Brainspotting, EMDR, or Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)
🧠Trauma-Informed Healing: Choosing Your Path with EMDR, Brainspotting, and ART
At Stride Forward Counseling in Catonsville, MD, and Columbia, MD, we provide advanced, focused treatments that go beyond traditional talk therapy to help you process and release stored emotional pain and trauma. We specialize in three highly effective modalities: EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), Brainspotting (BSP), and Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART). While all three are powerful tools for rapid healing, each offers a slightly different approach based on your needs.
1. EMDR: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
You might choose EMDR if you are seeking a method with the most extensive clinical research and a long track record of success, particularly for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). EMDR is excellent for connecting past trauma memories—including single-event trauma, phobias, and chronic pain—with healthier, resolved information in your brain. It uses bilateral stimulation (like side-to-side eye movements or handheld tappers) to help your brain reprocess memories that have been “stuck,” reducing the intensity of the emotional charge you feel when you recall them.
2. Brainspotting (BSP)
You might choose Brainspotting if your trauma is deep, chronic, or stems from early childhood experiences that are difficult to articulate in words. BSP is a newer, highly focused method that works in the deep, non-verbal parts of the brain. Instead of relying on a broad protocol, the therapist helps you find a specific eye position (a “brainspot”) that corresponds to where the trauma is stored. Holding your gaze on this spot allows for quiet, deep, and sustained processing. Brainspotting is also a fantastic choice for those seeking performance enhancement or to break through psychological blocks, as it can be very gentle while accessing profound material.
3. Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)
You might choose Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) if speed and efficiency are your top priorities, as it is known for delivering significant relief often in just one to five sessions. ART combines elements of EMDR with imagery rescripting. It uses rapid eye movements to process the distress but includes the unique feature of actively helping you rescript or replace the distressing images associated with a trauma memory with positive, empowering imagery. If you want a structured method that gives you a strong sense of control and an immediate change in the emotional “picture” of the memory, ART may be the best fit.
Your Next Step in Healing
You don’t need to make this choice alone. Our specialized clinicians at Stride Forward Counseling are cross-trained in these methods and can discuss which approach aligns best with your history, goals, and personal preferences during your initial consultation.
Contact us today to learn more about our trauma therapy services in Catonsville, MD, Columbia, MD, and virtual counseling throughout Maryland.
Links:
- Brainspotting: The Revolutionary New Therapy for Rapid and Effective Change by David Grand, Ph.D. (the developer of Brainspotting)
- Brainspotting official website: https://brainspotting.com/
- Study on Brainspotting and PTSD: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24684793/