How Accelerated Resolution Therapy Can Transform Trauma Recovery

Trauma is one of those things that leaves behind scars and wounds even on a person’s body, deeply disturbing his soul, mind, and body. The traditional treatment of post-traumatic stress usually takes a long time. It may not work either. As a result, those who have suffered are still grappling with disturbing experiences. However, Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) came out as a unique and ground breaking method for addressing trauma and helping people deal with it and gain recovery. This article aims at discussing the foundations underlying ART and how it can transform trauma restoration.

Understanding Trauma

To begin with ART, one has to be aware of what trauma is and its effects on people. Traumas occur due to different instances and this include physical or sexual abuse, combat, accidents, natural calamities or even emotional negligence. The brain and the body of an individual react to a traumatic event in a way which aims at self-preservation. Nevertheless, these survival mechanisms remain in the mind of the person with long-lasting effects on their psyche.

Trauma usually exhibits itself in anxiety, depression, flashbacks, nightmares, intrusive thoughts, and emotional shut down. Many traditional therapies such as talk therapy tend to revolve around talking about and processing traumatic memories. Although these techniques may be helpful in certain instances, they can at the same time amount to retrauamtising an individual who was going through pain over and again.

Need for a New Approach

Mental health professionals have seen that traditional therapy may be less efficient in dealing with trauma than other quicker and effective alternatives. An accelerated resolution therapy is currently being considered since it is basically a combination of many existing treatments such as cognitive behavior therapy (CTB) and even Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).

Principles of Accelerated Resolution Therapy

Memory Reconsolidation:

The basis of ART entails the assumption that recalling on painful events destabilizes a traumatic memory making it susceptible to change. This idea is used in ART where people are enabled to retrieve their painful memories and then transform the emotions attached to them with minimum distress through a re-processing process.

Rapid Processing:

ART differs from the conventional therapy as it addresses the trauma in a short span of time say in a matter of a few days or sessions. A principle in ART is the swift processing of traumatic memories thereby making it an efficient method of trauma recovery.

Mind-Body Connection:

In the trauma recovery, ART highlights the deep relationship of the brain and body. Through the two prongs of psycho-physiology that are involved in tension, art therapy enables a person to unveil stored or repressed emotions as well as tension that accumulates in the body after undergoing trauma.

Visual Imagery:

Guided visual imagery is used in Art, so to speak, which allows persons dealing with the trauma from their past to encounter these traumas safely. The imagery helps people understand the nature of their traumas, as well as enabling them to reprocess disturbing emotional experiences.

ART Process

Accelerated Resolution Therapy typically consists of several stages:

Assessment:

The therapist assesses the client’s trauma history, symptoms, and goals for therapy during the first meetings. The treatment plan is guided by this information.

Memory Access:

This helps clients revisit their memories of trauma in a controlled and safe way. This could include imagining the trauma scene like a movie being played off a screen.

Desensitization:

In the process, clients are encouraged to close their eyes and move them laterally across in a bid to recall the traumatic memories. This serves to dampen the emotional intensity of this memory.

Reprocessing: The clients are guided towards re-experiencing the previous traumatic occurrence by including healthy images and feelings. At this stage, a new less traumatizing story is devised.

Installation:

Reprocessed memory integrates positive affirmations and beliefs giving an individual perception of being empowered and more resilient again.

Closure:

During this last part of the therapy session, clients are encouraged to undergo a short relaxing exercise that helps them feel safe and grounded.

Benefits of Accelerated Resolution Therapy

Rapid Relief:

Speed is one of the most important benefits of ART. Unlike conventional therapy which can take years of work, most clients achieve relief from their trauma related symptoms within only a few sessions.

Minimal Retraumatization:

ART reduces re-trauma by ensuring that the client does not keep recalling his/her trauma episodes.

Long-lasting Results:

ART is effective because memory reconsolidation in the course of this procedure often results in permanent alterations in the way traumatic memories are represented and remembered, thus diminishing the probability of relapse.

Versatility:

ART has been shown to be an effective treatment for various traumas such as PTSD after war, rape, child abuse, and natural emergencies.

Reduced Medication Dependency:

In addition, some clients realize that the trauma symptoms improve through ART; hence reduce or stop the use of psychiatric medications.

Conclusion

The innovative approach of the memory reconsolidation and rapid processing in this is different unlike other therapy approaches. Through dealing with the psychological and physical issues that are connected with trauma, it has the capacity to change the life of individuals who have suffered for a long time seeking a way out. With more mental health experts embracing this potent approach, it could mark new dawn of hope for so many people fighting for their freedom from trauma.