Rapid Recovery and Healing with Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)
Keep the facts about your experience but lose the emotional pain.
ART is a form of therapy that integrates elements of evidence-based treatments, such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and guided imagery, to treat various psychological issues effectively and rapidly. It was developed in the early 2000s and is designed to help clients resolve distressing memories, reduce symptoms of trauma, and achieve emotional well-being in a relatively short time frame, often in 3-5 sessions.
Key Features of ART:
Eye Movements: A core technique in ART involves the client following the therapist's hand movements with their eyes, which is believed to facilitate the brain's processing of traumatic or distressing experiences with bilateral stimulation. Eye movements, similar to ones experienced in REM sleep, are combined with directive ART techniques for rapid improvement.
Voluntary Image Replacement: Clients are guided to visualize a troubling memory and then intentionally replace it with a positive or neutral image. This process helps alter the emotional impact of the memory without erasing the factual elements.
Focus on the Present: ART emphasizes symptom relief rather than extensive exploration of past traumatic events. Clients are encouraged to process and reframe their experiences in ways that promote current emotional health.
Brief and Structured: Sessions are typically 60–90 minutes, and many clients report significant improvement in as few as 1–5 sessions. ART is goal-directed and follows a structured protocol.
Nonverbal Processing: Clients do not need to share specific details of their trauma or distressing events with the therapist. Instead, they work through the material internally while receiving guidance.
Applications of ART:
ART has been shown to be effective for a variety of issues, including:
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Anxiety and depression
- Panic attacks/disorder
- Phobias
- Grief and loss
- Relationship issues
- Chronic pain
- Performance anxiety (e.g., for athletes or performers)
- Self esteem
Benefits:
- Rapid results
- Non-invasive
- Reduced emotional distress
- Can also be used with stressors that occur throughout the day and not only distressing images
How It Works:
The mechanism of ART is thought to involve changes in the way the brain stores and retrieves memories, leading to a reduction in the emotional and physiological response associated with distressing events. Relaxation techniques combined with directive reprocessing brings about relief and balance.