Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)

Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) is now offered at Mindful Psychology Associates as a standalone or adjunct therapy treatment for PTSD, trauma, anxiety, depression, phobias, and more!

Last summer MPA founder Jennifer Contarino Panning, Psy.D., completed the Basic ART training and then started using ART with her long-term therapy clients. She was so impressed by the results and ease of implementation of this innovative treatment that she brought in an ART trainer to train more clinical staff!

In March 2023, more MPA therapists completed training in ART: Michelle Gebhardt, Michelle Gesing, Amanda Stagg, Briyanna Bullock, Amy Bailey, Brittany Findlan-Sawant and Alayni Frizzell.

ART is an empirically validated trauma therapy where clients recall distressing images/memories paired with bilateral eye movements to resolve the somatic symptoms attached to the memories and help the client fully integrate these memories—thus keeping the content of the memories but removing any negative thoughts, sensations, or feelings. It is believed that traumatic memories and associated body sensations can be “stuck” in the older parts of the brain where verbal processing (typical talk therapy) is unable to access. ART is one of the newer somatic therapies (similar to EMDR, brainspotting, and others) using visual cues and grounding in the body.

Clients often experience relief within one to three sessions, although with more long-standing issues more sessions may be needed. Clients have indicated that ART is interesting, creative, and typically leave sessions feeling relaxed. ART focuses on images and bodily sensations related to traumatic memories rather than verbal processing, and can be done in person or via telehealth sessions. Clients can also do ART concurrently with traditional talk therapy if they desire.