Adjunctive ART: When You Already Have a Therapist But Need Focused Trauma Work

You may already have a therapist you trust.

Maybe you have been working together for months or years. Maybe your therapist knows your history, your relationships, your patterns, your family system, your grief, your anxiety, your trauma, or the parts of your life that would take a long time to explain to someone new.

That relationship can be incredibly valuable.

And still, there may be one piece of work that feels stuck.

A memory you keep replaying.

An image that still feels disturbing.

A grief moment that feels frozen.

A betrayal you cannot stop thinking about.

A medical experience your body still reacts to.

A trigger that keeps showing up no matter how much insight you have.

In those situations, adjunctive Accelerated Resolution Therapy, or ART, may be an option.

Adjunctive ART means you may be able to continue working with your current therapist while doing focused trauma work with another clinician for a specific issue.

You do not necessarily have to choose one or the other.

What is adjunctive ART?

Adjunctive ART is a focused, short-term therapy option for people who already have an ongoing therapist but want targeted support around a specific trauma, memory, emotional response, or stuck pattern.

The word “adjunctive” simply means that the work is added to, or used alongside, your existing therapy.

Your regular therapist may continue supporting your broader care, while the adjunctive ART work focuses on a specific issue.

For example, ART may be used to work on:

• a traumatic memory,

• an intrusive image,

• a medical trauma,

• betrayal or infidelity trauma,

• grief after a sudden or painful loss,

• a public speaking fear,

• a specific phobia or anxiety trigger,

• a painful relationship memory,

• or an emotional reaction that feels disproportionate but persistent.

The goal is not to replace your existing therapy relationship.

The goal is to provide focused work where focused work is needed.

Why someone might seek ART while staying in regular therapy

Many people love their regular therapist.

They feel understood, supported, and emotionally held. Their therapist may be helping them with relationships, life transitions, identity, boundaries, self-esteem, parenting, career stress, family dynamics, or ongoing emotional support.

But some issues may require a more targeted approach.

You may notice that you can talk about a particular experience but still feel activated by it. You may understand what happened and why it affected you, but your body still reacts as if it is happening now.

That does not mean your regular therapy is not working.

It may simply mean that this particular issue needs a different kind of intervention.

ART can be especially useful when the problem is connected to images, sensations, memories, emotional charge, or a trigger that has not shifted through insight alone.

You do not have to retell everything in detail

One reason clients seek ART is that it does not require you to repeatedly retell every detail of what happened.

This can be especially important when the material feels private, shame-filled, graphic, painful, or overwhelming.

In ART, the therapist guides the process while you work internally with the memory, image, feeling, or body response. You remain awake, aware, and in control. You can share as much or as little detail as is clinically necessary.

For people who already have a therapist, this can be a relief.

You do not have to start your entire story over.

You can focus on the specific material that needs attention.

What kinds of clients use adjunctive ART?

Adjunctive ART may be a good fit for clients who:

• already have an ongoing therapist,

• are stable enough for focused trauma work,

• have a specific memory, image, issue, or pattern they want to address,

• feel stuck despite insight,

• want short-term targeted work,

• prefer not to leave their existing therapist,

• and are willing to coordinate care when appropriate.

Many adjunctive ART clients are thoughtful, therapy-experienced, and highly self-aware.

They are not looking for generic coping skills.

They are looking for a more focused way to work with something that still feels emotionally charged.

Examples of adjunctive ART focus areas

Adjunctive ART can be used for many different kinds of concerns.

Some clients come in after a specific event, such as a car accident, medical procedure, sudden loss, breakup, betrayal, assault, or frightening experience.

Others come in for a pattern that has roots in earlier life, such as people-pleasing, shame, abandonment fear, perfectionism, or feeling responsible for everyone else.

Common focus areas include:

• betrayal trauma,

• medical trauma,

• grief and loss,

• childhood memories,

• relationship trauma,

• public speaking anxiety,

• panic related to a specific trigger,

• intrusive images,

• shame memories,

• self-blame,

• fear of conflict,

• and emotionally charged memories that keep resurfacing.

The work does not have to involve a single “big T” trauma.

Sometimes one painful moment or recurring emotional pattern is enough to deserve focused attention.

How collaboration with your current therapist may work

When clinically appropriate, and only with your written permission, I may collaborate with your current therapist.

This can help clarify:

• what the ART work is intended to address,

• what support you already have in place,

• how your ongoing therapy and adjunctive ART can complement each other,

• and how integration can be supported after the ART session or intensive.

Collaboration is not always necessary, but it can be useful.

