What is ART?
Accelerated Resolution Therapy® is a revolutionary new approach to mental health counseling.
ART shares similarities with other eye-movement therapies and was developed as a quicker, more effective method of therapy. The core of ART revolves around how your brain stores and processes memories. The first step to understanding what ART is and how you might benefit from it is to look at an example.
Let’s say, for example, that you experienced something traumatic during your formative years. Your brain stores this memory and holds on to it. Over time, the memory may fade or even disappear completely. While the memory of the event may fade or change, the feelings and emotions that are attached to the actual event may linger and cause significant discomfort. You may begin to respond to situations that are unrelated to the trauma you experienced with the same feelings that you experienced during the trauma. ART allows you to retain the memory of the event but to disassociate the feelings connected to it. The goal is to allow you to keep the memory, but lose the pain.
Imagine living a life free from the burdens of negative feelings associated with traumatic events from your past.
This isn’t magic and it’s not hypnosis.
You may be saying, “How does that happen? Is this some kind of magic?” The answer is simple. The magic of ART is simply the magic of the human brain! The process is fairly easy to understand. Your Certified ART therapist will ask you to focus on a series of hand movements. While focusing on the bilateral movements of the hand, your brain will begin to mimic the same of type of activity that occurs during the R.E.M. stage of sleep. While this occurs, your counselor walks you through a series of client-centered questions that will help your mind disengage the negative emotions from memories that caused them. This explanation has been simplified. The actual is unique to every individual and is what separates ART from other eye movement therapies. If you have further questions, we recommend you contact our information line.
Research Proven Results
Accelerated Resolution Therapy® is currently in the third phase of research study. You can view summaries for the research studies by clicking the links below.
Behavioral Sciences 2012 | Frontiers In Psychology 2013 | Theoretical Military Medicine 2014 | ART For PTSD & Pain 2014
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to see results?
Most people will feel some kind of relief after only one session. The recommended course of treatment with ART is between three and five sessions.
Are there any risks associated with ART sessions?
Yes, there are risks. Distressing or unresolved memories may surface through the use of the ART procedure. Some people have reported experiencing a high level of emotional or physical sensations. If this is a concern for you, we recommend that you consult with your physician before participating in ART sessions.
Does ART work for everyone?
No, not everyone is a good candidate for ART Most importantly, to participate in ART you must have full use of your eyes. People with vision disorders may not qualify to have ART sessions. Further, ART is most effective with people who have experienced some sort of trauma in their lives. However, ART is also an effective mode of treatment for many other disorders. If you are still uncertain whether or not ART would be right for you, please call our information line and our site coordinator can tell you more.
What makes ART different from other eye movement therapies?
There are several different therapies that involve the use of eye movements. What makes ART unique is two-fold. Firstly, ART is a client-centered mode of therapy. It is interactive and allows the client to be an active participant in their treatment. Secondly, ART is not a passive approach. There are different procedures for different types of problems. ART considers each person unique and thus ART provides a variety of treatment protocols to address different problems.
How does ART work?
This is a very complicated question. The truth is that very little is actually known about how the brain works and why any mode of therapy is helpful. What is known is that learning appears to be facilitated and strengthened by the R.E.M. stage of sleep. ART simulates the same type of brain activity that occurs during the R.E.M. stage. ART has been shown to facilitate in learning new patterns of thought and behavior. A large part of ART also involves voluntary memory replacement. This process does not “remove” the memory however it removes the “images” associated with it. Clients who have participated in ART have shown a change in affect which is almost immediate.
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