ART for Grief That Feels Stuck or Overwhelming

GriefDepressionMental Health
Written By Laura Geftman

Understanding Stuck Grief

Grief is a natural response to loss, but for some, it can feel unending or overwhelming. Stuck grief may manifest as persistent sadness, intrusive thoughts, guilt, anxiety, or emotional numbness. Individuals may find it difficult to move forward, engage in daily life, or experience moments of joy.

Stuck grief can result from trauma associated with the loss, lack of social support, or unresolved emotional conflicts. Unlike typical grieving, which gradually eases over time, stuck grief can persist for months or years, impacting mental, emotional, and physical health.

Accelerated Resolution Therapy offers a structured, rapid approach to help individuals process these unresolved emotions and move toward healing.

The Role of Trauma in Grief

Loss, especially sudden, violent, or complicated, can trigger trauma responses that intensify grief. Trauma may cause the brain to remain hyper-focused on the loss, creating persistent intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, or hyperarousal.

Unprocessed trauma can keep grief “stuck,” prolonging suffering and impairing emotional regulation. ART addresses trauma at its core, allowing for emotional processing, reframing of distressing thoughts, and reduction of physiological stress responses.

What is Accelerated Resolution Therapy?

Accelerated Resolution Therapy is a brief, evidence-based psychotherapy designed to help individuals reprocess distressing memories and resolve intense emotional experiences. Using guided eye movements and imagery rescripting, ART enables clients to transform emotionally charged memories into less distressing forms.

For stuck or overwhelming grief, ART can:

  • Reduce emotional intensity tied to the loss

  • Reframe maladaptive thoughts and beliefs

  • Improve emotional regulation and resilience

  • Restore a sense of hope and forward momentum

How ART Supports Healing from Stuck Grief

ART works on the emotional, cognitive, and physiological aspects that maintain stuck grief:

  • Processing unresolved emotions: ART provides a safe space to access and release persistent sadness, guilt, anger, or regret.

  • Reframing negative beliefs: ART helps shift self-blame, rumination, and other maladaptive thought patterns.

  • Regulating the nervous system: ART reduces hyperarousal, tension, and other stress responses associated with intense grief.

  • Promoting adaptive coping: ART encourages acceptance, emotional integration, and resilience for long-term recovery.

This integrated approach addresses both the mind and body, fostering rapid and sustainable healing.

Imagery Rescripting for Intense Emotional Memories

A cornerstone of ART is imagery rescripting, which allows clients to visualize distressing memories while guided eye movements help the brain reprocess emotional responses.

For overwhelming grief, imagery rescripting can:

  • Transform emotionally intense memories of the loss into less distressing experiences

  • Reduce intrusive thoughts and mental replaying of events

  • Promote emotional integration and acceptance

  • Support self-compassion and adaptive coping strategies

By reworking these memories safely, ART helps clients release emotional burden and regain control over their grief.

Supporting the Nervous System During Grief

Stuck grief often creates prolonged physiological stress responses, such as tension, sleep disturbances, fatigue, and hypervigilance. ART addresses these responses by engaging both the mind and body to release stored stress and promote balance.

Clients frequently report improved emotional regulation, increased energy, and better capacity for daily functioning after ART sessions.

Cultivating Self-Compassion and Emotional Flexibility

Overwhelming grief can intensify self-critical thoughts, guilt, or feelings of helplessness. ART fosters self-compassion and emotional flexibility, allowing individuals to:

  • Release judgment and self-blame

  • Accept and process the loss

  • Rebuild emotional resilience

  • Develop hope and readiness to reengage with life

These shifts are essential for long-term recovery and healthy adaptation to loss.

ART Compared to Traditional Grief Support

While traditional grief counseling offers support, ART provides unique benefits for grief that feels stuck or overwhelming:

  • Rapid reduction of emotional intensity, often in just a few sessions

  • Direct focus on trauma and maladaptive patterns

  • Integration of cognitive, emotional, and physiological processing

  • Trauma-informed and non-pharmacological approach

For individuals whose grief is complicated or resistant to traditional support, ART offers an effective path to emotional relief and healing.

Who Can Benefit from ART

ART is suitable for individuals experiencing grief that feels stuck or overwhelming, particularly those who:

  • Struggle with persistent sadness, rumination, or intrusive thoughts

  • Experience guilt, self-blame, or regret

  • Have trauma-related responses to their loss

  • Seek rapid, evidence-based relief without medication

By addressing the underlying emotional and physiological factors, ART promotes meaningful healing and restoration of well-being.

What to Expect in an ART Session

During an ART session, a therapist guides clients through sets of eye movements while focusing on distressing memories or emotions related to the loss.

Clients remain fully aware but experience a decrease in emotional intensity, allowing safe processing and reframing. Sessions typically last one to two hours, and many clients notice improvement after only a few sessions.

Long-Term Benefits

Beyond immediate relief, ART provides lasting benefits for individuals coping with overwhelming grief:

  • Reduced emotional intensity and intrusive thoughts

  • Improved emotional regulation and coping skills

  • Increased self-compassion and resilience

  • Enhanced ability to engage in daily life and relationships

  • Sustained emotional recovery and adaptive coping

By addressing both emotional and physiological dimensions, ART supports sustainable healing and growth.

Taking the First Step

Grief that feels stuck or overwhelming can seem insurmountable, but recovery is possible. Accelerated Resolution Therapy offers a rapid, evidence-based, and compassionate approach to help individuals process grief, release trauma, and restore emotional balance.

If you are struggling with grief that feels unending or overwhelming, ART can help you navigate this journey while reclaiming resilience, hope, and emotional well-being.

Start your ART journey today by completing my intake form.

Peer-Reviewed Sources

  • Kip, K. E., et al. (2012). Randomized controlled trial of accelerated resolution therapy for treatment of symptoms of PTSD. Behavioral Sciences, 2(2), 183–195.

  • Neimeyer, R. A. (2000). Searching for the meaning of meaning: Grief therapy and the process of reconstruction. Death Studies, 24(6), 541–558.

  • Boelen, P. A., & van den Bout, J. (2005). Complicated grief, depression, and anxiety as distinct post-loss syndromes: A longitudinal study. Journal of Affective Disorders, 86(2–3), 205–214.

  • American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.).

  • Shapiro, F. (2017). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures. Guilford Press.

Laura Geftman
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How ART Supports Healing After Sudden or Traumatic Loss