Simplifying Therapy Tech

The BilateralStimulation.io Story

In the early days of BilateralStimulation.io, the experience of providing remote EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy tools was still fairly novel. The project set out to create a HIPAA-compliant, user-friendly web application that therapists could trust. With a short runway and high expectations, the team quickly moved to transform an early beta into a polished, production-ready solution.

Note: To comply with various confidentiality requirements, I’ve omitted or obfuscated any sensitive business and technical data. All information here reflects my own perspective and does not necessarily represent the official views of BilateralStimulation.io or its founders.

The Context

HIPAA compliance on a tight timeline

Two months after I joined the project, an alpha version was already in testing. However, compliance needs, technical limitations, and user research revealed significant issues that had to be addressed swiftly:

  1. HIPAA Requirements
    We needed to ensure the platform was fully compliant. Initially, we explored using a BAA (Business Associate Agreement) with a more complex setup, but eventually ended with a simpler, PDF-based approach.

  2. Global Payment Logistics
    The team struggled with a suitable payment provider. We first tried Paddle—leading to complexities with VAT. Later, they pivoted toward Stripe and Revin, only to discover this posed its own limitations.

  3. Therapist-Centric Design
    Therapists—our core users—were not especially tech-savvy. The UI had to be exceptionally simple and adaptable to different screen sizes and workflows.

Despite these constraints, the goal was clear: launch a fully functional, user-friendly platform that therapists could rely on, all while respecting strict security and compliance guidelines.

The Challenge

Turning a beta into a professional product in record time

Even before my involvement, BilateralStimulation.io was already providing value to a group of therapists. But to scale beyond this niche audience, the platform needed:

  • A modern frontend foundation
    The original prototype used hand-rolled Svelte components with inline CSS. This approach wasn’t robust enough for rapid iteration or branding needs.

  • Simple, intuitive user flows
    Early testers indicated confusion navigating between sessions, customizing stimuli, and understanding features.

  • Compliance & Security
    HIPAA constraints meant scoping down third-party services. Every feature needed to be thoroughly vetted for privacy compliance.

Given our limited window to make these updates, the challenge was to balance big-picture polish with the reality of rolling out improvements quickly.

My Role

Engineering and UX Input

I served primarily as the frontend engineer on the project, with a secondary role providing UX input. My responsibilities included:

  • Choosing the tech stack
    I architected the frontend and introduced Tailwind CSS/UI to accelerate the UI overhaul. Additionally, I built out a custom headless component library, “Sash UI,” long before renderless components were commonplace. The design system and its primitives greatly sped up feedback loops and customization.

  • Collaborating with the Founder and Designer
    I worked closely with Yanick (Founder) and Nick (UX Designer). After Nick joined, the design process sped up, and we iterated rapidly on feedback.

  • Payment Vendor Implementation
    While not my core specialty, I handled the technical implementation of Paddle, ensuring it integrated smoothly with our frontend while adapting to its unique constraints, including VAT handling and compliance considerations.

Kickoff

Rebuilding from the inside out

By the time I joined, the alpha version was functional but lacked polish. We began by cataloging user feedback—especially from early therapist adopters—to pinpoint top priorities:

  1. Frequent UI confusion over how to customize bilateral stimuli, such as visual or tactile (vibration) patterns.
  2. Non-technical audience was easily overwhelmed by advanced settings or jargon.
  3. Device responsiveness was critical—some therapists resized the browser window to very small dimensions, or used tablets.

With these insights, we mapped out a plan to refactor the entire frontend using Tailwind UI’s component kit for professional consistency. The overarching strategy was to focus on making the app “impossibly simple” for non-technical users.

Early Insights from the Field

  1. Therapist-Friendly Interface
    Therapists needed an interface that mirrored their in-person workflows, with minimal clicks and no complex setup.

  2. Custom Branding
    Clinics and private practitioners wanted to add their own logos or color schemes. Using Tailwind CSS, we gave them simple but powerful customization options.

  3. Payment Pains
    Balancing HIPAA compliance, different tax rules, and multiple currencies made payments a recurring challenge. Therapists also expected “one-click” subscription setup.

These discoveries clarified the path forward: double down on a high-quality, brandable UI while ensuring compliance under the hood.

The Discovery

Designing for drastically different screen dimensions

One unexpected hurdle was how drastically some therapists resized their browser windows. In user sessions, we saw:

  • Tiny windows pinned to corners of their monitors, leaving minimal space for the UI.
  • Large, high-resolution displays for group sessions with more advanced layouts.

This forced us to design a flexible, responsive grid system. It also underscored the importance of a robust design system—Tailwind UI gave us a consistent way to handle both extremes without building every component from scratch.

