What is EMDR and what is Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)?

Table of Contents

1. What Is EMDR Therapy?
2. Who EMDR Is Best Suited For
3. How EMDR Works: The Science Behind Bilateral Stimulation
4. What Is Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)?
5. How ART Differs from EMDR
6. Benefits of ART Compared to EMDR
7. Similarities Between EMDR and ART
8. What Issues Do EMDR and ART Help Treat?
9. How to Know Which Therapy Is Right for You
10. EMDR and ART in Intensives and Longer Sessions
11. Virtual EMDR and ART: How They Work in Denver
12. Cost, Insurance, and Session Lengths Explained
13. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
14. About Sheila Trabelsi & Path to Growth Therapy
15. Schedule a Session in Denver

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) are evidence-based trauma therapies that help the brain reprocess distressing memories so they no longer trigger intense emotional or physical reactions. Both therapies use bilateral stimulation to support nervous system regulation and reduce symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and unresolved trauma.

1. What Is EMDR Therapy?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based therapy developed by Dr Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s. EMDR helps clients reprocess distressing memories that are “stuck” in the brain, which can cause persistent anxiety, flashbacks, or emotional triggers.

Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR works directly with how the brain stores trauma, helping clients remember events without being overwhelmed by the emotional intensity. EMDR is widely used in trauma therapy and PTSD treatment, helping the brain reprocess intrusive memories, reduce emotional triggers, and support long-term nervous system regulation.

2. Who EMDR Is Best Suited For

EMDR is highly effective, but it’s not the best fit for everyone. Because it involves revisiting distressing memories, clients should ideally have:

• Emotional stability: Ability to tolerate and manage strong feelings during and between sessions
• Safe living circumstances: A stable environment where they can integrate therapy safely
• No active suicidal ideation or immediate crisis that requires urgent intervention
• Willingness to feel emotions without dissociating.

Clients who are actively in crisis, experiencing uncontrolled substance use, actively dissociating, or lacking emotional support may benefit more from stabilization-focused therapy or ART initially, which allows for gentler, positive-focused processing. Clients who are struggling with triggers to use substances may still benefit from EMDR and ART using certain protocols, but it is encouraged to find a therapist who specializes in substance use disorders to address these directly using these modalities. If you are still actively going through a trauma (i.e. domestic violence), these modalities may not be the right treatment for you. Additionally, clients who dissociate can still participate in EMDR with an experienced therapist who knows how to support them around the potential for dissociation during sessions. These are serious situations that need to be handled with care by an experienced therapist.

3. How EMDR Works: The Science Behind Bilateral Stimulation

EMDR uses bilateral stimulation, usually eye movements, tones, or tapping, to mimic processes during REM sleep, when the brain naturally processes experiences. This helps:

• Integrate fragmented memories
• Reduce the emotional intensity of past events
• Create adaptive learning in the brain

This form of trauma processing helps the brain shift distressing experiences out of survival mode, reducing symptoms like panic attacks, anxiety, and trauma-related stress responses.

During EMDR therapy, the bilateral stimulation activates both sides of the brain, allowing stored memories to move from the emotional centers of the brain, like the amygdala, into more adaptive, rational processing areas, such as the prefrontal cortex. This helps you reprocess distressing memories without feeling re-traumatized, reducing their emotional charge over time. What once felt overwhelming or stuck begins to feel more neutral and integrated.

Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR doesn’t require you to relive every detail of your trauma. Instead, it focuses on how your body and mind react to those memories and helps your nervous system release the distress. Over time, clients often report feeling calmer, more confident, and less triggered by past experiences. This is why EMDR is often recommended for childhood trauma healing, single-incident trauma, and long-standing stress and trauma recovery.

Did you know?
Research shows EMDR is effective for trauma, anxiety, phobias, grief, and even performance anxiety.

4. What Is Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)?

ART is a newer, evidence-based therapy developed from EMDR by Laney Rosenzweig, LMFT. While it also uses bilateral stimulation, ART is:

• Structured to resolve a memory or symptom within one session (depending upon complexity).
• Creative, allowing clients to “rescript” distressing imagery into positive outcomes
• Empowering, leaving clients feeling lighter and more resolved at session end

ART is increasingly recognized as an effective option for anxiety therapy, grief counseling, and trauma therapy, especially for clients who feel overwhelmed by traditional talk therapy.

Because ART doesn’t require retelling trauma in detail, it can be a safer or more approachable option for clients with emotional sensitivity, ongoing stress, or multiple life pressures. ART focuses on changing how distressing images are stored in the brain, which can reduce intrusive memories, emotional triggers, and somatic stress responses quickly.

