Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)

Your Trusted SW Calgary, Alberta Clinic for Accelerate Resolution Therapy (ART)

Talk therapy can be extremely helpful  — but sometimes it just enough for the pain you’re going through.  If you feel like you are talking but maybe not getting anywhere it might be because your body is holding onto it.  We know trauma doesn’t just life in your head, it camps out in your body, particularly your nervous system, making some days really hard.  And all we want is some relief.

That’s where Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) comes in.  ART— blends parts of EMDR, CBT, and guided imagery into a focused, structured process that allows your brain to rewire how painful memories are stored.

You still remember what happened, but the body sensations get dialed way down — sometimes after just one session.  In fact most clients feel relief in 2-5 sessions and it’s  backed by solid neuroscience.

How It Works

When you go through something traumatic, your brain’s job is to protect you.  It takes that experience and stores it in your brain and body with all the sights, sounds, smells, and emotions attached. and  sometimes tags it as “current threat.”  Which feels very scary.

That means your amygdala (the part of your brain that’s basically your internal alarm system) keeps firing whenever something reminds you of what happened,  even if you’re literally safe now. Your body responds the same way it would if it was currently happening.  This is why a song or a smell or a thought can trigger the same emotional experience as when the event happened.

This is why talk therapy alone can feel so frustrating because logically you know you’re not in danger but emotionally it feels just as scary or painful.

Enter: Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)

ART uses guided eye movements, this is similar to what happens during REM sleep and is used to calm the amygdala and engage the brain’s natural memory-processing system. As you visualize the memory in a safe, structured way, your brain literally “re-saves” it with new emotional coding.  But the facts remain so you don’t lose facts only pain.

The memory is still there, the fight-or-flight reaction is turned way down.

And here’s what makes ART feel so empowering:

• You are the boss.  You guide how much you share and what you focus on.
• You are not reliving every detail.  ART works even if you keep the story mostly in your head.
• It’s effective.  Sessions are structured, goal-oriented, and designed to give you relief.

Why People Love ART

• Fast Results: Big relief in as little as 2–5 sessions.
• Gentle Process: No reliving your trauma again and again.
• Lasting Change: Once it’s reprocessed, it usually stays resolved.
• Full-Body Calm: Emotional and physical stress responses finally let go, leaving you lighter and clearer.

What ART Can Help With

• PTSD
• Grief & Loss
• Depression
• Anxiety & Panic
• Phobias
• Substance Use