What Is Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)? A Pittsburgh Trauma Therapist Explains
By Chancie Chaney, M.Ed., LCMHC, LPC, NCC
In-person trauma therapy in Mt. Lebanon (South Hills of Pittsburgh) + virtual sessions across PA & NC
If you’re searching for Accelerated Resolution Therapy in Pittsburgh, you may be wondering how it works — and whether it’s different from other trauma therapies like EMDR.
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) is an evidence-informed trauma treatment that helps the brain resolve distressing memories without requiring clients to relive painful details. As a Pittsburgh trauma therapist and National Trainer in ART, I use this approach to help adults process trauma, anxiety, attachment wounds, and nervous system overwhelm.
What Is Accelerated Resolution Therapy?
Accelerated Resolution Therapy is a brief, structured trauma therapy that uses bilateral eye movements and imaginal rescripting to reduce emotional distress connected to traumatic memories.
Unlike traditional talk therapy for trauma, ART does not require detailed verbal recounting. Instead, it works directly with how the brain has stored the memory.
Many adults seeking trauma therapy in Pittsburgh tell me:
“I’ve talked about this for years.”
“I understand it intellectually.”
“But my body still reacts.”
ART targets that body-level reaction.
How Is ART Different from EMDR?
Both Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) use bilateral eye movements.
However, ART includes a distinct process called voluntary image replacement — a form of guided imaginal rescripting that allows clients to change how a memory is stored emotionally.
In practical terms:
Clients do not need to describe graphic details.
The therapist does not interpret the memory.
The client actively reshapes the emotional impact of the experience.
If you’re deciding between trauma therapy approaches, you can read my detailed comparison of EMDR vs. Accelerated Resolution Therapy.
What Does Accelerated Resolution Therapy Help With?
ART is used to treat:
PTSD and complex trauma
Childhood attachment trauma
Anxiety and panic disorders
Perinatal trauma and new motherhood triggers
Phobias
Grief and loss
Medical trauma
Performance anxiety
Many adults looking for trauma counseling in Pittsburgh describe feeling stuck in survival mode — reactive, hypervigilant, emotionally shut down, or overwhelmed.
Accelerated Resolution Therapy helps the brain complete unresolved stress responses so those triggers no longer feel immediate or urgent.
Is Accelerated Resolution Therapy Safe During Pregnancy?
Pregnancy and postpartum are times of significant neurological reorganization. The maternal brain undergoes measurable structural and functional changes.
If unresolved trauma is already activating the nervous system, that stress is already present.
When thoughtfully paced, trauma therapy during pregnancy can reduce nervous system activation rather than increase it. The decision to begin ART during pregnancy is always individualized and collaborative.
How Long Does ART Take?
The length of Accelerated Resolution Therapy depends on the nature of the trauma.
Single-incident trauma may resolve in 1–5 sessions.
Developmental or complex trauma requires more time.
While ART is considered a brief trauma therapy model, it is not about rushing. It is about allowing the brain to process efficiently.
What Does an ART Session Feel Like?
Clients often report:
Feeling calm while recalling a memory that previously triggered anxiety
Emotional distance from painful experiences
A sense of resolution or completion
Noticeable physical relaxation
Unlike some trauma therapies, ART sessions are structured to end in regulation.
Working With an ART Therapist in Pittsburgh
I provide Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) in Pittsburgh, PA, including in-person sessions in Mt. Lebanon and virtual therapy across Pennsylvania and North Carolina.
If you are looking for trauma therapy in Pittsburgh that goes beyond talking and addresses how trauma is stored in the brain and nervous system, Accelerated Resolution Therapy may be a good fit.
You don’t have to push harder.
Sometimes healing is about helping the brain finish what was left unfinished.