Healing Deep Wounds: How Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) Helps Process Traumatic Experiences
By Jennifer Doeden, LMFT – Metro Counseling and Wellness
Trauma—especially trauma connected to pregnancy, childbirth, or early parenthood—can leave emotional scars that impact daily life in quiet but powerful ways. You may find yourself avoiding certain places, feeling stuck in painful memories, or experiencing anxiety or sadness that doesn’t seem to go away, even as time passes. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone—and there is hope.
One powerful, research-backed tool for healing trauma is Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART). As a trauma-informed therapist specializing in perinatal and medical trauma, I’ve seen firsthand how ART can create lasting relief for individuals carrying the weight of past experiences.
What Is Accelerated Resolution Therapy?
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) is an evidence-based form of psychotherapy that helps people reprocess and resolve traumatic memories—often within just a few sessions. It incorporates elements of eye movement, voluntary image replacement, and narrative reprocessing, helping clients access and shift the way traumatic memories are stored in the brain.
Though ART shares some similarities with EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), it’s distinct in its focus on rapid symptom relief and directed visualization techniques that often result in quicker emotional resolution.
How ART Works
During an ART session, you’re guided through a series of gentle steps:
Recall: You begin by revisiting a distressing memory in a safe and supportive space.
Eye Movements: Using bilateral stimulation (typically guided eye movements), you process the memory while calming the brain’s fight-or-flight response.
Image Replacement: You are invited to “rewrite” aspects of the memory by replacing distressing images with ones that feel more peaceful or empowering.
Resolution: As the emotional intensity around the memory lessens, people often describe feeling lighter, clearer, and more in control.
Importantly, you don’t have to share every detail of your traumatic experience out loud—something that can be especially reassuring for those navigating sensitive or deeply personal events.
Why ART Is So Helpful for Perinatal Trauma
The transition to parenthood can be incredibly vulnerable, and when trauma is part of the journey—such as:
A birth that felt out of control
An unexpected NICU stay
Medical complications during pregnancy or postpartum
Feeling unsupported or dismissed by providers
…those experiences can shape how we feel about ourselves, our bodies, and even our connection with our child.
ART offers a pathway to heal those emotional wounds so you can reclaim a sense of peace, safety, and confidence in your parenting journey. Many clients report:
Relief from persistent flashbacks or intrusive thoughts
A decrease in anxiety or hypervigilance
Increased self-compassion
Improved connection with their baby and partner
Greater clarity and trust in their body
What to Expect in a Session
ART is a structured and client-centered process. Sessions typically last around 60 minutes, and many clients experience meaningful results in just 1 to 5 sessions. You remain fully awake and in control during the process. It’s not hypnosis or exposure therapy—instead, it’s a gentle and empowering technique that respects your pace and your story.
Is ART Right for You?
If you’ve experienced trauma connected to fertility, pregnancy, childbirth, or early parenting—and you’re ready to move beyond survival into healing—ART may be a powerful next step.
You deserve to feel safe in your body, at peace with your story, and connected to yourself and your family. Healing is possible, and you don’t have to do it alone.
Interested in learning more about ART or scheduling a consultation?
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