5. How ART Differs from EMDR

Feature	EMDR	ART
Origin	Dr. Francine Shapiro	Developed from EMDR by Laney Rosenzweig
Session Structure	Multi-phase process over multiple sessions	Often completed in one structured session
Client Role	Requires processing and sometimes verbalizing memories	Creative visualization and imagery
Emotional Containment	May need time to “process” outside session	Resolution is typically achieved in-session
Best Fit	Complex, multi-event trauma	Single-event trauma, phobias, anxiety, grief

Callout:
You may have heard people say that with EMDR, it often gets worse before it gets better because it stirs things up during processing. ART helps clients leave sessions feeling more resolved and regulated.

6. Benefits of ART Compared to EMDR

• Faster emotional relief (often 1–3 sessions for single events)
• Gentler processing without verbal retelling
• Encourages creativity and self-empowerment
• Full protocol completion within a session
• Helpful for reducing anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and nervous system dysregulation

7. Similarities Between EMDR and ART

Both approaches:

• Use bilateral stimulation to process stuck trauma
• Are evidence-based trauma therapies
• Help reduce intrusive memories and emotional triggers
• Support nervous system regulation
• Can be delivered virtually or in intensives

8. What Issues Do EMDR and ART Help Treat?

Both therapies are effective forms of evidence-based trauma therapy and can support healing from:

• PTSD treatment and past trauma (single-incident or complex trauma)
• Anxiety disorders and panic attacks
• Depression and mood disorders
• OCD and intrusive thoughts
• Addiction and recovery support
• Grief, loss, and complicated grief
• Relationship or attachment trauma
• Performance anxiety

These approaches are especially helpful when past experiences continue to impact the present through emotional triggers, intrusive thoughts, or nervous system dysregulation.

9. How to Know Which Therapy Is Right for You

• ART:  Faster symptom relief, less emotional containment required, imagery-based, ideal during active stress.
• EMDR: Deep trauma work over multiple sessions, ideal for complex or developmental trauma.

Some clients benefit from combining EMDR or ART with skills for emotional regulation and nervous system stabilization, especially when relationship stress or attachment wounds are involved.

EMDR and ART are both effective trauma therapies. EMDR is often better for complex, layered trauma, while ART can provide faster relief for specific memories, anxiety triggers, or distressing images.

10. EMDR and ART in Intensives and Extended Sessions

Extended sessions or intensive formats allow:

• 90–120 minute sessions or multi-hour intensive days
• Focused trauma processing, anxiety relief, and accelerated PTSD treatment
• Integration of multiple memories in one sitting

Many clients choose EMDR or ART intensives when working through childhood trauma, grief, or long-standing anxiety patterns that feel stuck.

11. Virtual EMDR and ART

Virtual therapy is highly effective for trauma therapy, anxiety treatment, and stress recovery for clients across Denver, Colorado, and Washington. The brain responds to bilateral stimulation, whether you are in person or online, allowing clients to safely process trauma from the comfort of home.

12. Cost, Insurance, and Session Lengths Explained

Standard sessions may be covered by insurance when there is medical necessity. Extended sessions and intensives are often private pay. ART and EMDR protocols are particularly effective in longer sessions because they allow deeper trauma processing and nervous system regulation.

13. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can EMDR or ART be done virtually in Denver?
Yes, both work effectively through secure telehealth.

Who is EMDR not right for?
Clients experiencing active suicidal ideation, extreme emotional instability, or ongoing substance crises may need stabilization therapy first.

How many sessions will I need?
ART can resolve single-incident trauma in as little as 1–3 sessions, while EMDR may take several sessions for complex or developmental trauma. The number of sessions depends on the type of trauma, emotional readiness, and therapy goals.

Does insurance cover these therapies?
Yes, insurance covers EMDR and ART. Speak to your therapist about superbills for potential reimbursements.

Are intensive sessions safe and effective?
Yes. Therapy Intensives allow clients to go deeper and experience accelerated results while fitting busy schedules. 

14. About Sheila Trabelsi & Path to Growth Therapy

I am a licensed trauma therapist providing EMDR therapy, Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), and specialized trauma therapy virtually in Denver and across Colorado and Washington. I help clients feel empowered as they manage anxiety, grief, PTSD symptoms, and the effects of single-incident and past trauma. My approach is personalized and flexible, offering bespoke therapy services designed around your unique needs, goals, and nervous system capacity so you can experience meaningful, lasting healing.

I also offer coaching and consulting through Trabelsi Coaching and Consulting, supporting therapists to build and grow their practice, emerging leaders to navigate transitions and professional growth and leadership challenges, and individuals who are navigating personal and professional change.

15. Schedule a Session

Ready to start healing in Denver? Whether you choose EMDR, ART, or an intensive format, I provide guidance and support tailored to your goals.

Schedule a consultation today to find the right fit for your healing journey.