What Therapists Can Expect from a One-Day ART Intensive

If you’re a therapist considering an ART intensive for imposter syndrome, you probably have some version of the same questions: What happens during the day? How long does it take? And does this really work in one session?

Read on for what you need to know.

What ART Is (Quick Version)

Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) is a relatively newer evidence-based therapy that uses lateral eye movements, similar to EMDR, to help your brain reprocess distressing memories and experiences.

Where it differs from EMDR is in how directive it is (meaning I guide you through a protocol), and therefore how quickly sessions tend to produce results.

One of the other biggest differences is something called Voluntary Image Replacement. During the session, you actively replace distressing mental images with new ones you choose. This means you have a lot of agency in the process. (This is especially helpful for clients who don’t tolerate EMDR well.)

Here’s the other thing that tends to surprise people: you don't have to tell me what happened. ART can be done without disclosing the details of the memory or experience you’re working on. The important thing is that you know what you're processing, and I’ll guide you through it, but you don't have to narrate the story out loud. Your brain will make the changes, regardless of how much you disclose to me.

For a lot of therapists, that’s a significant relief. We spend our days holding space for other people’s pain, and the idea of sitting across from someone and unpacking our own can feel vulnerable and uncomfortable, even when we know we need to.

What to Expect: Before, During, & AFter

Before your intensive day, you’ll complete a set of brief validated outcome measures so we have a clear baseline. These take about 10 minutes and cover things like anxiety, mood, and professional confidence. I use these to measure progress and how things have changed for you after the ART intensive.

There is no prep work involved on your end (another difference between ART and EMDR).

On the day itself, we start with a brief assessment, orient you to the process if you haven’t done ART before, and then we get to work.

There’s no lengthy intake, no spending the first two hours on history. You’ve already done the paperwork, and the beauty of ART is that I don’t need your full backstory to help you.

The intensive itself runs 4-6 hours, depending on what we're working on and how the session unfolds.

After the session, we debrief, talk about what to expect over the next few days (sometimes your brain keeps processing, which can look like vivid dreams or an increase in emotional intensity for 1-2 days), and set up your follow-up schedule.

Follow-Up Structure

You’ll hear from me at 14 days and 30 days post-intensive.

At both check-ins, you’ll get the chance to schedule additional ART processing at no extra charge.

At our 30-day check in, you’ll also complete the same outcome measures from your baseline so that we can track how things are shifting.

These follow-ups also give us a chance to see if anything new has surfaced that needs attention, because sometimes resolving one thing reveals another layer underneath (think of ART like peeling an onion!).

What Kind of Results Are We Talking About?

This depends on what you’re coming in with, and I will try to be specific rather than vague.

Here’s what I typically see with therapists after an imposter syndrome intensive:

If you’re already doing the hard things but they’re costing you energy: A lot of therapists who come to me are already raising their rates, taking on challenging clients, putting themselves out there professionally.

The problem isn’t that you can’t do it, or haven’t done it. The problem is the mental and emotional energy it costs you every time you do: the three drafts of an email that should take two minutes, the pit in your stomach before a consultation call, or the afternoon you lose replaying a session because you’re convinced you missed something important.

What ART tends to change is how much background energy it costs to do it. The second-guessing, the ruminating, the physical tension that used to show up every time you made a decision or put yourself out there professionally, that’s what gets quieter.

This is because the “thing” that was generating the imposter syndrome in the first place has been processed.

Your brain stops treating normal professional risk as a threat, and the energy you were spending on managing that response just frees up. You get energy and hours back that you didn’t even realize you were losing.

If the anxiety has stopped you from taking valued action: Some therapists have been meaning to raise their rates for a year and haven’t. You know you need to niche down but the idea of calling yourself a specialist feels fraudulent. You have a website that's been “almost done” for months because nothing you write about yourself feels legitimate enough to publish. You learn new modalities but then don’t use them with your clients because you worry your skills won’t help.

After the intensive, the thing that was blocking you just isn’t running the show anymore. You update your rates because it’s time, and you don’t need to write yourself a pep talk first. You finish the website. You refer out the clients who aren’t a fit and trust that the right ones will come.

For some of you, the shift will be quiet. Nobody around you will notice anything different because you were already doing all the things. You’ll just stop paying so much for it internally.

For others, the change will be obvious, because you’ll start doing the things you’ve been putting off.

Either way, what actually changed is the same: the internal resistance that was running in the background got out of the way.

Other Business-Related Issues ART Can Help With

While this intensive is specifically designed for imposter syndrome, ART is also well-suited for things like anxiety, unresolved grief, trauma from a specific event, workplace stress, and burnout. If you’re unsure whether what you’re dealing with is a fit, feel free to reach out and ask.

Logistics

Format: Virtual on Zoom (I’m licensed in Massachusetts, Washington, Oregon, and Florida). In-person sessions are available in Mexico City for those who prefer face-to-face; please contact me in advance to arrange (there is an extra $1,000 charge for this).

Duration: 4-6 hours, one day.

Pre-session: Brief intake paperwork and baseline outcome measures, completed before your session day.

Follow-ups: 14 days and 30 days post-intensive.

Cost: $1,500. Four spots are currently available for therapists.

Because this intensive is professional development directly tied to your clinical work, it may be tax-deductible as a business expense. Check with your accountant to be sure.

Still Have Questions?

If you’ve read through all of this and still want to talk it through, please contact me to set up a brief call.