What Is ART Therapy? Understanding Accelerated Resolution Therapy for Trauma

ART is often used in trauma and PTSD treatment, but trained therapists may also use the approach with concerns such as anxiety, panic, phobias, complicated grief, depression related to unresolved trauma, and other experiences involving distressing memories or images.

What Happens During an ART Session?

An ART session looks a little different from traditional talk therapy.

Your therapist will guide your eyes through smooth, horizontal movements while you bring a distressing memory, image, or feeling to mind. You’ll be guided through the process step by step while paying attention to what you’re noticing emotionally and physically.

Importantly, you don’t have to tell your therapist the details of the memory. You remain in control of what you share and what you keep private. Your therapist can guide the therapeutic process based on your responses without needing a detailed verbal account of the experience.

For people who find talking about trauma particularly difficult, this can be an important distinction.

Changing the Emotional Response to a Memory

Another part of ART involves a process sometimes called rescripting.

After working with the distress connected to a memory, you are guided in creating new imagery around the experience. You choose what that imagery looks like, the therapist doesn’t choose it for you. This doesn’t change the facts of what happened.

Instead, the goal is to help change the way your brain and body respond when the memory comes up. A memory that once triggered intense fear, anxiety, shame, or physical distress may become less emotionally overwhelming.

That can be particularly meaningful for people who feel as though they understand intellectually that an experience is in the past, but their body still reacts as though the danger is happening right now.

How Quickly Does ART Work?

The word accelerated is part of the name for a reason. ART was developed as a brief therapeutic approach, and some people experience meaningful improvement within a relatively small number of sessions.

But “accelerated” doesn’t mean rushed.

Everyone’s experiences, nervous system, and healing process are different. Some concerns may respond more quickly, while complex or long-standing trauma may require additional time and support.

Mental health treatment shouldn’t be measured against someone else’s timeline. The goal is not to process trauma as quickly as possible. It’s to find an approach that allows you to work through difficult experiences safely and effectively.

Could ART Be Right for You?

There isn’t one type of trauma therapy that is right for everyone.

For some people, traditional talk therapy provides exactly the space they need. Others may benefit from approaches that involve less detailed discussion of the traumatic experience.

ART may be worth exploring if distressing memories, anxiety, trauma responses, or painful experiences continue to interfere with your daily life, particularly if the idea of repeatedly talking through those experiences has made you hesitant to begin therapy.

A trained therapist can help you understand how ART works, discuss your concerns and goals, and determine whether it may be an appropriate part of your treatment.

Taking the Next Step

You don’t have to forget what happened in order for it to have less power over your life. And you don’t necessarily have to tell every detail of your story in order to begin healing from it.

If trauma, anxiety, or distressing memories have been weighing on you, Accelerated Resolution Therapy may offer another path toward relief. When you’re ready, our team is here to answer your questions, explore your options, and help you find an approach to healing that feels supportive and right for you.