Attorney’s play a very special role in society, maintaining law and order for the people (thank you for that). Unfortunately, along with that role comes the emotional toll of handling cases that expose you to trauma, distressing details, and human suffering. Whether it's defending someone in a violent crime or handling a contentious child custody dispute, the toll can be significant. The details of these cases don’t just stay in the courtroom; they can follow you home, playing over and over in your mind, and show up in nightmares.
That sounds awful and distracting. Invading your valuable time at home.
What I wish attorneys knew, and what I hope they’re learning right this moment as they read this, is that there is an effective way to take care of these mental burdens. And believe it or not, it’s quite quick and doesn’t require you to have to talk about it. You can get these things out of your head without breaking any client confidentiality privileges. The approach is called Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART).
What is Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)?
ART is a relatively new and highly effective type of therapy that involves eye-movements to re-wire your brain so that certain tapes in your mind stop playing once and for all, the images stop popping up, and the emotional pain goes away.
Not only that, but you know that pit in your stomach feeling? or when you catch yourself clenching your fists? It can stop those things from happening as well so that you can focus on the next case in front of you and on dinner with your family.
Unlike traditional talk therapies, ART is known for providing relief in 1 to 5 sessions.
A typical layout of sessions:
1st Session
Get to know each other, discuss the process, explore and address potential barriers so we can figure them out ahead of time (frequent dissociation, past events that make the one you’re coming in for feel bigger, etc.)
2nd (and maybe 3rd) Session
Learn some tools that will be used before, during, and after the session to manage any uncomfortable feelings that may come up.
3rd-4th Session
Do the actual ART process on a specific thing you want to work through
Return when needed
Have another 1-2 sessions to clear out another tough case.
Burdens Unique to Attorneys
Violent Crime Cases: If you’re a criminal defense attorney, representing a client accused of violent crimes can be challenging. You may find yourself haunted by graphic crime scene photos, testimony, or other disturbing details.
ART can fade away the images and disturbing details
Child Custody Disputes: Family law attorneys, especially those dealing with cases involving child abuse or neglect, may carry the emotional weight of these stories long after the case is closed.
ART can reduce the emotional intensity of these difficult situations
Witnessing Traumatic Testimony: Whether you’re representing victims or accused individuals, the emotional toll of hearing or presenting traumatic testimony can be draining.
ART can stop the replaying a particularly heartbreaking or violent testimony
Wrongful Death and Personal Injury Cases: Attorneys who handle wrongful death or personal injury lawsuits may often deal with disturbing medical records or tragic stories from families. Even if you’ve seen many cases, one particularly difficult case might stick with you.
ART can help you let go of the emotional distress tied to these cases.
How Accelerated Resolution Therapy Can Help Attorneys
To name a few..
Stop the nightmares that root from a difficult case
Relieve the tension and physical sensations that come when you think about a particular case
Release the emotional weight you carry from a heartbreaking victim’s story
Sort out feelings from losing a case
Let go of mistakes or regrets
Unsee those photos/video footage you saw
Stop the details of a case from replaying in your mind
Fade away the mental images of disturbing things you saw or heard about
Get the small things out of your head to prevent buildup
Give you a break from overthinking a particular case/decision
Clear the mental clutter of past clients/cases that you’re holding onto
Quick Therapy Tune-Ups
Your time is valuable.
It can be quite time consuming to shop for a therapist, explain what’s going on, carve out time to attend sessions, and keep going back hoping to get some results. That’s another reason why Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) is particularly useful for attorneys who may not need ongoing therapy but could benefit from occasional “tune-ups” after difficult cases.
Once you’ve done the ART process once or twice, your brain knows what to expect and tends to respond much quicker for future ones.
This means that we don’t need to get into mom and dad stuff (that’s for another day), we can focus on what you want to and you can get back to work. Then, when you’ve had another tough case that is keeping you up at night, you can schedule another session or two, rinse and repeat.
ART can easily become part of your professional routine. Think of it as a way to hit the mental "reset" button, allowing you to get back to work without the weight of distressing memories or intrusive thoughts holding you down.
If you’ve ever found yourself unable to shake the details of a tough case, consider giving ART a try. You may be surprised at how much lighter you feel afterward.
Ready to Start
Accelerated Resolution Therapy?
About the Author
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EMDR Certified + Accelerated Resolution Therapy Therapist serving Phoenix and online to all of Arizona. Find out more about Brittani here.
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