ART for People Who Shut Down, Go Blank, or Freeze in Talk Therapy

Healing Trauma When Talking Feels Impossible

Why Some Clients Freeze or Go Blank When Asked to Talk

Freezing in therapy is common for trauma survivors. The brain shifts into protective states where speech becomes difficult, memory becomes foggy, and emotional access shuts down. This is a physiological response, not a failure. Talk therapy inadvertently triggers these states. ART avoids this by allowing healing without verbalizing the trauma.

How ART Helps Clients Access Traumatic Material Safely

ART uses bilateral eye movements to lower nervous system arousal while processing traumatic imagery. Clients don’t need to explain what they’re seeing or feeling unless they want to. This keeps the nervous system regulated enough to engage in healing, preventing dissociation and shutdown.

Working with Fragmented or Sensory Trauma Memories

Many clients have fragmented memories—sounds, flashes, sensations—but not coherent stories. ART works directly with these fragments, helping the brain integrate them without narrative details. Clients often feel grounded and empowered for the first time, as the process respects the body’s limits.

A Calmer Path for Clients Who Fear Becoming Overwhelmed

ART is structured, contained, and paced. Clients remain anchored in the present as they process the past, reducing the risk of emotional flooding. Many describe feeling safe enough to heal in a way they never experienced in traditional therapy.

Lasting Change Without Retraumatization

Because clients aren’t forced to recount painful events, trauma processing feels manageable and often surprisingly gentle. Symptoms of PTSD, panic, and avoidance decrease quickly, allowing clients to reclaim daily function without months of emotional exhaustion.

Call to Action

If you freeze or shut down in talk therapy, there’s a better way.
Book an ART session today to try a safer approach.

Peer-Reviewed References

• Lanius, R. et al. (2010). Dissociation and memory. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation.

• Kip, K. (2016). ART outcomes for dissociative trauma. Journal of Behavior Therapy.

• Schauer, M. (2011). Freeze responses in trauma. European Journal of Psychotraumatology.