May is Mental Health Awareness Month
May, Mental Health Awareness Month, is traditionally a time to reflect on conditions such as anxiety, depression and PTSD and the myriad of treatment options which can help them.
This year, Mental Health Awareness Month holds special significance. A growing number of people are experiencing trauma, anxiety and fear related to the novel coronavirus and the accompanying economic downturn.
"More than ever, it is important that we are connecting with our clients during this time," said Kelly Breeding, executive director of the Tampa-based nonprofit ART International. "This is a stressful time for everyone, and people with PTSD, people who have suffered from past trauma and people with anxiety feel that very intensely."
Thousands of therapists affiliated with ART International are practicing Accelerated Resolution Therapy TM through telehealth to help clients through this challenging period. ART is a fast and highly effective treatment for PTSD, trauma, anxiety, phobias, prolonged grief and other mental health conditions. ART works quickly; most clients report their symptoms completely fade in one to six ART sessions.
Clients follow a trained therapist’s hand movements with their eyes, a form of bilateral stimulation of the brain. The process enables clients to reconsolidate their memories; while they still recall the troubling event, they no longer experience unpleasant physical and emotional symptoms when thinking of it. ART clinicians are treating their clients through telehealth, using a unique set-up in which another person (usually a family member) must be present with the client while the session proceeds. That person assists the clinician and ensures that the client it safe.
Accelerated Resolution Therapy TM is an evidence-based psychotherapy that has demonstrated proven results in treating individuals with PTSD. The therapy empowers clients to resolve traumatic memories through a combination of relaxation and memory visualization. During an ART session, the therapist guides the client through the process of coming up with a new ending to a troubling memory. The client serves as a director of sorts, creating new associations with the past experience.
Unlike traditional talk therapies, clients do not need to disclose details of troubling memories to get results. Many frontline medical workers, first responders and members of the military choose to undergo ART because they do not need to disclose sensitive or confidential information.
For more information about ART, you may also visit ARTherapyInternational.org.
