Welcome to Next Step Counselling Group, where we offer Accelerated Resolution Therapy® (ART) – a brief, structured, and evidence-based psychotherapy that helps reduce the impact of distressing memories, anxiety, and trauma-related symptoms.
ART works by helping the brain update how past experiences are stored, so emotional and physical reactions soften naturally. You keep the factual memory, but the intensity and “stuck” feeling often decrease. Many clients experience meaningful relief in a short period of time.
If you are feeling overwhelmed by past experiences, intrusive images, or anxiety that hasn’t shifted through talk therapy alone, ART offers a gentle and efficient path toward healing.
What is Accelerated Resolution Therapy?
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) is a short-term therapy designed to help the brain process and release distressing experiences. It combines:
- Guided imagery
- Relaxation and grounding techniques
- Bilateral stimulation
To reduce emotional and physiological reactivity.
A key feature of ART is that you do not need to share detailed descriptions of your experience for the therapy to be effective. The focus is on changing how the memory is stored, not retelling the story.
ART allows clients to:
- Reduce the intensity of distressing images
- Shift negative sensations in the body
- Replace painful imagery with neutral or positive imagery
- Maintain the factual memory without the emotional overwhelm
Throughout the process, you remain fully in control and can pause at any time.
How ART Works
ART follows a structured, collaborative, and creative process. Together, we gently identify the memory, image, sensation, or concern you would like to work on. Using bilateral stimulation and guided visualization, the brain begins to reprocess the distressing material in a safe and contained way while you remain grounded and in control. As the process unfolds, you are supported in voluntarily replacing distressing imagery with imagery that feels neutral, safe, or positive, which helps reduce emotional intensity. This allows the brain to update how the experience is stored, strengthening new perspectives and calmer body responses that can be integrated into daily life. As distress decreases, many clients notice improved emotional balance, fewer triggers, and increased resilience. Throughout the process, grounding and regulation strategies are used to ensure the work feels safe, paced, and manageable.
How is ART Different from Talk Therapy?
Traditional talk therapy focuses on building insight, exploring patterns, developing coping strategies, and supporting meaningful long-term change through discussion and reflection.
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) works more directly with images, body sensations, and the nervous system, helping reduce the emotional intensity connected to specific memories or triggers without requiring detailed verbal processing.
At Next Step Counselling Group, ART can be used as part of an ongoing therapeutic process that includes:
- preparation and stabilization
- integration of insights following ART sessions
- continued support for broader life patterns and goals
ART can be used:
- as a focused intervention for a specific memory or concern
- alongside ongoing counselling
- when clients feel “stuck” despite insight and coping strategies
Rather than replacing talk therapy, ART enhances and accelerates the therapeutic process by helping resolve the emotional charge that can make change feel difficult.
How is ART Different from EMDR?
Both ART and EMDR use bilateral stimulation and are effective trauma therapies.
Key differences include:
- ART follows a more directive and structured protocol
- ART includes voluntary image replacement, allowing clients to actively change distressing imagery
- ART typically requires fewer sessions
- ART does not require detailed verbal processing of traumatic events
- ART often focuses more on sensory and visual components of memory
What Can ART Help With?
ART may be helpful for:
- Trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Anxiety and Panic
- Depression
- Phobias
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Family Issues
- Addictions
- Performance Anxiety
- Poor Self Image
- Sexual Abuse
- Relationship Issues/Infidelity
- Codependency
- Intrusive Images or Memories
- Grief and Loss
- Distressing Life Experiences
- Sleep Difficulties
- Job Related Stress
- Pain Management
- Feeling “Stuck”
Benefits of ART
Clients often report:
- Rapid reduction in distress related to memories
- Decreased anxiety and emotional reactivity
- Fewer intrusive images or nightmares
- Improved ability to feel calm and present
- Increased sense of control over thoughts and body sensations
- Greater overall well-being
While results vary, ART is designed to create meaningful change in a brief and focused way.
Why Choose ART at Next Step Counselling Group?
At Next Step Counselling Group, ART is provided by trained clinicians within a trauma-informed and client-centered environment.
We offer:
- A safe, supportive, and collaborative therapeutic space
- Individualized treatment planning
- Integration of ART with other evidence-based approaches when appropriate
- Pacing that respects your comfort and readiness
- Ongoing support before, during, and after ART sessions
Our goal is to help you keep the knowledge of your experiences while reducing the pain attached to them, so you can move forward with greater ease and resilience.
What to Expect in an ART Session
- You will remain awake, aware, and in control at all times
- You do not need to share detailed descriptions of your experience
- Sessions include grounding and regulation strategies
- Many concerns can be addressed in 1-5 sessions, depending on the individual
- You and your therapist will move at a pace that feels safe for you
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to talk about my trauma in detail?
No. ART does not require detailed verbal descriptions of your experience.
Will I forget what happened?
No. ART does not erase factual memories. It reduces the emotional and physical distress connected to them.
How many sessions will I need?
Many concerns can be addressed in a small number of sessions, though this varies by
person and goal.
Is ART right for everyone?
Your therapist will assess whether ART is appropriate and ensure you have grounding skills in place before beginning.
Learn More About ART
Contact us with any questions.
Additional resources are available below.
https://acceleratedresolutiontherapy.com/what-is-art/
https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/45-laney-rosenzweig-how-trauma-can-be-resolved-in-just-one-session-with-art/
