--- title: "EMDR vs. ART: How They Differ | Brian Lewis" url: https://respondersherpa.com/resources/emdr-vs-art description: "Compare EMDR and Accelerated Resolution Therapy: eye movements, structure, imagery, what sessions feel like, and how you and Brian choose in Utah." lang: en --- Resources (https://respondersherpa.com/resources) · EMDR and ART # EMDR vs. ART: how they differ. EMDR and Accelerated Resolution Therapy both use guided eye movements while you focus on difficult material, but they are not the same method. Their structure, language, and use of imagery differ. Understanding those differences can help you ask better questions. You do not need to select a method before the free consultation. You and Brian can consider the memory, your goals, your preferences, and what feels manageable before choosing a direction. ## The common ground Both EMDR and ART use bilateral eye movements. You follow a visual cue while staying connected to selected parts of an experience. You remain awake, aware, and able to pause. Neither method requires hypnosis, and neither removes your ability to choose what you share or whether the work continues. Both approaches begin with preparation rather than dropping immediately into the hardest memory. You discuss what brings you in, how distress shows up, what helps you return to the present, and what you want to be different. Brian explains the method, answers questions, and checks whether the proposed target feels appropriate for the setting and the day. You do not have to narrate every detail aloud with either method. Brian needs enough information to understand the concern and guide the process, but you can keep parts of the memory private. That can matter when your work has trained you to protect sensitive details or when repeating the full story feels unnecessary. ## How EMDR is structured EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It works through target memories in structured phases. Those phases include gathering history, preparing for the work, identifying the target, using bilateral stimulation, checking what remains, and closing the session in a way that returns attention to the present. A target includes more than a scene. You may identify an image, a negative belief connected to it, the emotion that appears, and where you feel the response in your body. During sets of eye movements, you notice what comes up without trying to force a particular path. Brian checks in between sets and helps keep attention connected to the target and your current experience. EMDR can be considered for one event or for themes across repeated exposure. When there are many calls, shifts, losses, or earlier experiences, you and Brian decide where to begin rather than trying to address everything at once. Preparation and pacing remain part of the work throughout. Read more about EMDR therapy in Utah: https://respondersherpa.com/emdr-therapy-utah. ## How ART uses imagery Accelerated Resolution Therapy also uses guided eye movements, but it gives imagery a more directed role. You bring up a memory and notice the physical and emotional response while following Brian’s visual cue. The process can then use guided imagery to change how the memory is held. Changing the imagery does not claim that the event did not happen. The facts remain facts. You may imagine a different ending, replace a disturbing picture, or alter the sensory qualities attached to it. The purpose is to work with the way the memory returns rather than to rewrite history. ART has its own sequence and language. Some people appreciate the active use of imagery; others prefer the more associative structure of EMDR. Preference matters, but it is not the only consideration. The target, current stability, and your response during preparation also inform the choice. Read more about Accelerated Resolution Therapy: https://respondersherpa.com/art-therapy-utah. ## What an EMDR session may feel like An EMDR session may feel less like telling a story from beginning to end and more like noticing a chain of thoughts, images, feelings, and body sensations. After a set of eye movements, Brian may ask what you notice now. Whatever appears becomes information for the next step; you do not need to produce the correct answer. The material can shift in expected or unexpected directions. A memory may connect to another experience, a belief, or a physical sensation. The structure gives the work boundaries while allowing your mind to make connections. You can ask to slow down, stop, or return to preparation at any point. Closure matters even when a target is not complete in one appointment. You reorient to the present and review what to notice before the next meeting. No session-count or speed promise applies. The pace depends on your history, readiness, current demands, and what happens in the work. ## What an ART session may feel like An ART session may feel more guided because the sequence includes specific attention to sensations and imagery. You may move through the scene privately, notice where distress appears in your body, follow sets of eye movements, and then work with imagery under Brian’s direction. You remain in control of what you disclose. You can describe enough for Brian to guide the process without giving every detail. If an image feels too intense or the exercise does not fit, you can say so. Collaboration matters more than completing a script. The use of imagery may feel concrete for a visual memory, while another concern may fit a different approach. ART is not automatically selected because a memory is vivid, and EMDR is not automatically selected because exposure was cumulative. The decision is individualized and can change. ## How you and Brian choose The choice begins with your goals. Are you focused on one image that interrupts sleep, a cluster of calls, a belief that follows a bad outcome, or a broader pattern of alertness and avoidance? You also consider how much stability you have outside the session and whether current work or home demands leave room for memory-focused work. Your preference carries weight. You may respond better to EMDR’s structured phases and open noticing, or to ART’s guided use of imagery. You may start with solution-focused work before either one. You may also decide that