The history of Accelerated Resolution Therapy

Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) was developed in 2008 by Laney Rosenzweig, MS, LMFT, a licensed marriage and family therapist whose practice is in West Hartford, Connecticut. She drew on EMDR and other established methods. Research on ART began at the University of South Florida around 2010, and the first study was published in 2012. Training is run by her company, and clinician certification by a separate professional society.

The developer and where ART came from

The official ART website states that “ART was developed in 2008 by Laney Rosenzweig, LMFT” (About Laney). It describes her as “trained and proficient in multiple treatment modalities, including EMDR,” and as having “recognized the need to modify how” eye movements are used. Researchers who later studied ART described it as “derived directly from EMDR” (Kip & Diamond 2018).

The developer’s organization lists several influences besides EMDR: exposure therapy, Gestalt, cognitive behavioral therapy, imagery rescripting, guided imagery and brief psychodynamic therapy (How ART works). The Gestalt influence shows most clearly in the “Director” intervention used during Voluntary Image Replacement.

ART is sometimes described as having been developed at the University of South Florida. That is not accurate. USF researchers conducted much of the early research, with Department of Defense funding, but the therapy itself was developed by Rosenzweig.

The name is a registered service mark

“Accelerated Resolution Therapy” is a registered service mark with the US Patent and Trademark Office (Reg. No. 3703389), filed in December 2008, registered in October 2009 and since renewed. The owner is the Rosenzweig Center for Rapid Recovery, LLC (USPTO record). The developer’s site states that the company and Laney Rosenzweig “retain the exclusive intellectual property rights to Accelerated Resolution Therapy.” That is why you will often see the name written as Accelerated Resolution Therapy®.

Who trains and who certifies

Rosenzweig Center for Rapid Recovery (RCRR)

A Connecticut company led by Laney Rosenzweig as CEO and clinical director. It runs ART training: a three-day Basic training and a three-day Advanced training, both offered only live and in person (types of training).

International Society of Accelerated Resolution Therapy (IS-ART)

Formed in 2014 “to provide a professional forum for health professionals trained in ART and researchers.” It maintains clinician certifications (IS-ART). RCRR describes it as independent and separate from RCRR (RCRR contact page).

The Rosenzweig Mission

A separate nonprofit, described by RCRR as “not a department of the Rosenzweig Center for Rapid Recovery.”

“ART International”

A name that appears in some older journal disclosures and news items. The current official pages name RCRR as the trainer and IS-ART as the certifier.

Being “trained in ART” and being “IS-ART certified” are different things. Certification requires additional logged sessions, an exam and current society membership. The training and credentials page explains the levels and how to check them.

How the research developed

The SAMHSA listing, and what happened to it

In 2015, ART was listed in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP). The archived profile, completed in November 2015, rated ART as “effective” for trauma-related symptoms, depression and personal resilience, and “promising” for several other outcomes, including anxiety and sleep. Those ratings rested on one study: the 57-person 2013 trial, plus a secondary analysis of the same trial.

SAMHSA discontinued NREPP in January 2018. The listing is therefore historical. It is accurate to say ART was listed in a registry that no longer exists. It is not accurate to describe ART as currently “SAMHSA-approved” or as recognized by SAMHSA today, and you should be wary of any website that does.

Where ART stands now

• The 2023 VA/DoD guideline rates the evidence for ART as insufficient to recommend for or against. It gives its strongest recommendation to cognitive processing therapy, prolonged exposure and EMDR.
• The American Psychological Association’s PTSD guidelines of 2017 and 2025 do not mention ART.
• The APA’s Division 12 (Society of Clinical Psychology) lists ART as having “modest” research support under its older criteria and as “pending re-evaluation” under its current ones (Division 12). That is a division website, not an APA practice guideline.
• No FDA approval or other FDA action on ART could be found. Claims that ART is “FDA-approved” are not accurate.

ART is best described as an emerging therapy with promising early research and a small evidence base. The guidelines page sets out each body’s position in full.

I am trained in ART and in EMDR, and I have used ART with veterans through the Lone Survivor Foundation, which closed in 2026. If you would like to talk about whether ART fits your situation, get started.