Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)
Another approach to treating trauma.
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) was developed to efficiently and effectively reduce the distress that arises when an individual’s traumatic or formative memories are triggered. If a memory brings up stress, anxiety, difficult emotions, or distressing or uncomfortable body sensations, ART can assist in decreasing the intensity of those symptoms. ART can also be used to assist individuals to tolerate experiences that have previously caused significant fear and avoidance, such as exposure to spiders, heights, needles, etc.
The ART protocol can be completed for a single target in one to two sessions, often producing a reduction in symptoms within three to five sessions.
Like EMDR, ART uses bilateral stimulation as an individual follows instructions from a trained therapist to visualize, sense and feel as directed by the ART protocol.
ART has been most extensively researched for the treatment of PTSD and has been classified by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) as an effective treatment for PTSD and depression.
When I first learned about ART, and heard about the results individuals were experiencing after undergoing ART, I knew I had to get trained in this technique. ART is a surprisingly gentle way to address painful and scary memories along with many other possible therapeutic uses.
Reach out now to schedule a consultation to see if ART might work for you!
Frequently Asked Questions
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ART has been shown by research to be an effective treatment for PTSD and single-incident traumas. ART is gaining research support for treating bereavement, depression, anxiety, and panic disorder. ART is very helpful for the treatment of phobias such as needle phobias, fear of flying, driving, animals, and performance anxiety. Participants are often surprised by how quickly ART can drain the disturbance out of painful memories or phobias.
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You can’t do ART wrong. One of my favorite aspects of ART is that in each of the step, all we need to do is show your brain the problem. Your brain doesn’t need to see every part of the problem or every detail of the story. A short glimpse of the problem is enough. Your brain will do the rest. ART is designed to make use of the self-healing potential of your brain.
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Facing fear and trauma is never easy, but ART typically starts shifting your experience very quickly. A lot of the ART protocol is actually quite pleasant and helps you to connect to feelings of positivity and empowerment. Most participants find themselves feeling much lighter by the end.
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The entire ART protocol can be completed without the therapist knowing anything about the incident you are processing. You are welcome to share as much, or as little as you want about the experience you are working on.
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The entire ART protocol is designed to be completed in a single 60 minute therapy session; however, sometimes it can make sense to give extra time or to split the protocol between two sessions. Research on ART is showing rapid positive outcomes, with significant decrease in symptoms for many people within 3-4 sessions and as little as one session depending on the issue.
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ART was developed by Laney Rosenzweig, MS, LMFT. Laney has used ART to bring healing to many individuals for whom many other treatments did not work. Check out her website HERE to learn more about ART and Laney!