It may be especially helpful if you are working on complex trauma, dissociation, active symptoms, relationship instability, grief, or a long-standing therapeutic process.

The goal is to support continuity of care, not to disrupt it.

What your current therapist may want to know

If your therapist is referring you for adjunctive ART, they may want to know that the work is focused, short-term, and collaborative when appropriate.

Adjunctive ART is not meant to take over the entire treatment.

It can be used to address a specific piece of trauma-related material while your regular therapist continues the broader therapeutic work.

Therapists may refer clients for adjunctive ART when a client is:

• intellectually insightful but emotionally stuck,

• repeatedly activated by a specific memory,

• struggling with disturbing images,

• dealing with grief or betrayal that feels frozen,

• avoiding material because it feels too painful to process in weekly therapy,

• or needing a more targeted trauma intervention than the current therapy provides.

Does adjunctive ART replace EMDR?

ART and EMDR are different therapies, though both use eye movements and are often used for trauma-related concerns.

Some clients seek ART after trying EMDR. Others seek ART because they are looking for a therapy that may be more directive, image-based, or easier to tolerate without extensive verbal recounting.

ART is not necessarily “better” than EMDR.

It is a different approach.

For some clients, ART may be a good fit. For others, EMDR, IFS, somatic therapy, CPT, or ongoing weekly therapy may be more appropriate.

The consultation process helps determine whether ART makes sense for your specific situation.

How many ART sessions are needed?

The number of sessions depends on the issue, the client, the complexity of the material, and the goals of the work.

Some clients come for one focused ART session. Others may benefit from several sessions or a therapy intensive format.

When ART is used adjunctively, the work is usually more targeted than open-ended therapy.

The focus may be one memory, one theme, one relationship wound, one grief image, one medical experience, or one recurring emotional response.

Is adjunctive ART right for everyone?

No.

Adjunctive ART is not appropriate for every client or every situation.

It may not be the right fit if you are in active crisis, currently unsafe, severely unstable, unable to tolerate emotional work, or needing a higher level of care.

It may also not be the best choice if there is not a clear focus for the work.

A consultation helps determine whether ART is clinically appropriate, whether adjunctive collaboration makes sense, and whether the timing is right.

In-person adjunctive ART in Ardmore, PA

I offer adjunctive ART and therapy intensives in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, on the Main Line outside of Philadelphia.

Virtual ART may also be available for clients located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Florida when clinically appropriate.

Clients may come on their own or be referred by their current therapist.

You can keep your therapist and still do focused trauma work

If you already have a therapist, seeking adjunctive ART does not mean you are abandoning that work.

It may mean you value your ongoing therapy enough to bring in a focused intervention where it could help.

You can continue the relationship that supports your broader healing while also giving targeted attention to the memory, image, grief, trauma, or emotional pattern that still feels unresolved.

Sometimes healing does not require starting over.

Sometimes it requires adding the right kind of support at the right time.

Interested in adjunctive ART?

Laura Geftman, LCSW offers adjunctive Accelerated Resolution Therapy and therapy intensives for adults in Ardmore, PA and online for clients located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Florida.

If you already have a therapist but feel stuck around a specific trauma, memory, grief experience, betrayal, or emotional trigger, adjunctive ART may be a focused option to explore.

You can schedule an initial consultation to determine whether ART is clinically appropriate for your needs.

FAQ

Can I do ART if I already have a therapist?

Yes, in some cases. ART can sometimes be used as adjunctive therapy while you continue working with your regular therapist. This may be helpful when you want focused work on a specific trauma, memory, grief experience, or emotional trigger.

Will I have to stop seeing my current therapist?

Not necessarily. Adjunctive ART is often designed to complement ongoing therapy, not replace it. Your regular therapist may continue supporting the broader therapeutic work while ART focuses on a specific issue.

Does my therapist need to know I am doing ART?

It is often helpful for your therapist to know, especially if you are working on trauma, grief, or complex emotional material. With your written permission, coordination may be possible when clinically appropriate.

What can adjunctive ART help with?

Adjunctive ART may help with specific traumatic memories, intrusive images, grief, betrayal trauma, medical trauma, public speaking anxiety, phobias, shame memories, and emotional triggers that still feel charged despite insight.

Is ART the same as EMDR?

No. ART and EMDR are different therapies, though both may use eye movements and are often used for trauma-related concerns. ART is typically more directive and image-based. The best fit depends on the client and the issue being addressed.

Where can I find adjunctive ART near Philadelphia?

Laura Geftman, LCSW offers adjunctive ART and therapy intensives in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, on the Main Line outside of Philadelphia. Virtual sessions may also be available for adults in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Florida.