In therapy, ART stands for Accelerated Resolution Therapy. It’s a relatively new form of psychotherapy developed by clinician Laney Rosenzweig, designed primarily to treat trauma and PTSD. The therapy uses guided eye movements and a technique called voluntary image replacement to change how distressing memories are stored in the brain, often producing results in just one to five sessions.
How Accelerated Resolution Therapy Works
ART combines two core techniques: lateral eye movements and a structured process for replacing the mental images tied to traumatic memories. During a session, a therapist guides your eyes back and forth in smooth, predictable patterns while you focus on a distressing memory. This bilateral stimulation appears to reduce the vividness and emotional charge of the memory itself.
What makes ART distinctive is its use of voluntary image replacement. After the emotional intensity of a memory has been reduced through the eye movements, the therapist walks you through a scripted process of swapping out the distressing images in the memory for new, neutral or positive ones. The factual knowledge of what happened remains intact, but the images your brain pulls up when recalling the event change. People who’ve gone through ART often describe it as still knowing what happened to them but no longer “seeing” the worst parts when the memory surfaces.
ART also processes physical sensations throughout the session rather than saving that step for the end. After each set of eye movements, the therapist checks in on what you’re feeling in your body, like tension, nausea, or chest tightness, and works through those sensations before moving on. This keeps distress from building up over the course of the session.
ART vs. EMDR
ART is often compared to EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), since both use lateral eye movements to process traumatic memories. But the two therapies differ in meaningful ways.
EMDR takes a non-directive approach. The therapist steps back and lets your mind freely associate between memories, thoughts, and emotions during processing. ART is the opposite: highly directive, with the therapist following specific scripts and guiding you through each step. EMDR also uses unpredictable eye movement patterns so you don’t focus on the movements themselves, while ART intentionally uses predictable patterns so you can stay focused on the traumatic scene you’re working through.
Another practical difference is the therapeutic relationship. EMDR typically requires building a strong rapport with your therapist before treatment begins. ART is more procedural and doesn’t depend on that kind of alliance to be effective, which can make it easier to start quickly. EMDR also asks you to hold specific thoughts or beliefs in mind during processing. ART skips that step entirely, operating on the principle that negative thought patterns resolve on their own once the images and body sensations tied to the memory are addressed.
What ART Treats
ART was originally developed for PTSD and remains most closely associated with trauma treatment. It has been studied particularly among military veterans with combat-related PTSD, where research has shown improvements not just in trauma symptoms but also in co-occurring depression and anxiety.
Beyond PTSD, practitioners use ART for a range of conditions including phobias, grief, anxiety disorders, and some forms of chronic pain. The advanced training curriculum specifically prepares therapists to apply the protocol to psychological disorders beyond trauma. A supplementary technique called SAF-T (Sensation Awareness Focused Technique) targets physical discomfort like headaches and anxiety-related body sensations.
What a Typical Course of Treatment Looks Like
One of ART’s selling points is speed. Most protocols aim to resolve a specific traumatic memory or issue within one to five sessions, with each session lasting roughly 60 to 90 minutes. This is considerably faster than many traditional talk therapies, which may require months of weekly sessions before significant improvement.
You don’t need to describe your trauma out loud in detail during ART. The therapist guides the process based on your reactions and sensations, but you can keep the specifics of the memory private. This feature makes it appealing to people who find it difficult or retraumatizing to narrate their experiences verbally.
Who Can Provide ART
ART practitioners must be licensed mental health professionals or registered nurses with psychiatric training. Certification follows a tiered system overseen by the International Society of Accelerated Resolution Therapy. Basic training is a three-day course that certifies clinicians to use ART in practice. Advanced certification requires another three days of training plus a minimum of 30 completed ART sessions, and it expands the therapist’s skills to treat a broader range of conditions.
If you’re looking for a certified ART therapist, the International Society of Accelerated Resolution Therapy maintains a directory of trained practitioners. When evaluating a potential therapist, confirming whether they hold basic or advanced certification can help you understand the range of issues they’re equipped to treat.