Summit Counselling Services — Modality
Accelerated Resolution TherapyFast, evidence-based relief — without years of talking about it.
ART is one of the most efficient trauma therapies available today. Using bilateral eye movements and voluntary image replacement, it helps the brain reprocess distressing experiences — typically in just a handful of sessions.
Understanding the Approach
What is Accelerated Resolution Therapy?
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) is a structured, evidence-based psychotherapy developed by Laney Rosenzweig in 2008. It draws on elements of several established approaches — including EMDR, brief psychodynamic therapy, gestalt therapy, and exposure therapy — but integrates them into a distinctive protocol that is notably faster than most trauma treatments.
The core mechanism of ART is voluntary image replacement: a process in which the client actively replaces distressing mental imagery with imagery of their own choosing, while the therapist guides bilateral eye movements. This allows the brain to reprocess traumatic or distressing memories — changing not what happened, but how the memory is held and what it does to the body when it surfaces.
One of the most clinically significant features of ART is that clients are not required to verbally disclose the content of their trauma. You don't have to tell your therapist what happened. The process works with what's held in the body and in imagery, which makes it particularly accessible for people who have found talk-based therapy difficult, retraumatizing, or insufficient.
ART has a growing evidence base across trauma, PTSD, depression, anxiety, grief, phobias, and a range of other presentations. For more information, you can visit the ART International website or watch this TED Talk by founder Laney Rosenzweig.
"ART doesn't require you to talk through every detail of what happened. It works with what the body is holding — and changes how the memory feels, not just how you think about it."
What makes ART different
- —You don't have to verbally disclose trauma content
- —Significant results often in fewer sessions than other therapies
- —Works with imagery and body sensation, not just thoughts
- —Client-directed — you choose the replacement imagery
- —Evidence-based with a growing body of research
- —Effective for children, adolescents, and adults
The Mechanism
How ART works
ART works by engaging three interconnected processes simultaneously — each reinforcing the others to produce rapid and lasting change.
Bilateral Eye Movements
Like EMDR, ART uses guided side-to-side eye movements while the client holds a distressing memory or image in mind. This bilateral stimulation appears to reduce the emotional intensity of the memory — making it possible to process material that previously felt overwhelming or inaccessible.
Voluntary Image Replacement
The client actively replaces disturbing imagery with imagery of their own choosing. This is not denial or suppression — it is a deliberate neurological rescripting that changes how the memory is stored and retrieved. The original memory is not erased; it simply loses its charge.
Somatic Awareness
Throughout the process, attention is paid to where distress is held in the body — the tightness, the heaviness, the activation. ART tracks these physical sensations and works to complete and release them, addressing trauma at the level of the nervous system rather than only the cognitive level.
Applications
What ART can help with
While ART was originally developed as a trauma therapy, its applications have expanded considerably. It is now used effectively across a wide range of presentations.
Trauma & Mood
Life & Relationships
Children & Teens
- Child Therapy
- Teen Therapy
- Phobias & fears
- School-related anxiety
- Behavioural concerns
Other Presentations
- Phobias & specific fears
- Work-life balance
- Motivation & procrastination
- Disordered eating
- Men's Mental Health
- Sexuality, Gender & Intimacy
- Pet Loss & Bereavement
Comparing Approaches
ART and EMDR — what's the difference?
Both ART and EMDR use bilateral eye movements and have strong evidence bases for trauma. People often ask how to choose between them — here's a plain-language comparison.
ART
ART incorporates voluntary image replacement — you actively choose new imagery to replace distressing scenes. Sessions tend to be more directive and structured, often producing results in fewer sessions. You are not required to verbally disclose trauma content, which many clients find reduces the barrier to starting. ART is particularly well-suited for clients who want efficient, focused treatment and those for whom talking about the trauma feels retraumatizing.
EMDR
EMDR follows an eight-phase protocol that includes more extensive history-taking and preparation phases. It works by allowing the brain to naturally reprocess traumatic memories through bilateral stimulation, without the client directing the outcome. EMDR may be preferred for highly complex trauma histories, attachment-based wounds, or when a slower, more thorough preparation process feels important. Both approaches are highly effective — the right choice depends on the individual. Learn more about EMDR →
What to Expect
What an ART session looks like
Free Consultation
A brief phone call to discuss what you're experiencing, whether ART is a good fit, and what to expect. No commitment required.
Intake & History
Your therapist will gather background information about your concerns, history, and goals. You share only what you're comfortable sharing.
ART Processing
Using guided eye movements and imagery work, your therapist facilitates the reprocessing of distressing material. Sessions are 50–90 minutes. Most clients notice change within 1–2 sessions.
Integration
Between sessions, many clients notice the changes settling in. Your therapist will check in, address what's emerged, and determine whether further sessions would be beneficial.
Common Questions
ART — your questions answered
Our Specialists
Therapists trained in Accelerated Resolution Therapy
The clinicians below are trained in ART and offer it at Summit. Start with a free 15-minute consultation to find the right fit before booking your first session.
Related Approaches
Other modalities we offer
Relief in fewer sessions than you might expect.
Your first phone consultation is free and completely without pressure. We'll talk about what you're experiencing and whether ART is the right fit for you.
We acknowledge that our practice is located in Treaty 6 territory, on the traditional lands of the Cree, Saulteaux, Niitsitapi (Blackfoot), Métis, and Nakota Sioux Peoples, including our Brewery District office in Wîhkwêntôwin ᐄᐧᐦᑫᐧᐣᑑᐃᐧᐣ (Oliver). We recognize that healing and reconciliation is a responsibility shared by all.