ART Therapy Fort Lauderdale: Fast, Effective Trauma Treatment with Virtual Accelerated Resolution Therapy
If you're searching for ART therapy in Fort Lauderdale, you're probably ready to heal from something that's been weighing on you. Whether it's trauma, anxiety, grief, or a pattern of emotional overwhelm, you don’t have to carry it alone—and you don’t have to spend years in therapy to feel better.
As a Florida-licensed therapist, I offer virtual Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) to clients across the state, including Fort Lauderdale. ART is a research-supported, efficient approach to healing that doesn’t require you to relive trauma or explain every painful detail.
In this article, I’ll walk you through:
What Accelerated Resolution Therapy is
The science behind ART
Why virtual ART therapy works for Fort Lauderdale clients
How ART compares to traditional therapy
Conditions ART effectively treats
What to expect in a virtual ART session
How to get started today
What Is Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)?
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) is a short-term, highly effective therapy designed to help individuals resolve trauma, anxiety, and other emotional difficulties—often within 1–5 sessions.
ART works by combining elements of:
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Voluntary image replacement
Guided visualization
It uses rapid eye movements to help the brain reprocess distressing memories and triggers, reducing the emotional impact and creating a sense of resolution and calm.
What makes ART unique is that you don’t need to talk about your trauma in detail. You’ll be guided through the experience using eye movements and imagery, and you’ll remain emotionally safe throughout the process.
Why Fort Lauderdale Residents Are Choosing Virtual ART Therapy
Fort Lauderdale is known for its sunshine, beautiful beaches, and vibrant lifestyle—but many residents are dealing with the same emotional struggles seen across the country: burnout, trauma, anxiety, grief, or past pain that still affects them today.
Virtual therapy offers a convenient, private, and effective way to get support. Here’s why it works for clients in Fort Lauderdale:
No traffic, parking, or waiting rooms
Flexible scheduling around work and family
Comfort of home while doing emotionally intensive work
Same proven outcomes as in-person ART sessions
As long as you have a device with a camera and a quiet, private space, you can do ART therapy from anywhere in Florida—including your own living room.
What Can ART Therapy Help With?
ART has been proven effective for a range of emotional and psychological concerns, including:
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Complex trauma and childhood abuse
Anxiety, panic attacks, and generalized anxiety
Grief and loss
Phobias and fears
Nightmares and sleep disturbances
Obsessive thoughts and ruminations
Negative self-beliefs and low self-esteem
Performance anxiety (work, school, sports)
Medical trauma or chronic pain
Whether your pain comes from a single incident or years of emotional burden, ART therapy is designed to give you relief—quickly and gently.
ART Therapy vs. Traditional Talk Therapy
One of the biggest differences between ART and traditional therapy is how quickly clients feel better. Traditional therapy focuses on insight, reflection, and processing through words. While that works for some, it can feel slow or even retraumatizing for others.
Here’s how they compare:
ART therapy is ideal if you’ve been in therapy before but still feel stuck—or if you’ve avoided therapy because you don’t want to revisit the pain.
What Happens in a Virtual ART Session?
Every ART session follows a structured, supportive process:
1. Identifying a Target
We begin by identifying a distressing image, emotion, or memory that you’d like to work on.
2. Eye Movements
You’ll follow my hand (or a virtual light tracker) with your eyes while thinking about the target image. This process mimics REM sleep and helps your brain reprocess the memory.
3. Image Rescripting
You’ll be guided to replace distressing images with new, more peaceful or empowering ones—without changing the facts of what happened.
4. Emotional Reset
Clients typically leave sessions feeling lighter, more peaceful, and more in control of their emotions.
Sessions are about 60–75 minutes, and you’ll remain fully awake, in control, and safe the entire time.
Is ART Backed by Science?
Yes. ART is supported by a growing body of peer-reviewed research showing significant improvement in trauma symptoms, anxiety, depression, and more.
📚 Key Peer-Reviewed Studies:
✅ Kip et al. (2013) found that ART significantly reduced PTSD symptoms, depression, and anxiety in U.S. service members—with improvements maintained at follow-up.
🔗 Study link
✅ Kip et al. (2016) showed ART helped veterans reduce PTSD-related physical pain and improve sleep quality.
🔗 Study link
✅ Waits et al. (2017) concluded ART is a “safe and effective brief treatment” for trauma and related mental health issues.
🔗 Study link
This research confirms what so many clients already know from personal experience: ART works.
Who I Am: Laura Geftman, LCSW
I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Florida, offering virtual ART therapy to residents in Fort Lauderdale and throughout the state. I specialize in helping adults heal from trauma, anxiety, and emotional distress using practical, evidence-based approaches.
My work is:
Client-centered – You lead the process, and I’m here to guide
Trauma-informed – Your emotional safety is always the top priority
Efficient – Most clients experience relief in just a few sessions
Whether you’ve tried therapy before or this is your first time reaching out, I’m here to offer something different—something that works.
What Clients Say About ART
“I’ve done years of therapy, but nothing gave me the relief that ART did in just two sessions. I’m not stuck in my past anymore.” — Florida Client
“Even virtually, it was powerful. Laura guided me through the process, and I was amazed at how much better I felt after.” — Fort Lauderdale Client
“I didn’t have to relive the trauma. I could feel it lose its grip on me without saying a word about what happened.” — Virtual ART Client
Who Should Consider ART Therapy?
ART is especially helpful for people who:
Have trauma they don’t want to talk about
Struggle with anxiety, grief, or intrusive thoughts
Feel stuck, even after other therapies
Want fast results without reliving pain
Need flexibility and privacy through virtual care
Whether your trauma is recent or decades old, ART helps rewire the emotional impact so you can finally move forward.
Is ART Therapy Covered by Insurance?
ART is often reimbursable through out-of-network insurance benefits. I’m happy to provide a superbill for you to submit to your insurance provider.
Many clients choose to pay privately to avoid delays, diagnoses, or restrictions on care. The efficiency of ART also means fewer sessions—often making it more affordable over time.
Ready to Get Started with Virtual ART Therapy in Fort Lauderdale?
You don’t have to keep carrying the pain of the past. You don’t have to wait for things to get worse to get help. And you certainly don’t have to do this alone.
If you live in Fort Lauderdale or anywhere in Florida, I invite you to explore what ART therapy can do for you.
👉 Click here to get started with ART therapy today:
https://pjdrmipzzw3.typeform.com/to/GSkQxljA
Let’s work together to help you feel better, faster—so you can get back to living your life with peace, purpose, and power.
References:
Kip, K.E., et al. (2013). Brief Treatment of Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) by Use of Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART). Behavioral Sciences, 3(1), 24–40.
🔗 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3757564/Kip, K.E., et al. (2016). Accelerated Resolution Therapy for Treatment of Pain Secondary to Symptoms of Combat-Related PTSD. Military Medicine, 181(10), 1231–1238.
🔗 https://academic.oup.com/milmed/article/181/10/1231/4159263Waits, W.M., et al. (2017). Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART): A Review of the Evidence. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1238.
🔗 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01238/full