Trauma Therapy & PTSD Treatment

Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)

If you’re finding it difficult to move past a trauma, especially with PTSD, there is hope with Accelerated Resolution Therapy! ART is a type of psychotherapy that encourages rapid recovery by reprogramming how your brain stores traumatic memories and imagery.

What is Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)?

ART is a form of psychotherapy with roots in existing evidence-based forms of therapies. ART utilizes back and forth eye movements during therapy, which are found to have a calming and relaxing effect on the client. These eye movements are combined with a technique called voluntary memory/image replacement that works to reprogram the way in which distressing images and memories are stored in the brain so that they no longer trigger strong physical and emotional reactions in the body. Furthermore, memories no longer cause disruptive symptoms like panic attacks and depression.

By 2015, the NREPP (National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices), a subsidiary of SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration), determined that accelerated resolution therapy is an effective form of treatment for PTSD and depression. 

What does Accelerated Resolution Therapy Look Like?

Treatment with ART is usually between 2 and 5 sessions depending on the severity and complexity of my client’s concerns.

An initial intake session will occur, which lasts around 45 minutes. I gather information and gain an understanding of the topic you would like to work through and the symptoms associated with your problem. I will further explain to you how ART works and what you can expect from treatment.  

In the next appointment, I will use the ART protocol, which includes back and forth eye movements and voluntary image replacement. This session can last from 60 to 90 minutes. You will be in control of the entire ART session and I will guide you through the process. Although some traumatic experiences can be very painful to think about or visualize, I will rapidly move you beyond the place where you are stuck in these experiences toward growth and positive changes. It is important to note that you do not have to talk about your traumas or difficult life experiences with me to achieve recovery/improvement during this phase of treatment.

Follow up appointments are typical and provide the opportunity to note what changes have occurred and if any additional areas need to be processed using ART.

Additional ART References