Rapid Recovery from Trauma and Other Mental Health Problems
208 Mohawk Drive
W. Hartford, CT 06117
Phone: 860-233-3523
Fax: 860-523-8891
P.O. Box 608908
Orlando, FL 32860
407.571.2445
Email
What Makes Accelerated Resolution Therapy® (ART) Unique?
There are at least one dozen other eye movement therapies being used today. What makes ART different?
Specific Interventions – specific and unique interventions often produce similar types of changes within clients. ART’s “Recipe” involves a specific number of eye movements which facilitate processing but do not cause flooding.
Specific Protocols for different problems – not a passive approach. The ART manual outlines protocols to use with different problems; whether the problem is sexual abuse or smoking cessation.
Procedural Approach - ART is a therapy with specific procedural steps that most clinicians find easy to follow. Therapists have had success after the first day of the two day training. Once the initial skills are learned, there are many other creative and powerful interventions to choose from to aid clients in experiencing relief.
Directive – Clinicians lead clients by using client feedback to direct them to the next intervention so that clients do not get confused or “stuck.”
Interactive – Clients often comment that they feel comfortable because ART is so interactive. They report feeling the therapist is right there with them each step of the way. Conversation is part of the therapy so it feels very natural for the client and therapist, much like a traditional talk session with ART’s added features.
Voluntary Memory Replacement / Voluntary Image Replacement (VMR/VIR) – Several of ART’s interventions will produce the VMR/VIR. Clients can choose to replace a negative memory with a positive memory of their choice or reinterpret the memory. This often results in the elimination of distressful images and triggers, which usually gives the clients immediate relief from their symptoms.
Brief – ART often resolves one presenting problem in a three session model; one intake, one eye movement session and a follow up. Clients may continue on in therapy to resolve other issues. In addition, clients may wish to use traditional talk sessions to process the changes and insights they have gleaned from ART’s eye movement sessions.
Clients’ self use of Eye Movements – Clients may be instructed on how to use the eye movements on their own to process through sensations. For anxiety disorders, for example, clients can alleviate anxiety themselves if they focus on the anxious sensations while using the eye movements. Clients are advised to seek therapy when they focus on an actual problem, vs. sensations, as the reciprocity involved in resolving a problem “scene” needs the direction provided by a trained ART therapist. There are instructions involved in teaching clients self use of eye movements which can also assist clients with sleep issues. (Clients should be under a physician's care for physical ailments. ART may relieve symptoms but is not a cure for physical problems.)
Used to process dreams – ART can be used to finish a dream sequence so that the dream does not occur again. This is very helpful with nightmares, for example, or dreams that irritate clients and may be repetitive. It can also be used to help clients understand their dreams.
Socratic Method – One of ART’s interventions is the Socratic Method. During an ART session, the clinician can often ask the client to focus on a question and “see” what will float into his/her conscious mind from their “Oracle.” The ability to problem solve appears to be heightened and accessed quickly with eye movements.
A combination of therapies – ART uses Gestalt, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Guided Imagery, Psycho-dynamic therapy and combines elements of these approaches with eye movements so that the sum of ART is more than its parts. ART also uses many metaphors, which act as reinforcements for the changes made during treatment.
Complete training tools to guarantee success – There are tools the ART trainee is given to help make them successful with ART. The training packet is complete with a laminated Artometer, laminated explanation of ART for clients to read, a laminated shortcut to using ART’s basic protocol and a seventy page training manual, offering many intervention choices. ART therapists are having wonderful success in helping clients with this therapy, often enjoying therapy more, which is refreshing and helps the clinician to avoid burnout.
Laney Rosenzweig, LMFT
ART Founder
Why train in the ART method >>