one target fits one method while another concern is better addressed differently. The free consultation is a place to ask about training, privacy, telehealth, and what preparation would involve. A full decision may wait until intake, when Brian has more context. Choosing together means there is no pressure to arrive already knowing which acronym fits. ## How either method fits the larger plan Memory processing is not the whole therapy relationship. Sleep, alcohol or drug use, irritability, relationship strain, and the transition after shift may need direct attention too. Solution-focused therapy can define the daily changes you want while EMDR or ART addresses selected memories. Sessions are individual and available in person in Midvale or by secure video anywhere in Utah. Whether either method is delivered by telehealth is decided together. Brian is licensed in Utah only. The practice is private, not an EAP, and not contracted with a department, agency, or hospital. If you want broader context, review PTSD and trauma therapy (https://respondersherpa.com/ptsd-trauma-therapy) or cumulative trauma therapy (https://respondersherpa.com/cumulative-trauma-therapy). When you are ready, book a free 15-minute consultation (https://respondersherpa.com/booking) to ask which approach may fit your goals. If you're in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911. FAQ ## Common questions. Do EMDR and ART both use eye movements? + Yes. Both use guided eye movements, but their structure and use of imagery differ. Do I have to tell every detail? + No. You provide enough context to guide the work, but neither method requires you to narrate every detail aloud. Does ART change what actually happened? + No. The facts remain facts. Guided imagery works with how a memory is held and how it returns, not with denying the event. How do I choose between EMDR and ART? + You and Brian consider your goals, the target memory or pattern, your preferences, preparation, and current stability. You do not need to decide before the consultation. Related reading - Therapy Costs and Superbills → (https://respondersherpa.com/resources/paying-for-therapy) The session fee, self-pay process, superbills, possible out-of-network benefits, and Good Faith Estimates. - Peer Support, EAP, or Private Therapy? → (https://respondersherpa.com/resources/peer-support-eap-or-therapy) How peer support, employee assistance programs, and independent private therapy differ in purpose, privacy, and access. - When a Call Won't Let Go → (https://respondersherpa.com/resources/when-a-call-wont-let-go) Common reactions after a hard call, what may help in the first days, and when therapy may be worth considering. - Therapy or Coaching: Which One Fits? → (https://respondersherpa.com/resources/therapy-or-coaching) How licensed counseling, non-clinical coaching, and consulting differ, who each is for, and how to choose. Still have questions? Ask them on a free 15-minute call. Book a free 15-minute call: https://respondersherpa.com/booking (801) 554-6372: +18015546372 Brian Lewis, LCMHC · Midvale, Utah · Telehealth across Utah · Utah LCMHC license #5497978-6009 ## Structured data ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://respondersherpa.com/#website", "name": "Brian Lewis, LCMHC", "url": "https://respondersherpa.com", "publisher": { "@id": "https://respondersherpa.com/#practice" }, "inLanguage": "en-US" }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": [ "MedicalBusiness", "ProfessionalService" ], "@id": "https://respondersherpa.com/#practice", "name": "Brian Lewis, LCMHC", "url": "https://respondersherpa.com", "image": "https://respondersherpa.com/__l5e/assets-v1/d03407aa-3688-433f-b886-6fea75aee05b/og-hero-ridge.jpg", "logo": "https://respondersherpa.com/__l5e/assets-v1/d03407aa-3688-433f-b886-6fea75aee05b/og-hero-ridge.jpg", "telephone": "+1-801-554-6372", "priceRange": "$150", "medicalSpecialty": "Psychiatric", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "addressLocality": "Midvale", "addressRegion": "UT", "addressCountry": "US" }, "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": 40.6111, "longitude": -111.8994 }, "areaServed": [ { "@type": "State", "name": "Utah" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Midvale" } ], "knowsAbout": [ "EMDR therapy", "Accelerated Resolution Therapy", "Addiction treatment", "PTSD", "Complex trauma", "First responder mental health" ], "provider": { "@id": "https://respondersherpa.com/#brian" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://respondersherpa.com/#brian", "name": "Brian Lewis", "honorificSuffix": "LCMHC", "jobTitle": "Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor", "image": "https://respondersherpa.com/__l5e/assets-v1/d03407aa-3688-433f-b886-6fea75aee05b/og-hero-ridge.jpg", "url": "https://respondersherpa.com/about", "telephone": "+1-801-554-6372", "worksFor": { "@id": "https://respondersherpa.com/#practice" }, "hasCredential": [ "MA, Health Systems Management & Counseling Psychology", "Utah LCMHC license #5497978-6009", "EMDR trained", "Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) trained" ], "knowsAbout": [ "EMDR", "Accelerated Resolution Therapy", "Addiction treatment", "PTSD", "Complex trauma", "Solution-focused therapy", "First responder mental health", "Healthcare worker mental health" ], "areaServed": { "@type": "State", "name": "Utah" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "MedicalWebPage", "@id": "https://respondersherpa.com/resources/emdr-vs-art#webpage", "url": "https://respondersherpa.com/resources/emdr-vs-art", "name": "EMDR vs. ART: How They Differ | Brian Lewis", "description": "Compare EMDR and Accelerated Resolution Therapy: eye movements, structure, imagery, what sessions feel like, and how you and Brian choose in Utah.", "inLanguage": "en-US", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://respondersherpa.com/#website" }, "about": { "@id": "https://respondersherpa.com/#practice" }, "author": { "@id": "https://respondersherpa.com/#brian" }, "reviewedBy": { "@id": "https://respondersherpa.com/#brian" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do EMDR and ART both use eye movements?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. 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