What is Accelerated Resolution Therapy?
What Is Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)?
By Toni Gorn, LCSW | Toni Gorn Therapy
Accelerated Resolution Therapy, or ART, is a form of eye movement therapy that helps people process and release trauma, anxiety, and painful memories—quickly and effectively.
It’s often compared to EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), and having experienced both personally, I’ve found ART to be more focused, efficient, and far less emotionally draining.
While EMDR left me feeling raw and exposed between sessions, ART offered a sense of closure and calm—even after just one session. The process is structured yet gentle. Using guided eye movements—where you follow my hand with your eyes—we walk through the memory, and then "erase and replace" the images and sensations tied to it. It's deeply somatic. We’re constantly checking in with your body because trauma doesn’t just live in the mind—it lives in the body too.
There’s real science behind ART. The University of South Florida has conducted research showing its success, especially with Veterans experiencing PTSD. One of my favorite ways to explain ART is to use the bookshelf metaphor: imagine your painful memories are like books sticking out randomly on a shelf. You keep bumping into them. ART helps line those books up—still there, but no longer getting in your way.
And one of the best things about ART? You don’t have to talk about the memory if you don’t want to. At the beginning of a session, I’ll ask if there’s anything you care to share, and if your answer is “nope,” that’s completely okay. ART meets you exactly where you are—quietly, powerfully, and without pressure.
If you’re curious whether ART might be a fit for you, I’d love to talk. Healing doesn’t have to be long and painful. Sometimes, it just takes a new approach.
