Accelerated Resolution Therapy–keep the memories, forget the pain

Once trauma is experienced, our bodies process and store the physical and emotional pain that came with it.

When something happens to us later in life that triggers those memories, our brains kick in non-consciously, triggering the exact same physical, mental and emotional responses. This forces us to relive our unhealed wounds over and over again. As much as we think talk therapy and other traditional approaches can fix this, it can’t. Certain thoughts or situations can kick us right into one of the four responses- Fight, Flight, Freeze or Fawn. And all too often, we remain stuck there.

Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) is a unique approach to psychotherapy. It uses use the power of eye movements and guided conversation to help the client replace the negative images in their mind that spark Post-Traumatic Stress with positive images of the client’s choosing. It's done quickly, most often within one session! Once the negative images have been replaced with positive ones, the triggers will be gone. Nightmares, repeated intrusive thoughts and situational anxiety will stop. The best part? You don't have to talk...just hold the memories in your mind. The entire process takes no longer than an hour.

ART was developed in 2008 by Laney Rosenzweig, LMFT. As a mental health clinician, Laney was trained and proficient in multiple treatment modalities, including EMDR. She quickly appreciated the therapeutic value of eye movements but also recognized the need to modify how they are used and integrated with other techniques. She created treatment protocols that are directive, standardized and easy to apply to different conditions. The genesis of ART involved integrating elements from different therapies in a unique and more effective way.

The process for ART is gentle, non-invasive and rarely–if ever–causes stress for the patient. You will sit comfortably while Dr. Black walks you through a guided conversation while your eyes follow a visual prompt. While holding your 'triggering memories', together, you will create a new narrative regarding the incidences. You will not change anything about what happened, nor will you forget it. You will however, stop the non conscious negative effects that it previously had on you. It's like a Jedi mind trick, and it works.