ART Accelerated Resolution Therapy
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) is an evidence-based form of psychotherapy that utilizes back and forth eye movements to help clients address common problems such as depression, anxiety, phobias, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is not the same as Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), however they both use eye movements. In experiencing ART, you may find that you connect pieces of information that are already stored in your memory to help you resolve your issues. The brain, while focused on a problem and concurrently using eye movements, makes new connections with a person’s strengths and problem-solving abilities.
ART is a very focused eye movement therapy and, as such, has produced quick, effective and safe results in treating anxiety, depression, phobias, relationship issues and grief, to name a few. ART is effective with adults as well as children. When initially thinking about your problem during therapy, you may feel some of your usual unease about it. Clients quickly pass beyond their anxiety or sadness to first experience calm and then, as their problem loses its hold on them, relief. At the completion of ART treatment, the evidence to date shows that the changes you make will be long-lasting.
About the Technique Itself
You will be in total control of the therapy. This is not hypnosis and you will be speaking to me just as you would during a session that does not involve eye movements. I will ask you to use ART‘s Degree of Intensity scale to indicate the intensity of the emotions related to your problem by sliding an indicator on the scale. I will sit slightly to your left or right and have you follow my fingers with your eyes while you think about your problem. I will ask you to describe to me what you experience during the brief time of moving your eyes. Physical sensations will also be processed by using the eye movements so that
disturbing sensations can disappear and positive feelings can be enhanced. In fact, using ART interventions, clients have often been able to replace a negative image with positive images. Subsequently, when clients think about their problem, it is the positive images they will recall.
I will be asking you to notice any body sensations as we go along. Do not worry about whether you are doing ART correctly as the eye movements tend to relax you and they do the work. I may ask you a direct question that you can focus on while using the eye movements. You may be better able to answer questions while using ART‘s eye movements because they increase your ability to solve problems. As we begin ART, you may notice you are becoming calmer – and that happens even with my most anxious clients. ART, although it is looking at troublesome events or problems in your life, often has a calming effect and the norm is for clients to leave the session feeling like a weight has been lifted off their shoulders.