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Accelerated Resolution Therapy at The Raleigh House

Processing severe and complex trauma is one of the most challenging aspects of substance use disorder recovery. Experiencing significant mental health issues often triggers the urge to self-medicate, causing a cyclical pattern of mental health crises and substance reuse.

Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) can successfully help clients confront and manage contributing issues with lingering trauma or emotional disorders.

At The Raleigh House, we are proud to be on the cutting edge of therapeutic interventions. With a team of master’s level clinicians providing evidence-based treatments for substance use disorder and co-occurring conditions, we offer the intensive treatment necessary to deliver exceptional outcomes for a diverse population of clients.

What is Accelerated Resolution Therapy?

Accelerated resolution therapy (ART) is a therapeutic modality that addresses a broad spectrum of mood disorders and traumas. It is used to help people address severe issues with mental health without the danger of re-traumatization.

According to the most recent research, the treatment typically requires three or four sessions yet still yields positive client outcomes after several months. In addition, it is highly effective for people with dual diagnoses, making them more receptive to comprehensive psychoanalytic treatments.

The ART approach utilizes a construct called bilateral stimulation. Bilateral stimulation is a technique designed to activate the right and left hemispheres of the brain. This phenomenon has been found to regulate the rational and emotional parts of the brain and change how distressing memories and traumas are processed. Additionally, bilateral stimulation can help modify how the body responds to stressful circumstances.

During ART, bilateral stimulation is achieved through rapid eye movements and guided memory visualization. The traumatic experiences visualized during an ART session are reprocessed, which helps clients cope with the memories more effectively. In addition, ART allows the brain to re-learn the traumatic memory as a non-traumatic memory.

Accelerated Resolution Therapy Sessions

The ART sessions are separate interventions often performed in tandem with other therapies. As a result, the client has complete control of the events that occur during the session.

The clinician guiding the process creates a safe space within the room, which helps the therapist and client establish trust. When the session begins, the client will be asked to follow the therapist’s hand as it moves laterally, back and forth. While the client’s eyes follow the therapist’s hand, the client will be asked to recall memories that trigger adverse emotional reactions. As the client remembers the distressing memory, the therapist takes note of any emotional or physical responses.

The therapist guides the client during the visualizations. As the session progresses, the client will typically become more comfortable recalling the memory while engaging in bilateral stimulation. For example, as the client becomes more comfortable with a traumatic memory, the therapist guides them to another memory and gauges the physical and emotional responses.

While everyone responds differently, a typical session lasts approximately one hour. As a result, most clients experience a significant reduction in stress surrounding at least one traumatic memory by the session’s end.

Accelerated Resolution Therapy vs. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

Like ART, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a treatment that addresses traumas and emotional disorders using bilateral stimulation.

Though the two treatments are similar, ART’s focus on reprocessing negative images has been found to achieve faster recovery. EMDR, while effective, tends to require multiple sessions before memory reprocessing occurs.

Accelerated Resolution Therapy For PTSD

Accelerated resolution therapy is an incredibly promising PTSD treatment adopted by numerous mental health and addiction specialists.

Though ART is a reasonably new treatment (it was developed in 2008 by clinician Laney Rosenzweig), several studies point to its particular efficacy in addressing PTSD and depression symptoms.

A study published in 2020 found that ART was highly successful in alleviating stress responses in deployed members of the U.S. armed forces. However, it is essential to note that the significant clinical studies on using accelerated resolution therapy for PTSD measured the outcomes using self-reported patient data, so further research is needed.

One of the significant benefits of ART for PTSD is its ability to facilitate positive outcomes quickly; many clinicians report considerable symptom reduction after a single session of accelerated resolution therapy.

How ART Helps Co-Occurring PTSD and Addiction

PTSD is among the most widespread co-occurring disorders in people struggling with addiction.

People diagnosed with PTSD are statistically more likely to develop a substance use disorder than people who do not experience PTSD.

Some studies report exceptionally, likely resulting from prior sexual abuse, assault, and persistent physical childhood traumas.

Because PTSD can inhibit the brain’s ability to produce endorphins, people with the disorder often start using intoxicants and adrenaline-stimulating behaviors to self-regulate.

Often, the symptoms of PTSD can be so intrusive that it leads to a reliance on substances that appear to manage anxieties and other triggers.

For people with co-occurring PTSD and patterns of substance reuse, accelerated resolution therapy can help address symptoms and triggers quickly.

By resolving the underlying issues contributing to substance reuse within a few sessions, the client can experience the full benefit of the supplementary treatments and focus on long-term recovery.

The Raleigh House Accelerated Resolution Therapy

At The Raleigh House, we offer a comprehensive range of treatments and therapeutic interventions that allow clients to address all the issues contributing to their substance misuse. Our treatments include cognitive-behavioral therapy, experiential therapy, medication-assisted treatment, family systems therapy, and more.

Don’t let substance use disorder poison your relationships, professional aspirations, health, and finances. Instead, let the team at The Raleigh House give you the support you need to heal your body, mind, and spirit.

Break free from addictive behaviors. Contact us today.