My Journey with ART

A Monthly Newsletter from Tala Mental Health

May 2025

When The Therapist Becomes The Client: My Journey with ART

By Kristiana Guzman, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

When I first heard about Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), I’ll admit—I was skeptical.

“Follow your therapist’s hand with your eyes and your trauma just… shifts?” Sure, I thought. As a therapist I believe in the brain’s ability to heal, and I’m all for evidence-based approaches. But I also need to feel like something makes sense.

Then I experienced ART for myself.

Not as a therapist. As a client.

My Personal Experience

I brought in a memory I had carried for years, one of those that sits heavy in your gut. A childhood experience that shaped how I saw myself, how I moved through relationships, how I responded to stress.

But during that ART session, something shifted.

In just one session, I was guided to revisit the memory, this time while engaging in rapid eye movements (similar to what happens during REM sleep—when our brains naturally process experiences). Then came the part that surprised me most: I was invited to imagine the memory ending differently. I replaced the distressing image with one that felt calming, safe, and true.

No, I didn’t rewrite the past. But the way it lived inside me? That changed.

Here’s what shocked me: the next time I thought about that memory, it felt… neutral. The emotional charge was gone. I could recall it, but it no longer took over my nervous system. It was like looking at an old black-and-white photo instead of reliving it in full-color HD.

From Skeptic to Believer

Since then, I’ve become a believer in ART and have used it with many clients in my practice. I keep seeing the same results:

• Faster healing
• Fewer sessions needed
• Deep, lasting change

Not because we’re erasing the past but because we’re helping the brain process and store memories differently.

What Makes ART Different?

Unlike traditional talk therapy, ART doesn’t require you to share every detail of your trauma. The process works with your brain’s natural memory reconsolidation process—that moment when a memory becomes briefly malleable before being stored again.

ART is particularly effective for:

• PTSD and trauma
• Anxiety and phobias
• Grief and loss
• Chronic pain
• Sleep disturbances

Could ART Help You?

If you’ve been carrying something heavy trauma, anxiety, grief, or even just an image you wish you could unsee, ART might be worth exploring. I understand the skepticism. I really do. But I also know the feeling of walking out of a session and realizing: something has shifted.

Take a moment. Picture that memory, moment, or story you’ve been carrying for far too long. Feel what it stirs up tightness, sadness, anxiety, maybe anger.

Now imagine what it would feel like if that weight was lighter. What if that memory no longer had the same grip on you?

If you’re ready to see your past in a new light and feel more peace in the present, ART might be the next step on your healing path.

For more information on ART or to book a free consultation with me, visit talamentalhealth.com