We all carry things from our past that shape who we are today. Sometimes, those memories and experiences can hold us back—like unresolved trauma that continues to show up in different areas of our lives. Whether it’s anxiety, stress, depression, or feeling disconnected from your body, trauma can weigh heavy on our hearts and minds, and keep us stuck or in a state of fear. But here’s the good news: healing is possible. Growth is possible. And you don’t have to do it alone.
What is ART?
ART is an evidence-based approach to healing trauma.. It helps you reprocess painful memories in a way that reduces emotional intensity & trauma responses. When we experience trauma, the body holds onto that experience, often creating physical reactions like tension, anxiety, or a sense of feeling "stuck" when a memory is triggered. Accelerated Resolution Therapy helps to shift how the brain and body respond to those memories by using a combination of techniques that engage both the left and right sides of the brain. This bilateral stimulation, often done through guided eye movements, keeps you calm and regulated while processing traumatic memories. It allows your brain to rewire and create new neuronal networks, so you don’t feel the same overwhelming response when the memory comes up.
How ART Works
ART works through a combination of techniques that help you reprocess trauma in a safe, structured way. A lot of steps and techniques go into ART and how it works, and I am not going to dive into it all here, but a few of my favorites parts of ART are:
Bilateral stimulation: Using eye movements, ART helps engage both sides of the brain, allowing you to stay calmer while recalling a memory. This technique also plays a crucial role in forming new pathways in the brain, so your emotional response to that memory changes over time.
Somatic Focus: Trauma isn’t just something that happens in the mind—it affects the body too. ART incorporates somatic work, which focuses on feeling emotions in your body as sensations. Instead of avoiding or getting stuck in those feelings, ART encourages you to process them, allowing them to move through your body and release tension.
Visualization: One unique aspect of ART is its use of visualization. Once a memory is revisited, you can “rewrite” or “revision” it in a way that feels more helpful and less overwhelming. You don’t forget the memory, but it no longer triggers the same intense emotions. Imagine being able to look at that painful experience without feeling like it pulls you right back into the emotional storm.
How ART Can Help You
ART offers a variety of benefits to those looking to heal from trauma.
Stress and Anxiety Relief: By helping you reprocess painful memories; ART can reduce the emotional charge that causes anxiety and stress.
Body Awareness: The somatic component of ART allows you to reconnect with your body and feel more grounded.
Emotional Regulation: ART helps you manage overwhelming emotions, so you can face life feeling more in control, more regulated, while building resiliency.
Rapid Results: Many clients see significant improvement after just a few sessions, making ART an ideal choice for those seeking a faster, yet effective, way to heal.
It can help with most mental health symptoms such as anxiety, depression, sleep issues, nightmares, trauma responses, panic attacks, somatic symptoms, intrusive thoughts, lack of motivation, and so much more.
It’s Time to Heal and Grow
Whether you’re someone who has been carrying trauma for years or beginning to understand how your past is affecting your present, you deserve healing. You deserve to feel whole again. ART offers an opportunity to process trauma in a way that feels manageable, even for those who may feel overwhelmed by the idea of therapy. Some people like it more because you don't have to talk about it out loud!
Now days there are so many different modalities, and therapy isn’t a one-size-fits-all. ART may or may not be for you. However, the key to success with any therapeutic modality is finding a therapist who feels like a good fit for you. A strong therapeutic relationship is essential for creating a safe space where you can do this deep healing work.
If ART sounds like something you might want to try check out our team below to find a therapist trained in ART. We have therapists trained in ART at all of our Minnesota locations, including Inver Grove Heights, Eagan, NE Minneapolis, and we also offer it virtual as well, so you can do therapy from the comfort of your own home!
If you are ready to get started on your healing journey click below to meet our team and to find a therapist that specializes in your lived experience, whether looking for ART or another approach!
If you are interested in learning more about other trauma modalities, check out some of our other blog posts below:
Brainspotting:
EMDR:
Conscious Connected Breathwork:
Clinical Hypnosis:
Somatic Techniques:
If you are interested in learning more about accelerated resolution therapy visit the Accelerated Resolution Therapy website below: https://acceleratedresolutiontherapy.com/what-is-art/
About the Author:
Taylor Leslie, MA LPCC is a mental health therapist therapist, breathwork facilitator, and cofounder of Interna Mental Health and Wellness. Taylor received her Master’s in Counseling and Psychological Services from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. Taylor works primarily with adults, specializing in anxiety, trauma, self-esteem, parts work, personal growth & transformation. Taylor has training in breathwork, clinical hypnosis, somatic healing, Accelerated Resolution Therapy, and Ego State Therapy. Outside of work Taylor enjoys traveling, going to MN sporting events, spending time with her family and friends, meditation and breathwork, & all things nature.
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