Deeper Insights

When “simple” still confuses

We discovered that “simple” is relative. Options that felt obvious to us sometimes baffled therapists. This led to a more cautious rollout of new features, with repeated user tests. If a new feature caused too many support tickets, we refined or scaled it back.

“We had to remember that convenience for a tech-savvy user can still feel advanced to our core audience.”

The Redesign

Introducing a tailwind-powered interface

To modernize and unify the user experience, we pivoted away from vanilla Svelte components toward a Tailwind UI-based design system, augmented by a custom headless library I called Sash UI.

  1. Professional, Polished Aesthetic
    Right out of the box, Tailwind UI ensured consistent spacing, typography, and components that aligned with our brand direction.

  2. Rapid Customization
    Sash UI allowed us to extend or override any component for specific user needs, ensuring no “cookie-cutter” look.

  3. Mobile & Desktop Parity
    We implemented responsive variants so that any element would scale gracefully—even in a tiny window.

Paddle, Stripe, and the Payment Saga

What started with Paddle for quick compliance turned into a juggling act of VAT, HIPAA concerns, and a revolving door of payment processors. Ultimately, we never found the “perfect” solution before I wrapped up my role, but the team continued iterating on finance integrations as the product matured.

How We Got There

A balancing act: brandable but familiar

Our biggest priority was to ensure therapists could confidently run sessions without a steep learning curve. To address this:

  1. Iterative Design with Nick
    Nick joined mid-project and brought a user-centered design process. He quickly sketched improvements, tested them with alpha users, and delivered polished iterations in days.

  2. Early Beta Program
    A small group of “superfans” tested the platform relentlessly. Their constant feedback guided final refinements, especially around clarity and navigation.

  3. Founder-Led Branding
    Yanick had a strong vision for the brand aesthetic. Tailwind UI was adapted to those brand guidelines, speeding up development and ensuring consistency.

Implementation & Testing

Polish under pressure

We had only a few months, but we tackled essential workflows and UI concerns simultaneously:

  • HIPAA: We verified each third-party script and minimized data exposure.
  • Svelte + Tailwind: This combo allowed quick style changes without sacrificing performance.
  • Component Library: I abstracted core behaviors—like toggling bilateral stimuli—into “renderless” components so future expansions wouldn’t require complete rewrites.

User Feedback:
Every design tweak or new component was tested with real therapists, revealing friction points we wouldn’t have caught otherwise.

The Launch

From beta to revenue

After we integrated the essential compliance features and stabilized the payment flows, the product went live as a freemium offering. Within the first month, revenue significantly exceeded expectations.

  • Hardware Sales: The marketing page–implemented in mere days–for EMDR buzzers sold out existing inventory almost immediately.
  • Growing MRR: While I can’t share exact figures, the monthly recurring revenue exceeded expections by 300%, shortly after launch. Rare for a startup launch!
  • Therapist Love: User feedback was overwhelmingly positive, praising the simplicity and reliability.

The Impact

A simpler, more accessible therapy tool

While I can’t provide specific metrics for confidentiality reasons, the product’s success was evident:

  • Immediate Adoption
    New signups quickly converted into paying subscribers.
  • Positive User Sentiment
    Therapists reported less confusion and quicker onboarding for their patients.
  • Freemium Model Success
    The free tier captured a broader audience, and many users later upgraded as they grew confident in the product’s quality.

Reflection & Next Steps

Lessons learned and future possibilities

  1. Evolving Tech Choices
    Today, I might use shadcn or similar modern libraries that have matured in the renderless component space (Spoiler alert: That’s what I’m using now!). My homegrown Sash UI was groundbreaking at the time, but standardized solutions now offer faster customization.

  2. Deeper UX Collaboration
    Working with Nick taught me the value of rapid iteration on real user feedback. In the future, I’d invest even more in wireframing and prototyping to surface UX issues early.

  3. Superfans Rule
    The alpha and beta testers were instrumental in shaping the final product. Their enthusiasm and immediate feedback cycles validated decisions (and exposed pitfalls) faster than any internal process.

  4. Looking Ahead
    Although I left the project shortly after launch, BilateralStimulation.io continues to thrive. The founders regularly appear at conferences, building a recognized name in the therapy-tech space.

Final Thoughts

Therapy made simpler—one iteration at a time

The BilateralStimulation.io journey highlights the power of a small, focused team using modern frameworks to ship meaningful experiences quickly. From HIPAA constraints to user confusion, we confronted every challenge head-on. The result? A thriving tool that helps therapists and patients with minimal friction. There’s nothing magical about the process to get there, just the impact of good UX, thoughtful engineering, and rapid iteration.

“The magic lies in understanding your users’ real constraints and building a solution so simple they barely notice the complexity behind it.”