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EMDR vs. ART

Writer's picture: Alexis HawsAlexis Haws


In 2022 I decided that I wanted to learn how to treat trauma. I signed up for two pieces of training, Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) and Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy. Immediately upon completing my training, I knew which modality I would use, and which one I would NOT. In this article, I articulate how I came to the decision to pursue EMDR as a clinician and to leave ART far behind. 


On the surface, EMDR and ART look like very similar approaches. When you look at their stages closer you can begin to see differences between them. When I see them side by side, I can’t help but think that EMDR is more holistic and robust than ART. 

EMDR

ART

History Taking

History Taking

Preparation and Relaxation

Preparation and Relaxation

Visualizing the Target and Assessing Its Strength, Emotions, Sensations and Core Belief

Visualizing the Target and Assessing It’s Strength

Desensitization with Bilateral Eye Movements, Tactile or Auditory Stimulation 

Desensitization with Bilateral Eye Movements ONLY

Installation of Positive Sensations and Cognition

Voluntary Image Replacement

Body Scan to Check for Any Residual Sensations

Processing and Integration of New Image

Closure (Checking the strength of the memory compared to beginning)

Closure (Checking the strength of the memory compared to beginning)

Reevaluation (How Did That Work? What Next?)

Reevaluation (How Did That Work? What Next?)

The following are my key 5 reasons why I chose, and continue to choose EMDR over ART:


  1. EMDR Welcomes Diversity and Inclusion


One of the key principles of psychotherapy that I was taught in grad school is the importance of meeting clients where they are and accommodating disabilities whenever possible. I had two very distinct experiences as a disabled person in my EMDR vs. my ART training. 


I have a vision disability. When I disclosed this to my EMDR trainers they said “No worries, we can use tapping instead of eye movements for you.” When I brought the exact same thing to the attention of my ART trainer, I was told that “ART only permits eye movements and that accommodations cannot be made, even when the person has a disability.” 


  1. ART is Rigid While EMDR is Fluid 


ART literally has a script that we are instructed to read verbatim in the therapy setting. EMDR on the other hand has an overall protocol (the above 8 steps) that needs to be followed, but with some level of flexibility. This flexibility allows the clinician to exercise their expert judgement in a situation and allows them to adapt to the ever-changing needs of their client. ART does not permit or even acknowledge the clinical wisdom the therapist holds. 


  1. EMDR is More Fit for Complex Trauma


Based on my training, it is my opinion that EMDR is more fitting than ART for complex trauma. ART seems to lend itself to single traumatic events that have a strong visual component. However, when trauma gets complex with multiple overlapping events, EMDR’s fluidity becomes more desirable as a therapeutic intervention. 


One dynamic many folks with complex trauma experience is dissociation (lapses in awareness and memory). EMDR has a way to manage this. ART not only has no way to work with dissociation, it isn’t even brought up in ART training. EMDR training on the other hand teaches us how to screen for dissociation. Further training can then be taken, such as training in parts work, to help clients reduce their dissociation so that they can safely do EMDR. 


  1. EMDR Can Heal Somatically, Emotionally and Cognitive 


ART focuses on one thing, an image. Don’t get me wrong, for folks that experience their trauma on a highly visual level may find relief from ART. Folks who experience trauma somatically, emotionally and cognitively are somewhat left behind by ART. EMDR is much more holistic in the areas of the trauma it targets. EMDR not only includes an image, but it also targets emotions, physical sensations and core beliefs that clients have about themselves as a result of their trauma. 


  1. EMDR is Recommended by the APA. 


The American Psychological Association lists a number of therapies that they consider to be evidence-based enough for the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). EMDR is listed as a conditionally recommended therapy, suggesting its strong utility for helping to resolve trauma. The APA doesn’t even acknowledge ART as a therapy, let alone an evidence-based one for trauma. The only ones claiming that ART is evidence-based are the ART people themselves on their website. 


In conclusion, I feel like I have so much more autonomy, flexibility and ability to help others' health with my EMDR toolkit. I find it more socially just, fluid, holistic and complex. It also helps me to know that the APA is beginning to show support for EMDR’s utility for trauma. It is my sincerest hope that if you are debating between these two approaches, as a client or therapist, you choose EMDR like I did.


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I acknowledge that the land on which I work and live is the traditional territory of the Indigenous peoples of Alberta, including the Treaty 6, 7, and 8 Nations, as well as the Métis Nation of Alberta. I honour the rich histories, languages, and cultures of these First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples and their ongoing connection to this land. I strive to contribute to a future that respects and acknowledges the contributions and resilience of Indigenous individuals and their communities.

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