees and become a psychologist and create different tools... dyslexia has never held me back. Software like this lets me use my strengths... and thrive as a therapist without the additional cognitive load."
