Accelerated Resolution Therapy® (ART) is a brief, structured form of psychotherapy designed to help you recover from distressing experiences, emotions, or sensations that may feel “stuck” in your mind or body. Using gentle, guided eye movements and visualization techniques, ART helps the brain reprocess troubling memories in a way that reduces emotional pain while preserving the facts of what happened. Through ART, you are able to erase negative images associated with memories, resulting in the elimination of corresponding triggers.
Combining elements of traditional talk therapy with eye movements similar to those used in EMDR, ART enables you to reframe distressing memories and reduce their impact. Bilateral stimulation of the brain through the use of eye movements has been shown to produce theta waves in the brain, which have been connected to creativity, intuition, daydreaming. Helping the brain learning new ways of processing distressing information through this pathway is the core of ART.
During an ART session, you’ll remain fully in control as I guide you through a series of eye movements (believed to be similar Rapid Eye Movements that occur during sleep ) while you recall a difficult memory or feeling. Through this process, your brain can safely “update” the memory by removing or replacing the corresponding images so that it no longer triggers the same distress, fear, or physical tension. You also don’t have to describe your trauma in detail if you prefer not to; many people appreciate this sense of privacy and control.
Most clients describe ART as calm, focused, and surprisingly efficient. Because each session follows a structured protocol, progress can often be seen within a few sessions or less rather than months of therapy.
ART is grounded in the science of how memories and emotions are stored in the brain. By helping the mind replace distressing images and sensations with new, positive ones, ART allows healing to occur quickly and safely; so you can move forward without being held back by the past.
What Can ART Help With?
ART has been shown to help with a wide range of issues, including:
- Post-traumatic stress (PTSD)
- Anxiety and panic
- Grief or loss
- Depression
- Worries, Fears, and Phobias
- Attachment/Relationship Issues
- Unhealthy habits
- Poor Self-Image
- Pain Management
- Nightmares
After an ART session, you may feel calmer and notice that distressing memories have lost their emotional “charge.” Some people report vivid dreams, lightness, or insights in the days following. These are signs that your brain is continuing to heal and integrate the new information.
*ART processing is typically scheduled for extended (80min) or double (110min) session times.
Sources: https://acceleratedresolutiontherapy.com/evidence-based/ ART is recognized as evidenced-based by the Society of Clinical Psychology, Div. 12 of the American Psychological Association (APA)