You’re out and about on a Saturday morning grocery shopping when suddenly you see him. He doesn’t see you at first, but you instantly know you’re in trouble when a cold chill runs down your spine. You’re frozen solid in fear. Your legs feel like sold blocks of cement, forcing you to stay when you’re wanting to run as far away as possible.
You’re flooded with those scary memories that you’ve tried really hard to forget about. They feel so real that now you’re not sure if you’re safe. You see him swinging, you see the blood, and you see yourself lying on the ground. Your chest starts to tighten, and you’re fighting to remember all the things you learned in therapy. Nothing helpful is coming to mind, and now he’s standing a few feet away from.
He sees you. You both lock eyes, and you see that horrible smirk cross his face. You want to get out and go home. But your body isn’t working. Your mind is racing. Your breathing is heavy. The past feels like it’s happening right now. You’re crying, and he notices. He turns away from you, but stays within your vicinity. You can’t move because if you make the wrong move, he might attack like he did previously.
It feels like you’re held at gunpoint, and you don’t move from where you are until he leaves. He knows that you’re terrified, so he lingers around for two hours, just to remind you he has the last word. You wish you could have mustered up enough courage to move away, because logically you know that in a grocery store filled with people he would never act up.
You don’t know how to make the switch in your brain. It takes you several hours to calm down, and the rest of the day is ruined. You know that ultimately you’re not in danger anymore, but your body has not caught up to this reality.
You remember a friend mentioning eye movement therapy and how it really helped him unfreeze and free himself from painful past experiences. It did wonders for him and it shows.
He is living a confident, independent, and carefree life – one that you long to live as well. You get your phone and text your friend for a referral to this therapist that helped him get unstuck. You don’t want to keep living like this, and talk therapy was not helpful.
He sends you his therapist’s number, (818) 835-0005, and gives glowing recommendations. You immediately reach out and schedule your first appointment with her.
Get Unstuck
Unlike talk therapy, which involves a client talking through their concerns with a therapist, Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) uses eye movement to help the brain get “unstuck” and deactivate triggers by replacing negative images with positive images.
With ART, you do not need to verbalize details of your painful experiences if you do not need to.
The goal of ART is to minimize distressing symptoms and body sensations by replacing them with pleasant ones.
It’s a wonderful tool for therapists to use to help their clients process trauma and reduce emotional distress, and it has improved the overall therapeutic process.
What It Is
ART is an evidence-based, effective treatment focused on using bilateral stimulation to rehabilitate and heal the brain.
Bilateral stimulation, or alternately using the left and right sides of the brain, can soothe and calm your nervous system, which allows clients to access more positive sensations and feelings.
What is the difference between ART and EMDR?
ART focuses only on eye movements and takes 1-5 sessions for resolution, while EMDR takes 8-12+ sessions and works with eye movements, buzzes, and tapping.
Less than 1% of clients who use ART experience side effects, while clients who use EMDR may experience nightmares, somatic responses, new concerns between sessions, and an increase of distressing memories.
ART has an 80-94% completion rate, while EMDR only has a 40-60% completion rate.
EMDR only desensitizes the cognitive responses rather than replacing them. ART changes disturbing sensations and images to positive ones.
Additionally, EMDR focuses mainly on processing one traumatic experience at a time, and ART focuses on the sensations we hold in our bodies.
This means that even if you do not have one core traumatic memory/experience, ART can help you find relief from general depressive or anxious days.
Is ART right for you?
You will be a good candidate for Accelerated Resolution Therapy if you want to process trauma without the need to process it verbally.
ART is also helpful if you have PTSD, anxiety, and/or depressive symptoms and behaviors that are causing impairments in your daily life.
Finally, ART can help if you are struggling with panic attacks or phobias, live with obsessive-compulsive behaviors, tendencies, or disorders, or wrestle with low confidence and self-esteem.
What To Expect
ART uses 40 sets of back-and-forth eye movements to treat your symptoms.
I will help you move quickly from negative, traumatic memories into a more positive state of mind.
Typically, clients feel relief and experience progress within one-to-five one-hour sessions.
ART is not a form of hypnosis, and you will be in complete control of your state of mind throughout the whole session.
Why choose ART?
ART is a great option for those who want to experience progress and relief with a shorter timeline.
Given that ART is consolidated in one session at a time instead of treatment lasting months, this makes it a cost-efficient option.
ART is an accelerated treatment option, and I have had clients see significant differences in their distressing symptoms and behaviors within one session.
If you have been living with troublesome symptoms and behaviors that you are ready to leave in the past, ART is the solution for you.
Don’t live in agony any longer. Take back your life and live freely. Call me today to schedule your 20-minute consultation call!